| Ming the Merciless | |
|---|---|
 ' | |
|
Real Name |
Ming |
|
First Appearance |
Flash Gordon comic strip (January 21, 1934) |
|
Original Publisher |
King Features Syndicate |
|
Created by |
Alex Raymond |
Origin[]
Ming the Merciless is a fictional character who first appeared in the Flash Gordon comic strip in 1934. He has since been the main villain of the strip and its related movie serials and television series. Ming is depicted as a ruthless tyrant who rules the planet Mongo.
In the comic strip, when the heroic Flash Gordon and his friends land on the fictional planet Mongo, they find it ruled by an evil emperor, a despot who quickly becomes their enemy. He was not named at first, only being known as "The Emperor" until six weeks later, when his name was revealed to be "Ming".
The capital of his empire is named Mingo City in his honour. In addition to his army, Ming is shown to have access to a wide variety of science fiction gadgets, ranging from rocket ships to death rays to robots. Though evil, he has his weaknesses, which include a desire to marry Flash's beautiful companion, Dale Arden. Ming's daughter Princess Aura is as evil as he is when the series begins, but is eventually reformed by her love for Flash, and later for Prince Barin of Arboria.
Flash and his companions escape from Ming's clutches and find allies among the peoples of Mongo, including Barin, Prince Vultan, Prince Thun and Queen Fria. They organize a resistance movement against Ming's rule; the action of the resistance takes up much of the strip's story-lines.
Public Domain Appearances[]
Public Domain Comic Strip Appearances[]
- Flash Gordon (January 21, 1934 - October 18, 1936)
Public Domain Literary Appearances[]
- Flash Gordon Strange Adventure Magazine (1936)
Public Domain Film Appearances[]
- Mars Attacks the World (1938)
- Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940)
Notes[]
- Ming the Merciless's first appearance in the January 7, 1934, comic strip was not renewed 28 years later in 1961 or 1962.
- "Ming the Merciless" is still trademarked by King Features Syndicate, so his name has to be in the interior of any story.
- Originally modeled after the same Yellow Peril archetype as Sax Rohmer's Fu Manchu, Ming the Merciless debuted as a despotic ruler with exaggerated East Asian features. However, later adaptations like Defenders of the Earth (1986) overhauled his design, replacing these stereotypes with green skin and overtly alien physiology.