Ming the Merciless

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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 serial, TV shows and movie. The character has been criticized for being a typical yellow peril stereotype.

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[edit] First Appearance

When the heroic Flash Gordon and his friends land on the planet Mongo, they find it ruled by the evil Emperor Ming, a despot who quickly becomes their enemy.

The capital of his empire is named "Mingo City" in his honour. In addition to his army, Ming has 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.

Though he is technically an extraterrestrial, Ming strongly resembles a stereotypical Asian supervillain, and his resemblance to Dr. Fu Manchu is especially strong. "Ming" (明) is a common personal name in China, and was the name of several historical Chinese emperors, and later of an entire dynasty. The name has clear Chinese associations even for people not versed in the details of Chinese history. In later adaptations of the story, his "Oriental nature" has been downplayed out of sensitivity to criticisms of racial stereotyping. (In fact, in DC Comics' nine-issue Flash Gordon mini-series, Ming and most of the human-like denizens of Mongo were given gray skin.)

In the Flash Gordon serials of the late '30s Ming was played by Charles Middleton.

[edit] Some Later Appearances

[edit] The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979)

In this 1979 animated version of Flash Gordon, Ming's voice was provided by Alan Oppenheimer, who would later go on to voice Skeletor. In this version, Ming's vast technological arsenal is vividly displayed in the form of his vast fleet of battleships, drone rockets, armored trains, Post-Modern oil painting collection, vintage wine, and his army of robots. He also employs Mongo's race of Lizard-Women as his enforcers in the mines of Mongo, as well as guards in his harem, and the primitive Beast-Men of Mongo not only serve him, but revere him as a god.

[edit] Flash Gordon Movie (1980)

In the 1980 theatrical film, Ming, complaining of being bored, discovers Earth, and unleashes various attacks on the planet. The film gives Ming a second-in-command, General Klytus, who is masked at all times, and has an attraction towards Ming's daughter, Princess Aura. As in most versions, he has an infatuation towards Dale, whom he plans to marry. Ming is also shown as not kind towards his daughter: in an effort to find Flash, he allows Klytus to continue torturing her, since she knows of his whereabouts.

At the climax of the film, Ming is impaled by his own war rocket, Ajax, which Flash had taken control of. After a vain attempt to stop Flash attacking him, he ultimately points his ring at himself and he vanishes. However, just before the credits begin, his ring is retrieved by an unknown individual, and the words "The End?" appear, as his evil laughter plays in the background, hinting he was going to return in a sequel.

He was played by Max von Sydow. Queen's soundtrack album includes "Ming's Theme."

[edit] Defenders of the Earth Animated Series (1986-87)

Ming served as the principal adversary in the 1980s Marvel animated series Defenders Of The Earth, fighting against other King Features characters such as The Phantom, Mandrake, Lothar, and of course Flash Gordon. In the opening episode Ming successfully captured Dale Arden Gordon and her son Rick, and tore Dale's mind from her body, prompting a vengeful Flash to pursue him back to Earth to avenge her and prevent Ming from enslaving his world. Ming's base on Earth was in the depths of Antarctica and was called Ice Station Earth; his allies in this series were Garax, leader of the "Men Of Frost", Ming's army of Ice Men, and Octon, a large tentacled battle computer.

This version of Ming also included a son rather than a daughter at his side, Prince Kro-Tan; unlike Aura, he held no love for any of the Defenders and considered both them and his father hindrances to his enslavement of the galaxy. Kro-Tan came the closest to defeating his father in a five-part story where he successfully entrapped Ming and took over his forces, before Ming was released by the Defenders and took his vengeance. Ming had two carrier spacecraft in this series, one of which was his "Throne Room", his main vessel, which could launch itself from the Arctic Ocean. Ming is also portrayed as having green skin (the change to green skin was not an uncommon treatment for Asian villains to receive, and was shared by Doctor No in James Bond Jr and The Mandarin in Iron Man).

[edit] Flash Gordon Animated Series (1996)

In the 1996 animated series, Ming looks even more reptilian: he is a green, pointy-eared, sharp-toothed scaly alien, which cause the heroes to call him a "lizard". (Aura, meanwhile, has green skin, but is otherwise perfectly human.) In this version, Ming is more humane and even comical at times.

[edit] Flash Gordon TV Series (2007–present)

In the 2007 Flash Gordon Sci Fi Channel TV series, Ming is portrayed by John Ralston as a clean shaven blonde caucasian, moving away from potentially offensive "yellow peril" stereotypes. Ralston's model for the character is Saddam Hussein.[citation needed]

This version of Ming the Merciless is a media-savvy tyrant, who controls the planet through his monopoly on the production of clean water—a textbook example of a hydraulic empire. He uses this control to extort wealth and obedience from the populace. He dresses in a quasi-military garb and seems to have some sort of militaristic position in addition to his role as a Water Baron and emperor.

Although as vicious and evil as ever, Ming is known as and addressed as "Benevolent Father", a name he likely came up with. His people however call him Ming the Merciless, due to his harsh and often brutal rulership. Ming was also known as Ming the Merciless during his military career and rise to power.

Ming justifies everything he does as maintaining order and preventing a return to the chaos Mongo was in before he took power.

Ming is known to keep a large harem of willing and unwilling women that serve his needs. His daughter, Princess Aura, has said he treats them very well, but it is implied that she is biased. Those who attempt to escape his harem are sold as sex slaves to others as punishment.

Ming often expresses disappointment in Aura such as when she shows interest in a person he views as beneath her station or when she refrains from seizing power after his apparent death. He has also used her as a political tool, such as when he arranges for her to marry Barin of the Verdan in an attempt to create an alliance and further his own power.

He has his scientist, Rankol, keep Flash Gordon's father hostage and stole the Imex (an alien computing device found in an Incan temple in Nazca, Peru, it had been discovered that it's a molecular computer, containing a schematic for the genetic code of the universe) to perfect his Rift Generator and steal water from the Earth, as his own supply was running out.

It has recently been revealed that Ming has a son named Terek, whom he had ordered to be killed at birth for being a Deviate. He also banished his wife (Aura's mother). When it became apparent that his son was alive and attempting to overthrow him, Ming captures Aura's mother and poisons her with Grey Water to maker her a Deviate as well. Since Aura knew her mother's bloodline was pure, it has been revealed that Ming is the source of Terek's deviation.

When Flash Gordon released Ming's stolen water, Ming had it poisoned and placed the blame upon Terek. It was later revealed to his people that Ming had poisoned the water. This began the spark of revolution against him.

It was prophesied by monks that Ming would fall. Terek gathered an army of the various races of Mongo to battle Ming while his forces where weakened due to a war in the north.

Ming formed an alliance with Azura and her warriors in exchange for making her his queen, her army would battle against the rebels. She gave him an amulet.

Ming is captured after a battle with Flash Gordon and his daughter Aura. Terek ordered his execution. When Aura coldly told her father 'good-bye', Ming finally admitted he had a daughter he could be proud of.

Ming was placed inside a gas chamber. As the chamber filled with gas, Ming vanished, having been teleported to safety by Azura's amulet. It is likely he is alive and capable of gathering his loyal forces in an attempt to regain Mongo.

[edit] Parodies, Homages, etc.

[edit] External links