Plot summary

The comic strip followed the adventures of Flash Gordon, for whom the series was named, and his companions Dr. Hans Zarkov and Dale Arden. The story begins with Dr. Zarkov's invention of a rocket ship, in which the three of them make a journey to the planet Mongo, where they are stranded. Mongo is inhabited by a number of different cultures, some quite technologically advanced, that have been falling one by one under the domination of the vicious tyrant Ming the Merciless.

Each region of Mongo is analogous to regions on Earth. Arboria ruled by Barin and his Tree Men, is a lush forest region. Frigia is a frozen polar region. Tropica is logically a tropic region. There are undersea kingdoms and a flying city ruled by Prince Vultan of the Hawk Men. There are many sentient species on Mongo including lion-men represented by Prince Thun and Shark-men ruled by King Kala.

The three Earth people are befriended shortly after their arrival by Prince Barin, rightful heir to the throne that Ming has taken. Ming banishes Prince Barin and his followers — including Ming's own daughter, Princess Aura, Barin's bride — to the forest realm of Arboria, and the three join in Barin's quest to topple Ming.

In 1995, the strip was one of 20 included in the Comic Strip Classics series of commemorative postage stamps.

Strip bibliography

• Sunday, Alex Raymond, 1934 - 1943
• daily, Austin Briggs, 1940 - 1944
• Sunday, Austin Briggs, 1944 - 1948
• Sunday, Mac Raboy, 1948 - 1967
• daily, Dan Barry, 1951 - 1990
• daily, Harry Harrison, writer, 1958 - 1964
• Sunday, Dan Barry, 1967 - 1990
• Sunday and daily, Ralph Reese & Bruce Jones, Gray Morrow, 1990 - 1991
• Sunday and daily, Thomas Warkentin, 1991 - 1992
• Sunday, Richard Bruning, Kevin VanHook, Thomas Warkentin, 1992 - 1996
• Sunday, Jim Keefe, 01/1996 - 03/2003