History WesternAnimation / FlashGordon

''Flash Gordon'' (also known as ''The Adventures of Flash Gordon'' and even ''The New Adventures of Flash Gordon'') was an adaptation of the comic strip ''ComicStrip/FlashGordon'' made in the 1970s by {{Creator/Filmation}}, the people who did ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries''. Perhaps best described as a children's version of a sketchy [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SP2CsHNHd8 rock album cover]] come to life, with [[PettingZooPeople lion-men]] instead of [[Film/NapoleonDynamite ligers]].

The series was originally a single film, ''Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure of All'', written by Samuel A. Peeples, one of the writers for ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'', and it turned out so well, NBC decided to have it as a TV series instead. This meant cutting up the footage for their usual animation cycles with more animation. When the series was cancelled, the footage was reassembled as the original film for broadcast on prime time broadcast and syndication.

The first season was serialized and followed the original comic strip remarkably faithfully. After the [[ExecutiveMeddling network complained]] that the serial was too difficult for kids to follow, the second season consisted of standalone episodes, and a TeamPet was added, Gremlin the dragon. Older viewers are likely to prefer the serialized episodes, while younger viewers are likely to prefer the later, more simply-plotted standalones.

Though the best-known animated version of Flash Gordon, it was not the only one. Flash Gordon also appeared in two animated {{Massively Multiplayer Crossover}}s with other King Features heroes: the one-off special ''WesternAnimation/TheManWhoHatedLaughter'' and the series ''WesternAnimation/DefendersOfTheEarth'', which also featured Flash's archenemy Ming the Merciless as its BigBad. [[WesternAnimation/FlashGordon1996 Another animated series]] debuted in 1996, featuring hoverboard-riding teenaged versions of Flash and Dale.

!!The Filmation animated series provides examples of:
* ActuallyADoombot: [[spoiler: Ming at the end of the first season, as the real Ming flees. Ditto for the end of the animated movie.]]
* AIIsACrapshoot: Ming's computer, in the second season.
* AmazonBrigade: Princess Aura had an elite guard of female warriors under her command known as the [[WitchSpecies Witch-Women]].
* ApparentlyHumanMerfolk: The people of Corallia, who are green but otherwise look human. As opposed to Ming's grotesque gill-men.
* BackForTheFinale: The first season climaxes with almost all the allies Flash has made through the course of the series gathering together for one big attack against Ming.
* BeastMan: The Beast Men.
* BigDoor: The Beast Men's drawbridge that takes up most of a cliffside.
* DarkestHour: The end of episode 15, with Dale, Aura, and Flash captured--the latter in suspended animation.
* DrillTank: The Mecho Mole, first used by Ming, then hijacked by Barin.
* EnergyBeing: Voltana the Blue Fire Worm and the Lobos are both described as being made of energy.
* TheFaceless: Azura's cloaked [[{{Mooks}} minions,]] the Magic Men.
* FishPeople: Ming's gill-men.
* FiveManBand: Although they're not always together, Flash and his core allies do fit the trope fairly well:
** TheHero: Flash
** TheLancer: Barin
** TheBigGuy: Thun
** TheSmartGuy: Zarkov
** TheChick: Dale
** TheSixthRanger: Vultan
* FlamingSword: Ming wields one.
* FreezeRay: Used to capture Flash in episode 15.
* HeavyWorlder: It's occasionally mentioned that Mongo has lower gravity than Earth, so Earthlings have above-normal strength there.
* InMediasRes: The series starts off with Flash, Dale, and Zarkov already on their way to Mongo.
* {{Kaiju}}: Anywhere and everywhere. Notable ones include the two-headed [[spoiler: blind]] Tsak, and Azura's giant energy caterpillar Voltana.
* KillerRabbit: Squirrelons--killer flying squirrels who attack in swarms, and whose venom causes madness.
* KirkSummation: Flash gives one of these early on to Barin and Thun because he's sick of their racial bickering, and says the only reason a tyrant like Ming is able to hang onto power is that the peoples of Mongo are busy fighting each other instead of uniting against him. Thun comes to agree with him pretty quickly, but Barin takes a couple more episodes to convince.
* LargeHam: Vultan, Ming, and Aura.
* LizardFolk: The Lizard Women. There are Lizard ''Men,'' too, they just don't show up as often. Also the reptillian bounty hunter from the second season.
* MechaMooks: Ming's Metal Men. The series eventually introduced their [[RobotMaster inventor,]] Dr. Tav.
* MundaneMadeAwesome: In episode 16, Flash defeats Ming with a well-placed brick.
* ParallelUniverse: The second season episode "Flash Back."
* PragmaticAdaptation: The pilot movie, which was intended have Dr. Zarkov to be sympathetic from the start, changed the circumstances of Flash and Dale boarding his rocket. The solution was that the visitors are forced to enter Zarkov's lair while being chased by a flood of molten lava caused by a meteor shower inflicted by Ming. In that crisis, Zarkov immediately invites them into his rocket and since it is the only means around to escape certain death, the young heroes get in as fast as they can before it launches for Mongo. Furthermore, once Zarkov explains what he hopes to do there, Flash and Dale agree to help.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If the legends are true, both Azura and Ming are centuries old. Ming claims to be immortal.
* RedshirtArmy: Hawkmen.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: Well, the Lizard Women may not be very ''nice'', but one [[CuteMonsterGirl wouldn't exactly]] call them ''[[NonMammalMammaries abhorrent]]''.
* RetroRocket: Most of the Mongonian rocketships are streamlined to look a little more like aircraft, but Zarkov's rocketship is a classic cylindrical RetroRocket.
* RobotMaster: Dr. Tav.
* SiliconBasedLife: Ming the Merciless created a silicon based monster and unleashed it on the heroes. The heroes weapons had no effect on the creature because, in their words, they were shooting sand.
* SlaveRevolt: Flash ends up leading a ''lot'' of slave revolts. Mostly because the bad guys keep, well, [[WhyDontYouJustShootHim trying to enslave him]].
* SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic: After Zarkov has had the chance to study the Blue Magic Kingdom's equipment, he describes it as "another kind of science," and he's able to manipulate it. It's not entirely clear whether it's actually supernatural or just advanced technology dressed up to look like magic, but it's at least internally consistent enough for Zarkov to get a handle on it.
* TeamPet: [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Gremlin]].
* TrickArrow: The Arborians' ice arrows.
* TrueCompanions: Flash, Dale, Zarkov, Barin, Thun, and Vultan.
* VillainousRescue: Flash is rescued by the villains a fair amount of times so they can have the pleasure of killing him.
* WeAREStrugglingTogether: This is why Ming isn't overthrown; the races of Mongo are busy fighting amongst themselves. The entire first season is Flash & co. trying to avert this trope.
* WhenTreesAttack:
** The [[MeaningfulName Arborians]] are able to get their trees to defend ''themselves'' against Ming's Mecho-Mole.
** There are also a few [[ManEatingPlant Man Eating Plants]] over the course of the show. Thun finally comes to trust Flash after Flash risks his life to save him from one.

The first season was serialized and followed the original comic strip remarkably faithfully. After the [[ExecutiveMeddling network complained]] that the serial was too difficult for kids to follow, the second season consisted of standalone episodes, and a TeamPet was added, Gremlin the dragon. Older viewers are likely to prefer the serialized episodes, while younger viewers are likely to prefer the later, more simply-plotted standalones.

The first season was serialized and followed the original comic strip remarkably faithfully. After the [[ExecutiveMeddling network complained]] that the serial was [[ViewersAreMorons too difficult for kids to follow,]] the second season consisted of standalone episodes, and a TeamPet was added, Gremlin the dragon. Older viewers are likely to prefer the serialized episodes, while younger viewers are likely to prefer the later, more simply-plotted standalones.

''Flash Gordon'' (also known as ''The Adventures of Flash Gordon'' and even ''The New Adventures of Flash Gordon'') was an adaptation of the comic strip ''ComicStrip/FlashGordon'' made in the 1970s by {{Filmation}}, the people who did ''WesternAnimation/StarTrekTheAnimatedSeries''. Perhaps best described as a children's version of a sketchy [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SP2CsHNHd8 rock album cover]] come to life, with [[PettingZooPeople lion-men]] instead of [[Film/NapoleonDynamite ligers]].

* {{Kaiju}}: Anywhere and everywhere. Notable ones include the two-headed [[spoiler: blind]] Tesak, and Azura's giant energy caterpillar Voltana.

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If the legends are true, both Azura and Ming are centuries old. Ming claims to be immortal; he does at least appear to be very long-lived.

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If the legends are true, both Azura and Ming are centuries old. Ming ''claims'' to be immortal.

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If the legends are true, both Azura and Ming are centuries old. Ming claims to be immortal.

* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: If the legends are true, both Azura and Ming are centuries old.

* ActuallyADoombot: [[spoiler: Ming at the end of the first season, as the real Ming flees.]]

* HeavyWorlder: It's occasionally mentioned that Mongo is smaller than Earth, so Earthlings have above-normal strength there.

* WeAREStrugglingTogether: This is why Ming isn't overthrown; the races of Mongo are busy fighting amongst themselves.