Flash Gordon was an intrepid space explorer that started life as a comic strip in the 1930s. His popularity grew with Universal Pictures' serialized adventures that introduced movie-going audiences to Flash, his girlfriend Dale Arden and the scientist Hans Zarkov.

Following the success of Star Wars, another space-themed franchise, in 1977, NBC dug up ol' Flash and produced an animated series that stayed surprisingly faithful to the original comic strip. Flash Gordon, Dale and Dr. Zarkov traveled from Earth to the planet Mongo (which looked just like Earth) and became entangled in that planet's politics and strife. Many races called Mongo home and they all looked more or less human, with the addition of a little something. Flash met Lion-Men (two guesses what their little something was), Hawk-Men, the underwater-dwelling Coralians, giants and Lizard-Men.

Flash Gordon ran afoul of the villain of Mongo almost immediately after his arrival and would continue to battle the evil ruler throughout the series. Ming the Merciless needs no introduction because 'merciless' is not usually a last name associated with the kind, grandfatherly type. Ming commanded vast armies of creatures and robots that sought to subjugate the peaceful races of Mongo. Flash and his friends befriended King Vultan of the Hawk-Men, King Thun of the Lion-Men and Prince Barin of Arboria and vowed to help in their fight against Ming.

The cartoon was not the last incarnation of Flash Gordon; shortly after its debut, a live-action feature film premiered in theaters and another animated series was produced in the mid-80s.