The DC Universe and Flash Gordon

Now, I know I’m not the only person to have noticed that a surprising number of Golden Age heroes – most of them now in the DC Universe – seem to have been based on Flash Gordon characters, not least Flash himself.

Or were they? What if the relationship was a little closer than that?

What if, underneath the heroic identities of Hawkman and Green Arrow, there lie the faces of Prince Vultan and Prince Barin? This could be played two ways, depending on whether you’re thinking of the Golden Age or Silver Age incarnations of these characters.

In the Golden Age, Hawkman and Green Arrow were, initially at least, members of two different teams. Hawkman led the Justice Society of America and Green Arrow was a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory – and each of them also had a sidekick. It’s not hard to see what was going on here. Both men clearly came to Earth to recruit allies to return to Mongo and fight against Ming (it’s unclear whether or not they were sent by Flash Gordon or not, but it seems a safe assumption). The outbreak of World War Two saw both these groups folded into a much larger group, the All-Star Squadron. And given the fervour with which they fought, it seems likely that Ming had allied himself with the Axis, seeking to take over Earth as easily as possible – or maybe just for the diversion.

If, on the other hand, it’s the Silver Age Green Arrow and Hawkman we’re talking about here, it seems far more likely that they came to Earth only after the death of Flash Gordon. Although both men were members of the Justice League of America, they infamously never got along – something that only seems more likely if each blamed the other for Gordon’s death. In this version, it is likely that Ming was defeated, and that Barin and Vultan came to Earth cheifly to pay the debt they believed was owed by them for the efforts of Flash Gordon on their behalf.

The Silver Age is more complicated, however, as by this time the DC Universe was well-populated by aliens. It is unlikely, for example, that the efforts of Ming to conquer many worlds would have gone un-noticed by either the Green Lantern Corps or the New Gods. And while it does seem likely that Thanagar is merely the Hawkmen’s name for their land, it’s hard to imagine all these other planets failing to notice Ming and Mongo. On the other hand, space is big – really big – and it’s certainly possible for all sorts of things to happen in its expanses without affecting each other. That said, once the secret of Mongo is out, the Justice League will certainly investigate, and once Green Lantern learns of the world, it’s likely he’ll share the information with the rest of the Corps and so on. At this point, the plot will most certainly escalate, to say the least. And what will happen when Ming encounters like minds – will Mongul, Darkseid and the rest be allies or enemies to the Merciless One? And how long will it take before someone kills one of Lobo’s dolphins?