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Prince Vultan
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Prince Vultan is the prince of the bird-like Hawkmen in the Flash Gordon comic strip and its adaptations. Prince Vultan starts his career as a half-villain (he resents Ming's domination but does not oppose it out of fear of reprisal) with a lecherous side (he lusts after Earth woman Dale Arden). However after Zarkov saves his city he reforms into one of Flash Gordon's greatest allies. His character fits the stereotype of the barrel-chested chieftain with more than a hint of the pirate captain or the viking reaver in it, endowed with a booming voice and a great appetite for life, food and women. In the original comic, he has several wives, one of whom tries to kill Dale, as she is jealous of her. He claims to have become King of Sky City after winning one of the Tournaments of Mongo. When Ming tries to take Flash, Vultan calls for a Tournament of Mongo. It is revealed that with Emperor Ming and King Jugrid of the Lion Men he is one of the three most powerful rulers on Mongo. When Flash is given the unconquered Kingdom of Caves by Ming,Vultan sends a party of Hawkmen under Captain Khan to help Flash conquer his Kingdom.In the 1936 film serial, he was portrayed by Jack Lipson (1901-1947).
Allan Melvin provided Vultan's voice in the 1979 Filmation animated series. He is referred to here as King Vultan, not Prince. His Sky City is a marvel of Mongo technology, as the massive construct is suspended miles above ground by beams of polarized anti-gravity light. Unlike Prince Barin's kingdom of Arboria, Vultan's Hawkmen do not make use of airships in battle. Instead, they fly under their own power or ride giant warbirds armed with harness-mounted energy cannons.
He was portrayed by Brian Blessed in the cult 1980 film Flash Gordon. Vultan is best remembered for the lines "Gordon's alive?!", "Impetuous boy!" and "Squadron 40! Diiiiiiiiiiiive!". For the film's soundtrack by the rock group Queen, Freddie Mercury composed a song called "Vultan's Theme". At the end, he is appointed the General of the Armies when Prince Barin is revealed as the rightful ruler of Mongo.
In the 1996 Flash Gordon animated series, Vultan is a somewhat conservative leader, and reluctant to act against Ming for fear of reprisals against his people. His role as Flash's ally is taken by his teenage son, Prince Talon.
In the 2007 television series, Vultan appears as the leaders of a group of nomadic mercenaries called Dactyls (a variation of the Hawkmen). In the episode, Ascension, Vultan travels to Earth, using Princess Aura's rift key. He kidnaps a teenage boy who he claims is his son. He is played by Ty Olsson.
In a 2008 episode of the animated sitcom Family Guy called "Road to Germany", Brian, Stewie and Mort enlist the help of Vultan's Hawkman Army in a dogfight over Europe against the Luftwaffe. Blessed returns to voice Vultan briefly during the episode.
Best films
(1980)Played by the actors
Filmography of Prince Vultan (3 films)
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, 1h35Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Space adventure films, Superhero films, Space opera
Actors Robert Ridgely, Bob Holt, Diane Pershing, Vic Perrin, David Opatoshu, Melendy Britt
Rating74%
The story takes place during World War II. Flash Gordon is on a mission in Warsaw, which is suffering heavy bombing. He arrives too late and his contact, who is near death, says he has a message for Doctor Zarkov, but can utter only one word, "Mongo," before he dies.
Flash Gordon (1980)
, 1h48Directed by Mike Hodges, Brian W. Cook
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Adventure
Themes Space adventure films, Monde imaginaire, Dans l'espace, Sur une planète fictive, Superhero films, Space opera, Films about extraterrestrial life
Actors Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Chaim Topol, Timothy Dalton, Max von Sydow, Ornella Muti
Rating64%
Emperor Ming the Merciless declares that he will first play with and then destroy the Earth using natural disasters. On Earth, New York Jets football star "Flash" Gordon boards a small plane, where he meets travel journalist Dale Arden. Mid-flight, the cockpit is hit by a meteorite and the pilots are lost. Flash takes control and manages to crash land into a greenhouse owned by Dr. Hans Zarkov. Zarkov, who believes the disasters are being caused because an unknown source is pushing the Moon towards Earth, has secretly constructed a spacecraft which he plans to use to investigate. Zarkov's assistant refuses to go, so he lures Flash and Dale aboard. The rocket launches, taking them to the planet Mongo, where they are captured by Ming's troops.
Flash Gordon (1936)
, 4h5Directed by Ray Taylor, Robert Hill, Frederick Stephani
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Action, Adventure
Themes Space adventure films, Dans l'espace, Superhero films, Space opera, Films about extraterrestrial life, Robot films
Actors Buster Crabbe, Jean Rogers, Charles Middleton, Priscilla Lawson, Frank Shannon, Richard Alexander
Rating69%
The Planet of Peril The planet Mongo is on a collision course with Earth. Dr. Alexis Zarkov takes off in a rocket ship to Mongo, with Flash Gordon and Dale Arden as his assistants. They find that the planet is ruled by the cruel Emperor Ming, who lusts after Dale and sends Flash to fight in the arena. Ming's daughter, Princess Aura, tries to spare Flash's life.