Flash Gordon Page #5

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EXT. GULLEY – MONGO – DAY

The rocket lands. A side hatch slides open and four skeletal-framed ROBOTS covered in bronze-plated armor emerge. Each ROBOT is carrying a large and sinister-looking GATLING RIFLE.

Behind them emerges a man dressed in only what can be described as retro-roman centurion armor. Burnished chrome breastplate, black leather shorts, knee-high boots, crested helmet, and red cape. This is CAPTAIN MALO, commander of the Imperial Air Armada. He stops and stands, with fists on hips, at the base of the ship’s ramp. His face is grimaced as he glances at the three hiding behind the boulder.

FLASH:

Come on. Let’s find out who they are.

FLASH, DALE, and ZARKOV approach the aliens. FLASH smiles and says calmly.

FLASH:

Hello. Thank you for saving us. We’re from the planet earth. We come in peace.

FLASH extends his hand in welcome. CAPTAIN MALO slaps his hand away and begins barking in a strange language.

CAPTAIN MALO:

Borkshein gootchen zork! Achzein, Ming!!

FLASH is taken aback by the apparent hostile gesture.

FLASH:

I don’t understand...

Two of the MECHANICAL MEN approach ZARKOV and grab him. At the same time, CAPTAIN MALO snatches DALE roughly by the arm.

DALE:

Hey!

FLASH grabs MALO by the shoulder and spins him around.

FLASH:

Get your damn hands off her!

CAPTAIN MALO takes a swing at FLASH. He ducks the punch and lands his own across the captain’s jaw. They begin to scuffle.

ZARKOV:

No! No, Flash! We must be taken to their rulers! The fate of the earth depends on it!

The four MECHANICAL MEN surround FLASH and point their rifles straight at his head. Reluctantly, he raises his hands in surrender. He glares at the captain. CAPTAIN MALO points at the open hatch of the rocket.

LEADER:

Okto shein tang! TANG!!

FLASH:

All right! But, you keep your goddamn hands off her!

The two MECHANICAL MEN seize FLASH by either arm as the other two grab ZARKOV. CAPTAIN MALO roughly takes DALE and yanks her with them. The three are led up the ramp into the alien rocket.

EXT. GULLEY – MONGO – DAY

With the whine of jet engines, THE ROCKET lifts up off the desolate surface of the planet and soars into the ever-grey overcast sky.

EXT. SKY – MONGO – DAY

Traveling shot. THE ROCKET soars at incredible speeds.

INT. ROCKET – MONGO – DAY

The inside of THE ROCKET resembles the inside fuselage of a WWII bomber. FLASH and DALE are locked in separate steel cages as ZARKOV is roughly clamped into a flight chair by one of the MECHANICAL MEN.

The chair is attached to a myriad of strange medical devices. A SCIENTIST enters. He is bald, sickly-looking, with black goggles and a long white doctor’s coat. With thick rubber gloves, he grabs what looks like a chrome pistol and points it at the back of ZARKOV’S head.

FLASH struggles to open the barred door to his cage.

FLASH:

Hey! Leave him alone!

SCIENTIST:

Shein zok chang!

The SCIENTIST pulls the trigger and shoots at the back of ZARKOV’S head. Zarkov winces in pain.

DALE:

Hans!

FLASH:

You son of a b*tch! When I get out of here!

The SCIENTIST is talking to ZARKOV.

ZARKOV:

No, Flash, I can understand him now!

SCIENTIST:

(to Zarkov)

A device has been inserted into your pathetic and primitive brain. You can now understand the words of Ming.

EXT. MONGO – DAY

THE ROCKET continues to travel over the desolate and arid surface of Mongo.

On the colorless horizon, a MAGNIFICENT CITY of burnished green domes and spires of crimson marble accented in gold trim rises up out of the jagged mountain rock. Red banners with the emblem of a sun flutter under the ever-overcast sky. Though the main spires are eloquent, the outer rim of the city exposes a series of open sewers and squalid camps of poverty. This is MINGO CITY, the capital of Mongo.

C/U of man in tattered rags covered in grime. He looks up. Behind him, starving people in shanties of garbage mill about in mud and sewage. The camera then pans upward toward the pristine art-deco spires of the palace. The rocket races overhead into the mega-structure.

INT. ROCKET – MONGO – DAY

CAPTAIN MALO approaches with two MECHANICAL MEN and unlocks the cages holding FLASH, DALE, and ZARKOV.

FLASH:

What are you going to do with us?

CAPTAIN MALO:

If luck is on your side, you’ll have a chance to fight in the tournament of death. That is unlikely, blond savage. Emperor Ming will have other plans for you.

FLASH:

You mean, he’s going execute us?

CAPTAIN MALO:

No. He’ll not make it that easy for the likes of you. Not Ming. He doesn’t waste strong slaves. I am certain he’ll have use for you in the radium mines beneath the city.

INT. MINGO CITY – HANGAR – DAY

THE ROCKET flies into a huge hangar. There are rows and rows of similarly shaped rockets parked in the cavernous area. A machine emits a beam of STROBING LIGHT which slows the rocket to a stop and then lowers it gently down onto a landing pad.

INT. ROCKET SHIP – HANGER – DAY

Zarkov gawks in amazement out the window.

ZARKOV:

Mein Gott! Some sort of anti-gravity ray? The technology of this world is more than I could have ever dreamed!

INT. HANGER – MINGO CITY – DAY

The hatch on the rocket opens, the ramp is lowered, and FLASH, DALE, AND ZARKOV are escorted across the hanger.

EXT. MINGO CITY – DAY

The group marches through the bustling streets of Mingo. The population cowers and hurries out of the way of the MECHANICAL MEN and their leader. BEGGARS and GAUDILY DRESSED CITIZENS stare at the strangers from the earth as they march past. FLASH, DALE, and ZARKOV gawk like tourists.

EXT. MINGO PALACE – STEPS – MINGO – CITY – DAY

FLASH, DALE, and ZARKOV are roughly shoved up a large flight of broad steps to a set of huge palace doors. The doors are flanked by massive sculptures of MING. The giant doors open. They enter.

INT. THRONE ROOM – MINGO PALACE – DAY

In an opulent hall of enormous pillars of red marble accented with gold, flanked by a row of ARMORED MEN on each side in precision, stand an ensemble of courtesans. The sight is striking. The COURTESANS are mutations of LION MEN, HAWK MEN, LIZARD MEN, and SHARK MEN mixed with human-looking individuals. All the mutants are dressed in ragged loincloths, leather straps, and brandishing scabbards for both sword and laser pistols, while the human assembly is in colorful attire of silks and furs, and jewels. Their attention is set at the head of the great hall.

Under a great winged gargoyle statue on a jade throne sits EMPEROR MING, the absolute Ruler of Mongo.

In front of him, stands a cowering noble. This is KING NURID, leader of a race of dark-skinned dwarves.

NURID:

My Emperor Ming, the people of my country are starving. The lizard men constantly raid our silos of grain. I humbly come before you begging for assistance.

MING:

You claim your citizens are hungry? Is that what you are saying, King Nurid?

NOBLE:

Yes, Emperor Ming.

MING:

And you wish for me to end your people’s suffering?

NOBLE:

Please, my emperor! I beg you!

Ming flicks his finger ever so subtly. An ARMORED MAN approaches, draws his sword, and decapitates KING NURID. Blood gushes from his neck as his head rolls across the floor.

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