Ming the Merciless
Encyclopedia
Ming the Merciless is a fictional character
who first appeared in the Flash Gordon
comic strip
in 1934. He has since been the main villain
of the strip and its related movie serials, TV shows and film adaptation
.
Mongo
, they find it ruled by the evil
Emperor Ming, a despot
who quickly becomes their enemy. He is not named at first, only being known as the Emperor until several issues later.
The capital of his empire is named "Mingo City" in his honour. In addition to his army
, Ming has access to a wide variety of science fiction
gadget
s, ranging from rocket ships
to death ray
s to robot
s. Though evil, he has his weaknesses, which include a desire to marry Flash's beautiful companion, Dale Arden
. Ming's daughter Princess Aura
is as evil as he is when the series begins, but is eventually reformed by her love for Flash, and later for Prince Barin
of Arboria.
In the Flash Gordon serials
of the late 1930s-era, Ming was portrayed by actor Charles B. Middleton
. In the first serial he is apparently killed in a crematorium, in a possible suicide. He returns later in league with a Martian
Queen, and using a Nitro Lamp to cause disasters on Earth. In Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe
he is once again ruler of Mongo, but is killed when he is locked inside his tower and Flash crashes a ship into it.
of Flash Gordon, Ming's voice was provided by Alan Oppenheimer
, who would later go on to voice Skeletor
. In this version, Ming's vast technological arsenal is vividly displayed in the form of his vast fleet of battleships, drone rockets, armored trains, Post-Modern
oil painting collection, vintage wine, and his army of robots. He also employs Mongo's race of Lizard-Women as his enforcers in the mines of Mongo, as well as guards in his harem, and the primitive Beast-Men of Mongo not only serve him, but revere him as a god.
, Ming (Max von Sydow
), complaining of boredom, discovers Earth, and unleashes various attacks on the planet. The film gives Ming a second-in-command, General Klytus, who is masked at all times, and has an attraction towards Ming's daughter, Princess Aura. As in most versions, he is infatuated with Dale, whom he plans to marry. Ming's cruelty extends to his own daughter: in an effort to find Flash, he allows Klytus to continue torturing
her, since she knows of his whereabouts. When Klytus is killed in the Hawkman city, he orders it to be destroyed. He offers Flash a chance to join him, rule a kingdom, and save Earth. Flash declines when he finds the kingdom will be the devastated Earth, causing Ming to leave him there, but he escapes on a rocket cycle.
At the climax
of the film, Ming is impaled by his own war rocket, Ajax, which Flash had taken control of. After a vain attempt to stop Flash attacking him, he ultimately points his ring at himself and he vanishes. However, just before the credits begin, his ring is retrieved by an unknown individual, and the words "The End?" appear, as his evil laughter plays in the background, hinting he is not dead.
Queen
's soundtrack album
includes "Ming's Theme".
For many fans, this portrayal of Ming the Merciless remains the best, and some film magazines and institutes have named him one of the greatest screen villains.
animated series Defenders of the Earth
, fighting against other King Features characters such as The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician
, Lothar, and of course Flash Gordon. In the opening episode, Ming successfully captures Dale Arden Gordon and her son Rick, and tears Dale's mind from her body, prompting a vengeful Flash to pursue him back to Earth to avenge her and prevent Ming from enslaving his world. Ming's base on Earth is in the depths of Antarctica and is called Ice Station Earth; his allies in this series are Garax, leader of the "Men of Frost", Ming's army of Ice Men, and Octon, a large tentacled battle computer.
This version of Ming also includes a son rather than a daughter at his side, Prince Kro-Tan; unlike Aura, he holds no love for any of the Defenders and considers both them and his father hindrances to his enslavement of the galaxy. Kro-Tan comes the closest to defeating his father in a five-part story where he successfully entraps Ming and takes over his forces, before Ming is released by the Defenders and takes his vengeance. Ming has two carrier spacecraft in this series, one of which is his "Throne Room", his main vessel, which could launch itself from the Arctic Ocean
. Ming is also portrayed as having green
skin and pointed ears.
". (Meanwhile, Aura has green skin, but is otherwise perfectly human.) In this version, Ming is more humane and even comical at times.
, Ming is portrayed by John Ralston
as a clean shaven blond caucasian. Executive producer David Hume has said that this interpretation of the character is modeled after Saddam Hussein
.
This version of Ming the Merciless is a media
-savvy tyrant
, who controls the planet
through his monopoly
on the production of clean water
. He uses this control to extort wealth and obedience from the populace. He dresses in a quasi-military
garb and seems to have some sort of militaristic position in addition to his role as a Water Baron
and emperor.
Although as evil as ever, Ming is known as and addressed as "Benevolent Father". However, his people call him Ming the Merciless, because of his harsh and often brutal leadership. Ming was also known as Ming the Merciless during his military career and rise to power.
Ming justifies everything he does as maintaining order and preventing a return to the chaos that occurred before he took power.
Ming is known to keep a large harem
of willing and unwilling women that serve his needs. Princess Aura
has said he treats them very well, but it is implied that she is biased. Those who attempt to escape his harem are sold as sex slaves
to others as punishment
.
Ming often expresses disappointment in Aura, such as when she shows interest in a person he views as beneath her station or when she refrains from seizing power after his apparent death. He has also used her as a political tool, such as when he arranges for her to marry Barin of the Verdan in an attempt to create an alliance and further his own power.
He has his scientist, Rankol, keep Flash's father hostage and stole the Imex (an alien computing device found in an Incan temple in Nazca, Peru, it had been discovered that it's a molecular computer, containing a schematic for the genetic code
of the universe) to perfect his Rift Generator and steal water from the Earth, as his own supply is running out.
It has recently been revealed that Ming has a son named Terek, whom he had ordered to be killed at birth for being a Deviate. He also banished his wife (Aura's mother). When it becomes apparent that his son is alive and attempting to overthrow him, Ming captures Aura's mother and poisons her with Grey Water to make her a Deviate as well. Since Aura knows her mother's bloodline is pure, it has been revealed that Ming is the source of Terek's deviation.
When Flash Gordon releases Ming's stolen water, Ming has it poisoned and places the blame upon Terek. It is later revealed to his people that Ming had poisoned the water. This begins the spark of revolution against him. It is prophesied by monks that Ming will fall. Terek gathers an army of the various races of Mongo to battle Ming while his forces are weakened because of a war in the north.
Ming forms an alliance with Azura and her warriors in exchange for making her his queen, her army would battle against the rebels. She gives him an amulet. Ming is captured after a battle with Flash Gordon and Aura. Terek orders his execution. When Aura coldly tells her father 'good-bye', Ming finally admits he is proud of his daughter. Ming is placed inside a gas chamber. As the chamber filled with gas, Ming vanishes, having been teleported
to safety by Azura's amulet.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
who first appeared in the Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
in 1934. He has since been the main villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
of the strip and its related movie serials, TV shows and film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
.
First appearance
When the heroic Flash Gordon and his friends land on the planetPlanets in science fiction
Planets in science fiction are fictional planets that appear in various media, especially those of the science fiction genre, as story-settings or depicted locations.-History:...
Mongo
Mongo (planet)
Mongo is a fictional planet where the comic strip of Flash Gordon take place. It is ruled by a usurper named Ming the Merciless, who governs with an iron hand....
, they find it ruled by the evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
Emperor Ming, a despot
Despotism
Despotism is a form of government in which a single entity rules with absolute power. That entity may be an individual, as in an autocracy, or it may be a group, as in an oligarchy...
who quickly becomes their enemy. He is not named at first, only being known as the Emperor until several issues later.
The capital of his empire is named "Mingo City" in his honour. In addition to his army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
, Ming has access to a wide variety of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
gadget
Gadget
A gadget is a small technological object that has a particular function, but is often thought of as a novelty. Gadgets are invariably considered to be more unusually or cleverly designed than normal technological objects at the time of their invention...
s, ranging from rocket ships
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
to death ray
Death ray
The death ray or death beam was a theoretical particle beam or electromagnetic weapon of the 1920s through the 1930s that was claimed to have been invented independently by Nikola Tesla, Edwin R. Scott, Harry Grindell Matthews, and Graichen, as well as others...
s to robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s. Though evil, he has his weaknesses, which include a desire to marry Flash's beautiful companion, Dale Arden
Dale Arden
Dale Arden is a fictional character, the fellow-adventurer and love interest of Flash Gordon and a prototypic heroine for later female characters, including Princess Leia Organa and Padme Amidala in Star Wars. Flash, Dale and Dr...
. Ming's daughter Princess Aura
Princess Aura
Princess Aura is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strips and serials. She is the daughter of the series' villain, Ming the Merciless, and the lover of Prince Barin, the rightful heir to the throne of Mongo, and is banished with him to the forest world of Arboria.In 1936, Princess...
is as evil as he is when the series begins, but is eventually reformed by her love for Flash, and later for Prince Barin
Prince Barin
Prince Barin is a character in the Flash Gordon stories. He is king of a region of Mongo called Arboria. Barin becomes one of Flash's best friends, and is deeply in love with Princess Aura....
of Arboria.
In the Flash Gordon serials
Flash Gordon (serial)
Flash Gordon is a 1936 science fiction film serial. Told in 13 installments, it was the first screen adventure for the comic-strip character Flash Gordon, and tells the story of his first visit to the planet Mongo and his encounter with the evil Emperor Ming the Merciless. Buster Crabbe, Jean...
of the late 1930s-era, Ming was portrayed by actor Charles B. Middleton
Charles B. Middleton
Charles B. Middleton was an American stage and film actor. During a film career that began at age 46 and lasted almost 30 years, Charles Middleton appeared in nearly two hundred films as well as numerous plays...
. In the first serial he is apparently killed in a crematorium, in a possible suicide. He returns later in league with a Martian
Martian
As an adjective, the term martian is used to describe anything pertaining to the planet Mars.However, a Martian is more usually a hypothetical or fictional native inhabitant of the planet Mars. Historically, life on Mars has often been hypothesized, although there is currently no solid evidence of...
Queen, and using a Nitro Lamp to cause disasters on Earth. In Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe
Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe is a 1940 twelve episode serial film about Flash Gordon. It was the last of three Flash Gordon serials made from 1936 to 1940. The serial was produced and copyrighted by Universal Pictures....
he is once again ruler of Mongo, but is killed when he is locked inside his tower and Flash crashes a ship into it.
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon (1979)
In this 1979 animated versionThe New Adventures of Flash Gordon
The New Adventures of Flash Gordon, also known as The Adventures of Flash Gordon, is an animated television series. The series is actually called Flash Gordon, but the expanded title is used in official records to distinguish it from previous versions.Filmation produced the series in 1979, partly...
of Flash Gordon, Ming's voice was provided by Alan Oppenheimer
Alan Oppenheimer
Alan Oppenheimer is an American character actor and voice actor. He has performed numerous roles on live-action television since the 1960s, and has had an active career doing voice work in cartoons since the 1970s.-Early life:...
, who would later go on to voice Skeletor
Skeletor
Skeletor is a featured villain in the Masters of the Universe franchise and the arch-enemy and main antagonist of He-Man. Depicted as a muscular blue humanoid with a purple hood over his yellowing bare-bone skull, Skeletor seeks to conquer Castle Grayskull so he can learn its ancient secrets,...
. In this version, Ming's vast technological arsenal is vividly displayed in the form of his vast fleet of battleships, drone rockets, armored trains, Post-Modern
Postmodernism
Postmodernism is a philosophical movement evolved in reaction to modernism, the tendency in contemporary culture to accept only objective truth and to be inherently suspicious towards a global cultural narrative or meta-narrative. Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from the...
oil painting collection, vintage wine, and his army of robots. He also employs Mongo's race of Lizard-Women as his enforcers in the mines of Mongo, as well as guards in his harem, and the primitive Beast-Men of Mongo not only serve him, but revere him as a god.
Flash Gordon film (1980)
In the 1980 theatrical filmFlash Gordon (film)
Flash Gordon is a 1980 British/American science fiction film, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond. The film was directed by Mike Hodges and produced and presented by Dino De Laurentiis. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian...
, Ming (Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow
Max von Sydow is a Swedish actor. He has also held French citizenship since 2002. He has starred in many films and had supporting roles in dozens more...
), complaining of boredom, discovers Earth, and unleashes various attacks on the planet. The film gives Ming a second-in-command, General Klytus, who is masked at all times, and has an attraction towards Ming's daughter, Princess Aura. As in most versions, he is infatuated with Dale, whom he plans to marry. Ming's cruelty extends to his own daughter: in an effort to find Flash, he allows Klytus to continue torturing
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
her, since she knows of his whereabouts. When Klytus is killed in the Hawkman city, he orders it to be destroyed. He offers Flash a chance to join him, rule a kingdom, and save Earth. Flash declines when he finds the kingdom will be the devastated Earth, causing Ming to leave him there, but he escapes on a rocket cycle.
At the climax
Climax (narrative)
The Climax is the point in the story where the main character's point of view changes, or the most exciting/action filled part of the story. It also known has the main turning point in the story...
of the film, Ming is impaled by his own war rocket, Ajax, which Flash had taken control of. After a vain attempt to stop Flash attacking him, he ultimately points his ring at himself and he vanishes. However, just before the credits begin, his ring is retrieved by an unknown individual, and the words "The End?" appear, as his evil laughter plays in the background, hinting he is not dead.
Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
's soundtrack album
Flash Gordon (album)
-Personnel:* John Deacon: bass guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer* Brian May: lead guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, piano on "Flash's Theme" and "The Hero," co-lead vocals on "Flash's Theme," guitar orchestration on "The Wedding March"...
includes "Ming's Theme".
For many fans, this portrayal of Ming the Merciless remains the best, and some film magazines and institutes have named him one of the greatest screen villains.
Defenders of the Earth animated series (1986–1987)
Ming served as the principal adversary in the 1980s MarvelMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
animated series Defenders of the Earth
Defenders of the Earth
Defenders of the Earth is an animated television series produced in 1986, narrated by Corey Burton and featuring characters from three comic strips distributed by King Features Syndicate—Flash Gordon, the Phantom, and Mandrake the Magician—battling the Flash Gordon villain Ming the Merciless in the...
, fighting against other King Features characters such as The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician
Mandrake the Magician is a syndicated newspaper comic strip, created by Lee Falk , which began June 11, 1934. Phil Davis soon took over as the strip's illustrator, while Falk continued to script. The strip was distributed by King Features Syndicate.Davis worked on the strip until his death in 1964,...
, Lothar, and of course Flash Gordon. In the opening episode, Ming successfully captures Dale Arden Gordon and her son Rick, and tears Dale's mind from her body, prompting a vengeful Flash to pursue him back to Earth to avenge her and prevent Ming from enslaving his world. Ming's base on Earth is in the depths of Antarctica and is called Ice Station Earth; his allies in this series are Garax, leader of the "Men of Frost", Ming's army of Ice Men, and Octon, a large tentacled battle computer.
This version of Ming also includes a son rather than a daughter at his side, Prince Kro-Tan; unlike Aura, he holds no love for any of the Defenders and considers both them and his father hindrances to his enslavement of the galaxy. Kro-Tan comes the closest to defeating his father in a five-part story where he successfully entraps Ming and takes over his forces, before Ming is released by the Defenders and takes his vengeance. Ming has two carrier spacecraft in this series, one of which is his "Throne Room", his main vessel, which could launch itself from the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
. Ming is also portrayed as having green
Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
skin and pointed ears.
Flash Gordon animated series (1996)
In the 1996 animated series, Ming looks even more reptilian: he is a green, pointy-eared, sharp-toothed scaly alien, which cause the heroes to call him a "lizardLizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
". (Meanwhile, Aura has green skin, but is otherwise perfectly human.) In this version, Ming is more humane and even comical at times.
Flash Gordon TV series (2007–2008)
In the 2007 Flash Gordon Sci Fi Channel TV seriesFlash Gordon (2007 TV series)
Flash Gordon is an American science fiction television series that debuted on Sci Fi in the United States on August 10, 2007 and continued airing new episodes through February 8, 2008. It has also appeared on the United Kingdom Sci Fi Channel and SPACE in Canada...
, Ming is portrayed by John Ralston
John Ralston (actor)
John Ralston is a Canadian actor.Ralston's most notable roles are George Venturi on Life with Derek and Mr. Avenir on Strange Days at Blake Holsey High. Although John Ralston was born in Chatham, New Brunswick , he grew up in Fredericton and St. Andrews, New Brunswick...
as a clean shaven blond caucasian. Executive producer David Hume has said that this interpretation of the character is modeled after Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
.
This version of Ming the Merciless is a media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
-savvy tyrant
Tyrant
A tyrant was originally one who illegally seized and controlled a governmental power in a polis. Tyrants were a group of individuals who took over many Greek poleis during the uprising of the middle classes in the sixth and seventh centuries BC, ousting the aristocratic governments.Plato and...
, who controls the planet
Hydraulic empire
A hydraulic empire is a social or government structure which maintains power and control through exclusive control over access to water...
through his monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
on the production of clean water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
. He uses this control to extort wealth and obedience from the populace. He dresses in a quasi-military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
garb and seems to have some sort of militaristic position in addition to his role as a Water Baron
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
and emperor.
Although as evil as ever, Ming is known as and addressed as "Benevolent Father". However, his people call him Ming the Merciless, because of his harsh and often brutal leadership. Ming was also known as Ming the Merciless during his military career and rise to power.
Ming justifies everything he does as maintaining order and preventing a return to the chaos that occurred before he took power.
Ming is known to keep a large harem
Harem
Harem refers to the sphere of women in what is usually a polygynous household and their enclosed quarters which are forbidden to men...
of willing and unwilling women that serve his needs. Princess Aura
Princess Aura
Princess Aura is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strips and serials. She is the daughter of the series' villain, Ming the Merciless, and the lover of Prince Barin, the rightful heir to the throne of Mongo, and is banished with him to the forest world of Arboria.In 1936, Princess...
has said he treats them very well, but it is implied that she is biased. Those who attempt to escape his harem are sold as sex slaves
Sexual slavery
Sexual slavery is when unwilling people are coerced into slavery for sexual exploitation. The incidence of sexual slavery by country has been studied and tabulated by UNESCO, with the cooperation of various international agencies...
to others as punishment
Punishment
Punishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person or animal in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group....
.
Ming often expresses disappointment in Aura, such as when she shows interest in a person he views as beneath her station or when she refrains from seizing power after his apparent death. He has also used her as a political tool, such as when he arranges for her to marry Barin of the Verdan in an attempt to create an alliance and further his own power.
He has his scientist, Rankol, keep Flash's father hostage and stole the Imex (an alien computing device found in an Incan temple in Nazca, Peru, it had been discovered that it's a molecular computer, containing a schematic for the genetic code
Genetic code
The genetic code is the set of rules by which information encoded in genetic material is translated into proteins by living cells....
of the universe) to perfect his Rift Generator and steal water from the Earth, as his own supply is running out.
It has recently been revealed that Ming has a son named Terek, whom he had ordered to be killed at birth for being a Deviate. He also banished his wife (Aura's mother). When it becomes apparent that his son is alive and attempting to overthrow him, Ming captures Aura's mother and poisons her with Grey Water to make her a Deviate as well. Since Aura knows her mother's bloodline is pure, it has been revealed that Ming is the source of Terek's deviation.
When Flash Gordon releases Ming's stolen water, Ming has it poisoned and places the blame upon Terek. It is later revealed to his people that Ming had poisoned the water. This begins the spark of revolution against him. It is prophesied by monks that Ming will fall. Terek gathers an army of the various races of Mongo to battle Ming while his forces are weakened because of a war in the north.
Ming forms an alliance with Azura and her warriors in exchange for making her his queen, her army would battle against the rebels. She gives him an amulet. Ming is captured after a battle with Flash Gordon and Aura. Terek orders his execution. When Aura coldly tells her father 'good-bye', Ming finally admits he is proud of his daughter. Ming is placed inside a gas chamber. As the chamber filled with gas, Ming vanishes, having been teleported
Teleportation
Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
to safety by Azura's amulet.
In popular culture
- Many parodies of Ming the Merciless have appeared in popular culture, including:
- "Mung the Mirthless" in Wally WoodWally WoodWallace Allan Wood was an American comic book writer, artist and independent publisher, best known for his work in EC Comics and Mad. He was one of Mads founding cartoonists in 1952. Although much of his early professional artwork is signed Wallace Wood, he became known as Wally Wood, a name he...
's comic strip Sally ForthSally Forth (Wally Wood)Sally Forth was a comic strip created by Wally Wood for a military male readership.Wood's sexy action-adventure character, who is often seen nude, began as a recruit in a commando outfit. She first appeared in June 1968, in Military News, a 16-page tabloid from Armed Forces Diamond Sales... - "Wang the Perverted" in the porn moviePornographyPornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
Flesh GordonFlesh GordonFlesh Gordon is a 1974 American science fiction adventure comedy film. It is an erotic spoof of the Flash Gordon serial films from the 1930s. The screenplay was written by Michael Benveniste, who also co-directed the film with Howard Ziehm... - "Gorzo the Mighty", a columnist for The Onion
- "Doctor Chaotica" of the "Captain Proton" holodeck program in Star Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: VoyagerStar Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
- "Emperor Ming – Stinky Galactic Dictator" in a one-off comic strip in VizVizViz. and the adverb videlicet are used as synonyms for "namely", "that is to say", and "as follows".-Etymology:...
magazine, where Ming has extremely bad personal hygiene and pronounced body odour. (This is a play on the British slang term 'minging', meaning extremely unpleasant and/or malodorous.) - "Emperor Tod Spengo" in the comedy movie Mom and Dad Save the WorldMom and Dad Save The WorldMom and Dad Save the World is a 1992 sci-fi adventure, family, romantic comedy film which stars Jon Lovitz, Teri Garr, Jeffrey Jones, Eric Idle, Thalmus Rasulala and other actors. Jon Lovitz plays Emperor Tod Spengo who is the cruel, silly and over-dramatic emperor of the planet named Spengo. Teri...
- "Ding the Merciless", an opponent of Trash GordonTrash GordonTrash Gordon is the name of a fictitious character on the long-running PBS children's television show Sesame Street. Played by Roscoe Orman, who also plays the character of Gordon on the show, Trash Gordon is a parody version of the science fiction hero Flash Gordon...
in one segment on Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The... - "Supreme Overlord Maximus IQ", the main villain in the animated series Atomic BettyAtomic BettyAtomic Betty is a Canadian animated television series produced by Atomic Cartoons, Breakthrough Films & Television, and Tele Images Kids. Additional funding for production is provided by Teletoon in Canada and M6 and Télétoon in France. It currently airs on CITV. The series has once again begun...
- The British sketch comedy series Big TrainBig TrainBig Train is a surreal British television comedy sketch show created by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan, writers of the successful sitcom Father Ted...
contained a trio of sketches involving the mundane adventures of the despotic ruler of a far-off planet. The character was dressed as Ming the Merciless. - An episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy & MandyThe Grim Adventures of Billy & MandyThe Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy often shortened as Billy and Mandy is an American animated television series that aired on Cartoon Network. It is also the spin-off of Grim & Evil. Having originally aired as part of Grim & Evil The show began in 2001, And went on to become one of Cartoon...
was titled "Mandy the Merciless", though the episode was an homage to Frank HerbertFrank HerbertFranklin Patrick Herbert, Jr. was a critically acclaimed and commercially successful American science fiction author. Although a short story author, he is best known for his novels, most notably Dune and its five sequels...
's God Emperor of DuneGod Emperor of DuneGod Emperor of Dune is a science fiction novel by Frank Herbert published in 1981, the fourth in the Dune series. It was ranked as the #11 hardcover fiction best seller of 1981 by Publishers Weekly.-Plot introduction:...
. - Ping the Pitiless in the 2000 AD parody strip Dash Decent
- Evil Emperor Zurg from Toy Story 2Toy Story 2Toy Story 2 is a 1999 American computer animated film directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Lee Unkrich and Ash Brannon. It is the sequel to the 1995 film Toy Story, released by Walt Disney Pictures and the third film to be produced by Pixar...
seems to be a parody of Ming himself and Darth VaderDarth VaderDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
. - A robot named Ming was entered in Robot WarsRobot Wars (TV series)Robot Wars is a British game show modelled on a US-based competition of the same name. It was broadcast on BBC Two from 1998 until 2003, with its final series broadcast on Five in 2003 and 2004. Additional series were filmed for specific sectors of the global market, including two series of Robot...
and Nickelodeon Robot WarsNickelodeon Robot WarsNickelodeon Robot Wars is a game show that aired on Nickelodeon from August 25, 2002 to October 6, 2002. Hosted by Dave Aizer, the show was Nickelodeon's take on Robot Wars, the popular and long-running robot-fighting game show...
. - In an episode of Top Gear, Ming the Merciless drove a car around the track against a variety of other evil characters, including Darth Vader and a Cyberman.
- "Mung the Mirthless" in Wally Wood
- ScottishScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
politician Menzies CampbellMenzies CampbellSir Walter Menzies "Ming" Campbell, CBE, QC, MP is a British Liberal Democrat politician and advocate, and a retired sprinter. He is the Member of Parliament for North East Fife, and was the Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2 March 2006 until 15 October 2007.Campbell held the British record...
and AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Prime Minister Robert MenziesRobert MenziesSir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
are sometimes nicknamed (with significant irony) "Ming the Merciless". - George LucasGeorge LucasGeorge Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
has cited Ming as a basis for Emperor PalpatinePalpatinePalpatine is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the Star Wars saga, portrayed by Ian McDiarmid in the feature films.Palpatine first appeared as the unnamed Emperor of the Galactic Empire in the 1980 film Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back...
and Darth VaderDarth VaderDarth Vader is a central character in the Star Wars saga, appearing as one of the main antagonists in the original trilogy and as the main protagonist in the prequel trilogy....
from the Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
series - In 2007, Ming was ranked number 2 on the Forbes Fictional 15.
- The Ming libraryMing libraryMing is a C library for creating Adobe Flash files. It is often packaged as a PHP module that allows for the dynamic generation of Flash animations...
software for creating Adobe Flash (.swf) files was named after the character. - Mentioned as one of the "brilliant legal minds who approved the torture [of terror suspects]" by Stephen ColbertStephen ColbertStephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
on the Colbert Report, April 21, 2009. - Luke 'Ming' FlanaganLuke 'Ming' FlanaganLuke 'Ming' Flanagan is an Irish independent politician. He was elected as a Teachta Dála for the Roscommon–South Leitrim constituency at the 2011 general election. He was previously a county councillor and Mayor of County Roscommon...
, the Irish politician and cannabis legalisation campaigner, takes his name from his resemblance to the fictional Ming the Merciless - Father TedFather TedFather Ted is a comedy series set in Ireland that was produced by Hat Trick Productions for British broadcaster Channel 4. Written jointly by Irish writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan and starring a predominantly Irish cast, it originally aired over three series from 21 April 1995 until 1 May...
featured Ming the Merciless in a slide show used by main character Ted Crilly to try and show that he was not racistRacismRacism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
against Chinese peopleChinese peopleThe term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
in the episode "Are You Right There, Father Ted?Are You Right There, Father Ted?"Are You Right There, Father Ted?" was the first episode of the third series of the Channel 4 television sitcom Father Ted, and the 18th episode overall.- Plot :...
" (Ming is often criticised as a negative Chinese stereotype). - Muppets TonightMuppets TonightMuppets Tonight is a live-action/puppet television series created by Jim Henson Productions and featuring The Muppets. Much like the "MuppeTelevision" segment of The Jim Henson Hour, Muppets Tonight was a continuation of The Muppet Show, set in a television studio, rather than a theater.-Format:The...
did a parody called Lash Holstein, where the characters were all cowsCattleCattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, in which the title character fought Mooing the Merciless (portrayed by Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
) of the planet Lactosia. - In the Belgian novels portraying Bob MoraneBob MoraneBob Morane, a creation of French-speaking Belgian novelist Henri Vernes, the pseudonym of Charles-Henri Dewisme, is a series of adventure books in French, featuring an eponymous protagonist...
's adventures, the character of Monsieur Ming, L'Ombre jaune (The yellow shadow) seems directly inspired from Ming the Merciless and Fu ManchuFu ManchuDr. Fu Manchu is a fictional character introduced in a series of novels by British author Sax Rohmer during the first half of the 20th century...
, he first appears in La Couronne de Golconde (1959). - In the USA Network show Psych, Shawn Spencer calls Carlton Lassiter "Ming the Merciless" in the season three episode "Earth, Wind, And...Wait For It.."