Mike’s cut together a new, expanded feature  from the 1940 “Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe” serial,  retitled “Mission to Mongo.” It runs a bit over three hours of continuous action, with no chapter breaks.

This 16mm film print is seamlessly edited to tell the most complete version of this classic story ever produced. It restores all the best scenes, character backgrounds and plot setups that are missing in the short, choppy TV versions.

We’ll visit the frozen land of Frigea, resembling Star Wars’ ice planet, and see Queen Fria’s hairdo, which which later appeared on Princess Leia. We’ll get to see the women warriors riding unicorns among the giant trees of Aboria. And we’ll witness the full diabolical dimension of Ming’s evil mind and Lady Sonia’s betrayal.

This was the third serial in the series, and the one which most closely resembles the original Alex Raymond comic strip in plot elements, casting, characters, costumes and designs.

Made 1940, with WWII already started, Ming The Merciless has been transformed from a decadent oriental emperor to a European-style dictator. He now wears military regalia in place of sweeping robes. He’s running concentration camps, persecuting minorities, and using the weapons most feared at the time: fire bombs, poison gas and a hideous synthetic plague.

Mission to Mongo  premiered  at the Lunacon Science fiction Convention on March 19th 2016. It is available for screenings.