Mongo is a fictional planet where the comic strip (and later movie serials) of Flash Gordon takes place. Mongo was created by the comics artist Alex Raymond in 1934, with the assistance of Raymond's ghostwriter Don W. Moore.Ron Goulart. The Funnies : 100 years of American comic strips. Holbrook, Mass. : Adams Pub., 1995. (p. 110) Mongo is depicted as being ruled by a usurper named Ming the Merciless, who is shown as a harsh and oppressive dictator.Marguerite Cotto, "Flash Gordon", in Ray B Browne; Pat Browne, The Guide to United States Popular Culture Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 2001. (p. 283)"Flash Gordon", in Guy Haley, Sci-Fi Chronicles: A Visual History of the Galaxy's Greatest Science Fiction.Richmond Hill, Ontario: Firefly Books, 2014. (pp. 69–70)
The planet is depicted as being inhabited by different cultures, and having a varied ecosystem. The technology of these cultures varies from groups at a Stone Age level, to highly technologically advanced peoples. At the beginning of the comic strip, almost all of these cultures are shown as being under the domination of the tyrant Ming. In all the versions of the Flash Gordon story, Flash Gordon is shown as unifying the peoples of Mongo against Ming, and eventually removing him from power. Later stories often depict Mongo under the rule of its rightful leader, Prince Barin.
Overview In the Flash Gordon comic strips and comic books, Mongo is usually depicted as Earth-like. Its atmosphere is compatible with Terran life, and the dominant species on Mongo are human-like, such as Ming's people and the Arborians. Other peoples of Mongo have evolved into different forms, such as the winged Hawkmen, the tailed Lion Men, and the underwater dwelling Coralians. Mongo is about half the diameter of Earth but is considerably denser, so its gravity is only slightly weaker than the Earth's, although it still allows Flash Gordon to put his gymnastics skills to good use. Mongo has a variety of climates, and is inhabited by enormous, dinosaur-like monsters.
In Alex Raymond's comic strip and the Flash Gordon movie serials, Mongo was shown as a rogue planet that had drifted into the Solar System. Later versions of the Flash Gordon story, such as the 1980 film, the 1996 cartoon series, and the Dynamite Entertainment comics, show Mongo as being in another planetary system or galaxy, and coming into contact with Earth's system through a wormhole-like portal.Jeff Parker, Evan Shaner and Jordie Bellaire, Flash Gordon #1 Mt. Laurel, NJ: Dynamite Entertainment, April 2014.
The demonym of the planet's people vary according to different writers. Mongo's inhabitants have been referred to as "Mongonians",Michael Benson, Vintage Science Fiction Films, 1896–1949. Jefferson, N.C.; London: McFarland, 2000. (p. 96). . "Mongoans",Brendan Deneen and Paul Green. Flash Gordon #6. July 2009, Ardden Entertainment. and "Mongori".
Alex Raymond's depiction Mongo was first introduced in the comic strip as a "rogue planet", threatening to collide with Earth. After Hans Zarkov abducted Flash Gordon and Dale Arden, they crash-landed Zarkov's rocket ship on Mongo near Mingo City, Ming's capital.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "On the Planet Mongo" (1/7/34 to 4/8/34). Mingo City is near the equator of the planet. Mingo City is an enormous metropolis from where Ming's government rules most of the planet. Mongo's political structure is portrayed as exclusively monarchical. Each realm Flash Gordon visits has its own king or queen. At the start of the strip, most of the kingdoms of Mongo are under Ming's suzerainty, and their rulers always follow Ming's commands. The exceptions are Prince Barin and Thun, ruler of the Lion Men. When Flash Gordon arrives on Mongo, he finds Prince Barin is leading a guerrilla war against Ming from Arboria. Thun, the Lion Man, is also Ming's active enemy.
Under Mingo City is a power station where the Power Men of Mongo, a group of electrical engineers led by Ergon, work.Alex Raymond and Don Moore "Power Men of Mongo" (4/14/40 to 1/12/41)Algis Budrys, "Review of Flash Gordon, Nostalgia Press", in "Galaxy Bookshelf", Galaxy Magazine, August 1968 Also beneath Mingo City is an abandoned sewer system where a band of rebels against Ming's rule,"the Freeman" make their base. The Freeman are led by the eyepatch-wearing Count Bulok.P. Schuyler Miller "The Reference Library: Flash Gordon: Into the Water World of Mongo". Analog Magazine, January 1973, (pp. 161-8). To the west of Mingo City is the Land of the Lion Men, ruled by King Thun. The Lion Men's country is rendered by Raymond as a region of rocky hills dotted by bushes. The Lion Men are shown as living in large tents and flying "Space Gyro" aircraft. Bordering the Sea of Mystery is the city of the Shark Men, led by Ming supporter King Kala.Jeff Rovin, The Encyclopedia of Super Villains. New York, N.Y.: Facts on File Publications, 1987. (p. 220). Underneath the fog-shrouded Sea of Mystery, is the underwater kingdom of Coralia, ruled by Queen Undina.Alex Raymond and Don Moore "Undersea Kingdom of Mongo" (4/12/36 to 10/11/36) Northeast of Mingo City is the airborne Sky City of the Hawkmen, governed by Vultan. Sky City hovers above a region of grassland dotted with crags.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "Monsters of Mongo" (4/15/34 to 11/18/34) Between Mingo City and Sky City is the land of the Brown Dwarves. East of Sky City is Flame World, a dusty region of scarps and ravines of basaltic rock. Flame World owes its name to the lava eruptions that regularly occur in the area. East of the Lion Men's kingdom are the Magnetic Mountains, which emanate magnetic forces that often interfere with the navigation of aircraft flying over them. Southwards from these Mountains is a "Tournament Arena" where the peoples of Mongo meet once a year for the "Tournament of Death", a combat to the death between Mongo's gladiators.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "Tournaments of Mongo" (11/25/34 to 2/24/35)Blogging Alex Raymond’s FLASH GORDON, Part Three: “Tournaments of Mongo” William Patrick Maynard, Black Gate, September 4, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2015. Part of the planet is covered by the forest kingdom of Arboria, ruled by Prince Barin, leader of the Treemen who live there. Arboria has enormous trees resembling giant redwoods.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "The Outlaws of Mongo" (8/15/37 to 5/29/38) Arboria is also inhabited by two primitive tribes hostile to the Treemen: the blue-skinned, fanged Tusk Men, a group of cannibals,Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "Tusk-Men of Mongo" (2/7/37 to 4/18/37) and the warlike Horned Ape Men.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "Beast Men of Mongo" (4/25/37 to 8/8/37). To the far north, an area of mountains and caverns makes up the frozen kingdom of Frigia, ruled by Queen Fria. Frigia has enormous, ostrich-like "snowbirds" that the inhabitants ride.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "Ice Kingdom of Mongo" (3/12/39 to 4/7/40) Frigia's inhabitants are shown as being technologically advanced, using rocket ships, electric heaters, and transparent "snowsuits" capable of protecting their inhabitants from the cold.Narciso Casas, Historia y Análisis de los Personajes en el Cómic.Bubok, 2015. (pp. 161-2) The Frigians are often attacked by giants three times the size of a normal human. These giants are led by their chieftain, Brukka. A railroad, with rocket-powered passenger trains running on it, links Mingo City and Frigia's southern borderland.
Mongo also has extensive underground domains. One of these domains is Kira the Cave World. Kira's capital is Syk, ruled by the evil Queen Azura, ruler of the Blue Magic Men.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "Witch Queen of Mongo" (4/21/35 to 10/13/35). Kira is also inhabited by Lizard Men who capture and eat the other inhabitants of Mongo.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "The Caverns of Mongo" (3/3/35 to 4/14/35). South of Kira is "Volcano World", a realm of mountains and lava flows. In this region dwell the Fire People, who wear suits of asbestos armour and use flamethrowers in combat. The Fire People are led by Ming's ally, King Orax, and are known for their ability to build devastating weapons.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "At War with Ming" (10/20/35 to 4/5/36) Westwards is a jungle, home of the Monkey Men. Further west is the Great Desert of Mongo, the largest such region on the planet. The Great Desert is the base for Ming's Desert Legion, as well as the home of pastoral nomads who oppose Ming's rule. At the planet's south pole is the Ice Kingdom of Naquk. Naquk is the ruler of a group of giants aligned with Ming's forces. These giants are more technologically advanced than the variety in Frigia, and travel in mechanical "tractor sleds" fitted with artillery guns."Blogging Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon, Part Six: “At War with Ming”". William Patrick Maynard, Black Gate, Friday, December 24th, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
Across the eastern ocean there are two island continents. One is the jungle continent of Tropica, ruled by Queen Desira. Tropica's north and western coasts have a warm, Mediterranean-like climate, rich in verdure.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "Jungles of Mongo" (6/21/42 to 11/1/42) A dense jungle covers the middle of the continent, which contains deadly monsters called Tree Dragons. Beyond this region lies the Fiery Desert of Mongo, a torrid region prone to volcanism. The Fiery Desert is home of Gundar the Desert Hawk and his Bedouin-like tribe.Jeremy Estes, "He Can't Go Home Again" (Review of Flash Gordon: The Fall of Ming) PopMatters, 30 July 2013. Retrieved 9 April 2015.Alex Raymond and Don Moore, "Fiery Desert of Mongo" (11/8/42 to 7/11/43) In Tropica, the villain Brazor usurps the rightful ruler Queen Desira and becomes' the area's tyrannical despot. Flash leads a rebellion against Brazor (who briefly replaced Ming as the comic strip's main antagonist) and eventually defeats him. To the north-west of Tropica is an "Unexplored Continent".
Later depictions After Raymond left the Flash Gordon strip in 1944, his successors would add new characters and locations to Mongo. Austin Briggs created Kang the Cruel, the son of Ming. Kang would depose Barin and take over Mongo, resulting in Flash leading another rebellion.Blogging Austin Briggs' Flash Gordon – Part Eleven, "Kang the Cruel" / "The Skymen" William Patrick Maynard, Black Gate, January 18th, 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2015. Mac Raboy created several new elements for the fictional planet's mythology, including giving Mongo two moons, Lunita and Exila,Win Wiacek, Mac Raboy's Flash Gordon: Volume 1 Sunday Strips from 1948–1953 Now Read This!, Comics Creators Guild, January 1st, 2011. Retrieved 19 April 2015. as well as the ice kingdom of Polaria, ruled by the tyrant Polon, (who has the power to shrink or enlarge living things).Blogging Mac Raboy's Flash Gordon, Part One – "Polaria" William Patrick Maynard, Black Gate, 17 May 2013. Retrieved 11 April 2015. Jim Keefe made the Unexplored Continent the location where the villain Garakahn had his fortress. In some versions of the comic strip, Mingo City is renamed "Alania" after Ming's overthrow."Flash Gordon-Map of the Planet Mongo" jimkeefe.com, 2nd March 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2015.