Flash Gordon the Ice Monster

by Al Williamson

Book Overview

Fresh from Yale, Flash Gordon with Dale Arden and Dr. Zarkov join with Vultan, Queen Fria and Barin to defeat Ming the Merciless and save two worlds. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0523413335
• Release Date: January 1980
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Weight: 0.23 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Short black & white read reprinting three stories from the 1966 King Comics' FLASH GORDON comic bo

I'm never sure how to rate stuff like this. FLASH GORDON: THE ICE MONSTER is a 1968 black & white paperback reprinting the first two Flash Gordon stories (the first is untitled - but we'll call it "The Ice Monster" - and "The Mole Machine") from the 1966 King Comics FLASH GORDON comic book (issue #1), as well as "The Death Trap of Mongo" story from issue #2. Don't get this confused with what Dan Barry was doing in the daily newspaper strip around the same time. FLASH GORDON: THE ICE MONSTER collects two of Al Williamson's six stories from the comic book. "The Death Trap of Mongo" is drawn by someone else. It's nice of the first story to try to set a timeline. So, catching up: It took years of bloody fighting but finally Ming the Merciless's stranglehold on the planet Mongo was broken, thanks mostly to Flash Gordon of Yale University. Flash, his girlfriend Dale Arden, and that kooky brilliant scientist, Dr, Hans Zarkov finally returned to Earth, laden with rich tech lore gleaned from Mongo. But, it turns out, these revolutionary advancements necessitate an immense supply of radium, this mineral being only readily available on Mongo. So off go Flash, Dale, and Dr. Zarkov on a rocketship back to Mongo, where they crash land yet again, this time on the continent of Tropica. Months of derring-do later, and finally the trio turn their attention back to their mission of procuring radium... which is when this story begins. The quest for radium leads Flash to Frigia, a nation ruled by Queen Fria and site of the radium mines. And how surprised are you that Flash is immediately catapulted into peril? While on a hunting expedition, an act of sabotage traps him and Queen Fria with a gigantic ice creature, this part of a conspiracy to wrest power from the Frigian monarchy. A newly discovered chemical, supposed to retard aging, plays a role in the sinister scheme. "The Mole Machine" is interesting in that it takes place entirely on Earth - or, rather, in Earth. Dr. Zarkov invites Flash to explore the inner Earth with him via his new invention which can bore thru solid rock. They eventually find their way to Krenkelium, a beleaguered underground kingdom where visitors are not permitted to leave. And, of course, there's a beautiful princess. The third story is "The Death Trap of Mongo" and features the return of Ming the Merciless (you just can't keep a good despot down). Back on Earth, no sooner does Dr. Zarkov test out his long range tracking device on Dale than she is kidnapped via a Mongo matter transmitter. While Dale's abduction was thru means of instantaneous teleportation, by comparison, it takes Flash and Zarkov almost six days of interplanetary travel to get to Mongo, but then it's on! Upon arrival to Mingo City, Flash and Zarkov learn that their old friend King Barin as well as the ruling council have all vanished, leaving the city in panic and susceptible to mass riots. Can this be related to Dale's snatching? Well, yes. "The Death Trap of Mon