The Flash Gordon Book

60 Pages·1980·14.38 MB·English

by  Lynn Haney

The Flash Cordon Book adapted by Lynn Haney from a novel Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
by Arthur Byron Cover I Based on a screenplay by Lorenzo Haney, Lynn. I The Flash Gordon book.
Semple, Jr.1 Design by Lynn Braswell I C 1980 Famous Films "Adapted by Lynn Haney from a novel by Arthur Byron
B. V. I All rights reserved which includes the right to Cover based on a screenplay by Lorenzo Semple, Jr."
reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form what Summary: Hash Gordon, aided by his friends Dale Arden
soever I Published in the United States by G. P. Putnam's and Or. Hans Zarkov, attempts to prevent Ming the
Sons I Published simultaneously in Canada by Academic Merciless of Mongo from destroying the earth.
Press Canada Limited, Toronto. (I. Science Fiction) I. Cover, Arthur Byron.
II. Semple, Lorenzo. 1I1. Title.
Printed in the United States of America I First Impression PZ7.HI93SFI (Fie! 80-22147 ISBN 0-399-20782-1
PRINCE BARIN OF THE TREEMEN
GENERAL KLYTUS
FLASH GORDON AND DALE ARDEN
VULTAN, PRINCE OF THE HAWKMEN
PRINCESS AURA, DAUGHTER OF MING DR.HANSZARKOV
MING THE MERCILESS,
GENERAL KALA RULER OF THE UNIVERSE
weather got rougher and the young
woman looked worried. Flash reached
up and held onto the shelf above her
seat. "Just some turbulence. Nothing to
worry about really." He paused. "By
the way, my name's Flash. Flash Gor
don."
"My name's Dale Arden. I'm a travel
agent. I feel so foolish. Here I am in the
travel business and I'm afraid of fly
ing."
Just then, the plane lurched violently
as if a hand from the sky had whacked
it. Dale turned white. "Talk to me,
please. Get my mind off this!"
Flash tried to soothe her.
''I'm taking flying lessons. Some
times the air rises under clouds and you
get a little ..." Flash stared out the
window.
"What is it? What's the matter?" Dale
looked through her porthole.
The sun was an orb of blazing red
Flash Gordon, star quarterback of fire. Suddenly billowing waves of black
the New York Jets, boarded a clouds rolled across the sky. Then the
small commuter plane bound for darkness parted and terrifying bolts of
Boston. He was on his way back from a lightning lit up the inside of the plane.
vacation in Maine following a fantastic In the cockpit, the pilot tried to keep
victory in the Superbowl. Flash was the plane level, but painful electricity
everybody's hero! raced through his body, and he
Just as the plane was taking off, he couldn't move. Then without warning
. heard a strange hissing sound. He the portholes on either side of the
looked out the window and saw a small cockpit blew out. The co-pilot felt a
red hot cinder fizzling in a puddle. similar pain and slumped unconscious
It looks like the chip of a meteor, Flash next to the captain. Immediately the
thought. Naw, must be my imagination. bodies of the pilot and the co-pilot were
Just then a cold chill ran through him. sucked through the open portholes out
But it wasn't from fear. The tempera into the cold, ominous darkness.
ture had actually dropped for five sec Flash rushed to the cockpit. Sliding
onds. into a seat and grabbing the bucking
Flash turned to look a t the only other wheel yoke, he pulled it back with all
passenger on board, a beautiful young his might.
woman he had seen at dinner the night "Hydraulic's gone," he said to Dale,
before. He was glad he would have the who slid into the seat beside him.
chance to meet her. "Grab that other wheel. Help me pull
As the plane climbed into the sky, the. her up!"

Flash and Dale were not the only door, but before he could get out, the
ones aware of strange happenings plane smashed through the glass,
in the atmosphere. Below them, in a crushing Munson beneath its terrific
glass greenhouse, which housed a se weight before sliding to a stop just in
cret laboratory, a brilliant, dynamic and front of Dr. Zarkov.
irascible scientist, Dr. Hans Zarkov, Flash kicked open the cockpit emer
was awakened by his assistant, Mun gency exit.
son. Zarkov stepped forward and said
"Dr. Zarkov. It's eight twenty-four in calmly, "Good morning. Are you in
the morning and there's no sun!" jured?"
The scientist jumped up from his cot. Forgetting the scratch on his fore
No time to brush his teeth now. He had head, Flash looked over at Dale and
to save the earth! said, "Lord knows why, but it seems
He raced to his console. The lights we're not."
flickered, the screen faded. He read the "A miracle. I expect you'd like to use
printout and shouted, "The moon is out my phone."
of orbit; by more than twelve degrees! I "Thanks, I would," Flash said.
knew I was right. It's an attack!" Zarkov smiled and pointed to the
For months Zarkov had been aware ramp leading into the capsule. "Please,
of cosmic forces gathering strength in right in there."
outer space. He had pinpointed the Not realizing they were inside a space
forces with the extremely sensitive de capsule, Flash and Dale searched wide
vices he had invented. But no one eyed for a telephone. Three cushioned
would listen to him. black chairs with straps were bolted to a
He slammed his fist into his hand. white control stand. Flash glanced at
"But I've got the information I need. the instruments on the control panel.
I've got the coordinates that give me the They were similar to but more intricate
direction of the energy beam's source. than those on a plane. It was impossi
Munson, this is what we've been wait ble, but he had the sinking feeling that
ing for. We'll go up and counterattack he knew exactly into what kind of
them. For years I've been working on apparatus he and Dale had stepped.
my space capsule. Now I'll finally have They turned to face the stranger lean
a chance to use it!" ing in the doorway. Dale, pale despite
Munson stared. "You're crazy! I'm her excitement, exclaimed, "You're Dr.
not going up in that!" Hans Zarkov! I saw you on television."
Nodding as if he expected this reac She turned to Flash. "Don't you re
tion, Zarkov opened a drawer and member? He's the scientist who kept
pulled out a revolver. "I can't handle saying there'd be an attack on the
the capsule alone. Get your toothbrush, earth!"
Munson. You're going on a trip to the "Enough!" said Zarkov. He pointed
stars!" the gun at them.
But before Munson could move, they "Are you crazy?" Flash asked, raising
heard a horrendous crash outside the his hands.
greenhouse. Toot sounds like a plane, "Unfortunately, not. The attack has
Zarkov thought. Munson raced for the begun. I estimate we have eleven days
before our moon crashes down and Zarkov side-stepped Flash and,
destroys us. I need help during the swinging around, smashed him on the
launching." back of the head with the revolver.
"In what?" Flash asked, trying to stall Quickly he pulled shut his capsule
for time. door.
"In this. My space capsule, my great With Flash too dazed to fight him,
est invention. In just a few minutes, Zarkov reached for a giant lever. "Sit!"
we'll be taking off." he shouted. "Keep a foot on the red
"For where?" Dale asked. pedal or the G-forces will kill us all!"
"Up there. We are being attacked Wow, he's really dedicated, thought
from the stars. I need one person to Flash.
hold down that red pedal during blast The capsule began shaking like a
off. " Cadillac moving down a steep hill with
Which one? thought Zarkov. He its emergency brake stuck. The engines
pointed the revolver at Dale. "You're rumbled and the broken glass of the
the lighter of the two. Sit down in the greenhouse shook as if the earth were
end seat." He turned to Flash: "You can moving.
leave. Tell the world what Hans Zarkov Zarkov, who had already strapped
has done." himself in, shouted, "The red pedal!.
"Well, I guess I'll be running along," The red pedal!"
Flash said. He took a step toward the The capsule was taking off!
exit, then whirled and threw himself at Without thinking, Flash extended his
Zarkov. "Run!" he shouted to Dale. Of foot and stamped on the red pedal.
course she did not. Flash did not realize it, but he had
activated the mechanism which pro The sleeping passengers did not
duced a force field to help protect them know it but they had arrived on the
from the murderous pull of gravity. The planet Mongo, the seat of the Ruler of
three passengers, their systems in the Universe.
shock from the rapid ascent into space,
slumped into unconsciousness.
The tiny spaceship sailed out of the
earth's orbit and into outer space. The
capsule floated through mists of yellow, Flash rubbed his eyes and
purple, salmon and sapphire. Meteors. breathed deeply. He unbuckled
Tiny asteroids. Clouds of space gas. All his seat belt and looked at Dale. Her
floated around them as the cosmic force eyelids fluttered.
attacking Earth drew the capsule stead "Wake up. We're okay," he said
ily toward its distant universe. softly. "We're on the ground, I think."
After a long, long time, the tiny Zarkov chuckled as he released him
capsule glided into the misty air of a self from his seat belt. "God knows
strange planet that lay in the eye of an where we are. My landing program
ancient cosmic whirlpool. The capsule never fired. Someone brought us here
slowed until the invisible rays which under ground control."
controlled it from afar set it down on Flash whistled silently, his mind sud
the surface of the planet. denly bursting with excitement and