1980s sci-fi adventure based on the 1930s comic strip created by Alex Raymond. American football hero Flash (Sam J. Jones) is dragged from Earth to the outer reaches of the universe where he must battle the evil dictatorship of Ming the Merciless (Max von Sydow), emperor of the planet Mongo. He is aided in his quest by technical wizard Dr Hans Zarkov (Topol), the winged Prince Vultan (Brian Blessed) and the brooding Prince Barin (Timothy Dalton).