In what sense does he try and trick her? He just grabbed her necklace and made off with it.

Sorry, I’ve started too quickly. Let’s have the recap cartoon slides. Cue PowerPoint.

Right, now I can ask in what sense does he try and trick her? He just grabbed her necklace and made off with it.

Our last cliffhanger was a bit vague- things seemed to be more or less going to hell but the immediate threat to Flash, Zarkov and civilisation in general wasn’t clear. Ming watches Flash and Azura survive. Ming is appalled.

Flash and Azura reach the ground. Ming has seen enough – he switches off the shaking machine and everyone survives. Including Zarkov, here seen under a pile of generic rubble.

As Flash returns after rescuing Zarkov, Azura (Queen of Magic) blows some powder in his face using a magical ring which had a secret compartment containing powder in it. It’s not strictly speaking magic. Unless she’s merely the Queen of Conjuring which is less impressive even if she does spent hours each day practicing her sleight of hand.

Flash briefly confronts Azura but passes out. Azura gets her necklace back.

Flash and Zarkov are put on trial. Ming speaks for the prosecution. Flash speaks for the defence.

Flash has a go at Azura (the judge). Zarkov begins to regret his choice of advocate.

Ming takes the condemned men for a "closer look" at the Nitron Lamp. The atmosphere of Mars no longer makes Ming’s clothes go white. An educational tour of the defences of Mars doesn’t seem like too arduous a punishment.

Flash is forced to climb up to the top of the lamp. I’m not quite sure who or what is forcing him. Here we see him looking round for someone to force him to climb over the rail.

Someone finally climbs up after him and forces him to be where he already was. A fight breaks out.

Flash gets hold of a ray gun and fires it at the Martians.

But the Martians are too quick and take cover. Sort of.

They use their stolen ray guns to blow a hole in the Nitron Lamp.

Flash and Zarkov take control in the confusion and kidnap Ming.

All these men are appalled.

Ming uses the television to show Flash what is done with all the Nitron extracted from the Earth’s atmosphere (don’t ask). It is being loaded aboard a rocket ship and will be used as part of the Queen’s nonsensical war with the Clay People.

A thing falls off a thing in the laboratory and flames shoot out. "Look Flash" says Zarkov but it is unclear whether he means "Look Gordon – there is a flash" or "Look Flash – there is an explosion".

Flash does his flame walking trick again. Flash and Zarkov are astonished.

Ming fiddles with some controls and the usual technical gadgets are shown. Including our old favourite, Great Balls of Fire.

Meanwhile, Dale and Happy are sitting round doing nothing.

CLAY PEOPLE~!

They chain Dale and Happy up as a human shield against the incoming death squadron.

The death squadron of one rocket ship opens fire and misses. But wait! Here comes a second rocket ship manned by Flash Gordon.

The two members of the death squadron are appalled.

Has Zarkov run mad? He’s about to leap out of a rocket ship in mid air.

But he’s on Mars so he can fly. Obviously. Duh.

Flash has set his rocket ship on a collision course with the death squadron of one ship.

But wait! Flash can’t get the door open.

He’s thrown to the floor just before impact.

BANG~!

Flash is dead.

And yet it sounds as if he’ll be coming back again.