We last saw Flash Gordon being killed to death by falling sparks. The recap doesn’t add anything and play resumes with the unconscious Flash being roasted alive.

The effects of this lethal weapon are such that Flash recovers almost immediately and uses the gun the bad guys were thoughtful enough to leave behind to blow a hole in the wall.

Ming finds a hole where he was expecting to find Flash’s body. Ming is appalled.

Flash finds a guard to kidnap and will no doubt steal his clothes.

Yup – clothes stolen.

Flash sneaks into the palace and activates the light bridge. If you ask me he’s getting further away from the lamp he’s supposed to be destroying.

He wanders past a bunch of crack security guards before finally breaking cover when he sees a really stupid looking contraption.

He locks them in a room and goes back for the contraption.

He uses it to shoot at the Nitron lamp, causing it to visibly wobble.

Ming is appalled and sends some crack troops to stop Flash. These crack troops turn out to be rather good as they manage to destroy Flash’s gun thing with their first shot.

Manpower being what it is, they have no trouble subduing Flash.

Ming’s henchman takes the black sapphire from Flash. Flash says that won’t do any good as it will still block Azura’s magic.

But the henchman has a magical box which negates the black sapphire’s power.

Azura is brought before the Clay King. He demands Azura return them all to flesh and blood. Otherwise she will stay in the caves until she too becomes clay.

She agrees to free them but will need the use of her hands. Barin unties her. No one seems to have spotted that her magic won’t work while the black sapphire is still active. No one down in the caves knows Ming has control of it – Flash has apparently sent Azura down to the caves knowing full well that she won’t be able to help them.

As soon as she’s free she makes a threat and adopts the position.

One puff of smoke later and she’s gone. Which is odd as she also seems to have known her magic would work even though she couldn’t have known the black sapphire had been put in a special box. Unless of course the sapphire’s range is very limited. I may be thinking about this too much. I’m still disappointed this serial was made after actresses started shaving their armpits.

The characters get together and have the same discussion I’ve just had (about the sapphire not Azura’s armpits). They don’t seem to think the caves are beyond the powers of the black sapphire – they conclude Flash must’ve been captured and the sapphire neutralised. So my point stands.

Flash is brought before the Emperor Ming. He says Flash has interfered for the last time. Flash says he’s destroyed the lamp and his work here is finished. Ming says the Earth has not heard the last of him. Basically, it’s a bunch of clichés stitched together to make a scene.

Meanwhile, back on the Earth…

…newspapers bring good news.

A bunch of men meet to discuss what has been going on. It’s the same group of men who met in episode one. This time the fat guy with the moustache checks out his colleague’s arse.

Zarkov and Barin take the rocket shop to Azura’s palace to rescue Flash.

Ming has two boxes. One contains the black sapphire, the other is empty. He’s planning on giving the empty one to the Queen as a token of his loyalty. He’s assuming she won’t open it and have a look inside. He really doesn’t understand women and jewellery.

Three men with funny heads want an audience with Azura. Who are these men with funny heads? We’ve seen them before but have no idea where they come from.

She sends them away without giving them a chance to speak. They seem fine with that.

Ming and Azura meet in the lab and he gives her his empty box.

She opens it and finds it is empty. Ming says Flash must’ve pinched it. Azura is appalled.

Flash is brought before Azura and quizzed about the sapphire. He says he wouldn’t tell them even if he knew where it was.

Now I get Ming’s plan – he says that if Flash dies, the secret of the black sapphire dies with him. No one will ever find it and Azura’s power will be absolute. Flash is sent to the disintegrator room and Azura thanks Ming for his help.

Ming then tells his sidekick to tell the king of the Tree Men that he has the black sapphire. It’s a game within a game and no mistake.

Meanwhile, Barin jumps out and grapples with Ming’s assistant.

He takes him into a nook and asks him where Flash is.

Flash is tied to a chair in the disintegrating room. He doesn’t look comfortable.

Ming taunts Flash over the radio. He demonstrates the power of the disintegrator. This is a model of someone’s head before disintegration…

…and this is it after.

Flash is appalled.

Guards spot Prince Barin and a fight breaks out.

Zarkov and Barin are on the roof. They can see Flash in the chamber below them. They have to find a way in. That much is obvious.

Soldiers spot them trying to get in through the skylight and open fire.

They manage to get in but the disintegrator beam hits Zarkov in the chest.

But much more importantly it goes on to hit Flash Gordon. Who dies.