Flash and the commander continue their brawl. These Martians are a variable breed – the commander has taken everything Flash has got while his sidekick was knocked cold with one lucky punch.

Speaking of his sidekick, he and his parting are coming to their senses. By which I mean waking up not renouncing a life of service to an evil dictator.

Parting boy takes the controls and the rocket ship narrowly misses the ground. Way to go.

The two who were frantically radioing the falling rocket ship see their colleagues return to formation and conclude "It’s safe to follow them now". Well duh.

Flash has taken charge of the situation and is holding his prisoners at gun point. Which is odd if you think about it – he couldn’t control one of them but as soon as the other turned up they must’ve seen their numerical advantage and surrendered immediately.

But, despite their somewhat curious behaviour they scheme.

Side parting shouts at the radio "Flash Gordon is leading us into an ambush". Cunning plan. He shouts this twice before Flash notices what is going on.

These men hear the message and are appalled.

Flash blows up the radio.

One of the pilots in the other rocket ship points to their supply of Nitron for no obvious reason. It’s good to know that so volatile an explosive is securely held and that should the rocket ship encounter turbulence it isn’t as if it would go everywhere. Let’s hope they don’t have speed bumps in the Martian skies.

The other bombers run away and leave Flash and his new hostages alone. Flash orders them to land in the Ex-Clay Kingdom. He has an audience with the Ex-Clay King.

Flash has a plan to defend the Ex-Clay Kingdom against attack from the newly armed Tree Men. Barin is desperate for some face-time so cranes his neck so the camera can see him.

The two captured Martians are brought into the Ex-Clay King’s throne room. There is a touching reunion as one of them meets his long lost brother.

Barin, his head now on a pole in a desperate attempt to remain visible, looks on with shared joy at this beautiful moment.

"There are no Clay Men anymore, thanks to Flash Gordon" says the newly fleshy brother. Everyone, on cue, turns to look at the Earth man.

"Like all other Martians I have always felt it my duty to kill you" says one of the captured wing-heads. This is my new favourite line in the serial.

He admits he was wrong – he offers to join forces with Flash and help him destroy Ming the Merciless. It’s all so life affirming this week.

Everyone piles on board a rocket ship and heads for Ming’s Kingdom. Mingdom.

They land at the palace and, at the first sing of trouble, the newbie good guys whip out their guns and start taking prisoners.

Flash and co are taken across a light bridge, apparently as prisoners. A clever ruse which has worked in most (but not all) episodes of this serial so far.

They are denied entry to Ming’s throne room because he’s being crowned King of the Martians. That’s a heck of a line on your CV.

They look for another way into the throne room. Luckily, Flash knows the palace’s corridors better than the Martians do and he soon finds a secret passage.

Ming is being crowned. I wonder if Azura’s harem comes with the job.

The secret passage opens and Flash slips through.

He gate crashes the party. Everyone is appalled.

Flash is about to make a speech. "Nobles of Mars…" he begins.

His oratory is a mixture of fine words and yet more flashback footage from "Space Soldiers".

Flash bangs on a bit but finally strikes oil when he reminds people that Ming’s full title is Ming the Merciless and that the title isn’t purely honorary. He spoils it by retconning the idea that Azura was a good Queen. Evil, yes. Cruel, yes. Tyrannical, yes. Good, no. He lost marks on that bit.

But wait! Ming still has a chum.

He gives Ming a gun. Or at least one of those funny tube things which everyone on Mars seems to think is a gun.

Ming has heard enough – he rises to his feet and refutes all Flash’s points about him being evil by threatening to shoot Flash if anyone comes near him. Way to go, arrow head.

Ming backs away with Flash as his human shield. Dale is appalled.

They all run to the secret passage but Ming declares there is no point following him. A zap is heard and he proclaims Flash is already dead. Everyone is appalled.

What a crappy cliff-hanger. Even I don’t believe Flash is dead and I’ll believe almost anything.