Flash Gordon (Mego) 1978

Flash Gordon (Mego) – 1978

Flash Gordon is the main hero and antagonist of one of the most popular and beloved comic strips ever created. The series was created back in 1934 by Alex Raymond and became an overnight sensation. Since Mego was snatching up licensing rights to multiple Sci-Fi franchises at the time, they jumped on the opportunity for Flash Gordon. Their small toy line was based on the original Alex Raymond art work, and featured four figures (Flash Gordon, Dale Arden, Dr. Zarkov, Ming the Merciless) and a fold-out playset. This was line was short lived but remains very popular with modern Mego collectors.

For more information about Mego’s Flash Gordon line, see bottom of the page for a complete summary.

Flash Gordon (1978): Basic Action Figures

Mego released a total of four figures for their Flash Gordon line in 1978. There was Dale Arden (Best friend to Tex), Dr. Zarkov (Navajo warrior and ally to Tex), the villainous Ming the Merciless and of course the main character Flash Gordon. Each of these figures came in a 10″ format, which was a drastic change for Mego. This change allowed for more detail on the characters and costumes.

Dale Arden

Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $350
Loose $85 – $115

Dale Arden
Accessories: Yellow Dress, Yellow Crown, Belt w/ Holster, Pistol, Sword, Scabbard
Years Released: 1978
Difficulty To Find: Moderate Difficulty – Takes patience and appears less often
Notes: Dale Arden is the constant companion and love interest to Flash in the series. Mego uses the classic comic series as inspiration for the sculpt and costuming for Dale, which works very well. Dale Arden comes with her colorful outfit that includes her yellow dress, belt w/ holster, pistol, yellow crown, sword and scabbard.

Dr. Zarkov

Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $350
Loose $85 – $115

Dr. Zarkov
Accessories: Blue Shirt, Blue Pants, Belt w/ Sash, Blue Helmet, Red Head Band, Pistol w/ Case, Sword, Scabbard
Years Released: 1978
Difficulty To Find: Moderate Difficulty – Takes patience and appears less often
Notes: Doctor Hans Zarkov is a brilliant scientist and friend to Flash in the series. Mego uses the classic comic series as inspiration for the sculpt and costuming for Dr. Zarkov, which works very well. Dr. Zarkov comes with his colorful outfit that includes his blue shirt and pants, belt w/ sash, black boots, red head band, blue helmet, pistol w/ holster, sword, and scabbard.

Flash Gordon

Market Value:
Boxed $400 – $500
Loose $110 – $160

Flash Gordon
Accessories: Red Shirt, Blue Pants, Belt w/ Sash, Blue Helmet, Red Head Band, Sword, Scabbard, Pistol w/ Case, Shield, Dagger
Years Released: 1978
Difficulty To Find: Moderate Difficulty – Takes patience and appears less often
Notes: Flash Gordon is the title character of the classic comic strip and series. This is a fantastic sculpt of Flash from the original comic strips and really captured the look. Flash Gordon comes with his colorful outfit that includes his red shirt and blue pants, black boots, belt w/ sash, sword, scabbard, red head band blue helmet, pistol w/ holster, shield and dagger.

Ming The Merciless

Market Value:
Boxed $250 – $350
Loose $85 – $115

Ming The Merciless
Accessories: Green Shirt, Green Pants, Belt w/ Sash, Green Helmet, Red Head Band, Sword, Scabbard
Years Released: 1978
Difficulty To Find: Moderate Difficulty – Takes patience and appears less often
Notes: Ming the Merciless is a ruthless tyrant who rules over the planet Mongo, making him the main bad guy of the Flash Gordon stories. This is a fantastic sculpt of Ming from the original comic strips and really captured the look. Ming the Merciless comes with his colorful outfit that includes his green shirt and pants, black boots, belt w/ sash, sword, scabbard, red head band and green helmet.

Flash Gordon (1978): Accessories

Mego released only one action figure related accessory for their Flash Gordon line in 1978, and that was the very generic sounding, Flash Gordon Playset.

Market Value:
Boxed $200 – $250
Loose $50 – $75

Flash Gordon Playset
Accessories: Lab Computer, Throne, Computer Cards x 3
Years Released: 1978
Difficulty To Find: Hard to Find – Occasionally listed, and usually sells quickly
Notes: The Flash Gordon Playset is the lone accessory released by Mego for the Flash Gordon line. The set was a dual fold-out piece with two sides to it. On one side was Ming’s Throne Room, while the other featured Dr. Zarkov’s Laboratory. The playset is covered with classic Flash Gordon artwork by legendary artist Alex Raymond. The set included a throne for Ming and a simulated computer for the lab with three computer cards to go inside of it.

The Flash Gordon action figure line included a total of four figures in 1978. There was Dale Arden (Companion and true love to Flash), Ming the Merciless (Main bad guy in the Mongo Universe), Dr. Zarkov (Brilliant scientist and friend to Flash) and of course the main character Flash Gordon. Each of these figures were made in a new 10 inch format, which was “supposed” to be the new norm for Mego moving forward. Unfortunately, the other 10 inch lines were the UK Doctor Who line and the cancelled Logan’s Run line. That being said, the Flash Gordon action figure line is known as one of the most detailed and nicely done lines ever created by Mego. The molds were great, the costumes were spot-on and they came with lots of fun accessories. The Flash Gordon line has become a fan favorite for many Mego collectors and remains very sought after to this day.

The packaging for the Flash Gordon action figures was simple but very appropriately eye catching. The figures used a carded blister pack, which was the norm for Mego at the time. The figure itself was to the left of the card, while the right side was adorned with a classic Flash Gordon illustration of a rocket ship over Mongo. All cards had the same illustrations on it. The name of each character was directly above the figure in bold letters, with the classic Flash Gordon logo above the name. The overall color scheme was a nice looking sky blue that worked well with the logo and accents.

Share this: