01x21 - The Defense Never Rests

[bunniefuu]

- ♪ Defenders of the Earth ♪

Defenders!

[dramatic music]

♪ Out of the sky, his rockets ignite ♪

♪ Jets into battle flying faster than light ♪

Flash Gordon!

♪ Lord of the jungle, the hero who st*lks ♪

♪ The beasts call him brother, The Ghost Who Walks ♪

Phantom!

♪ Defenders of the Earth ♪

Defenders!

♪ Master of magic, spells, and illusion ♪

♪ Enemies crumble in fear and confusion ♪

Mandrake!

♪ Defenders of the Earth ♪

Defenders!

♪ His strength is a legend, his skills conquer all ♪

♪ Armed with his power, we never will fall ♪

Lothar!

♪ Defenders of the Earth ♪

Defenders!

♪ With our new young heroes proving their worth ♪

♪ Four become eight defending the Earth ♪

♪ Defenders of the Earth ♪

Defenders!

♪ Defenders of the Earth ♪

- Emergency! Emergency!

Anyone who can hear me, help!

Please help! I am under attack!

- This is Flash Gordon of the Defenders of the Earth,

for the last time,

can you hear me?

Identify yourself!

- Well, there's nothing I like better, old chaps,

than a nice long trip

around the moon before breakfast.

- Our twelfth orbit, and still no sign

of a ship in distress.

- You don't call this distressing.

Dynac, how much longer do we stay

on this wild goose chase?

- The source of the distress signal has been located.

Five kilometers and closing fast.

- C'mon, Dynac,

we've been over that spot twelve times.

We didn't find a single--

- Dad? Look!

- What in the world?

- What is it?

- A solar sailing ship, built by Ming!

- Lifescan probe shows no one is aboard.

The distress call was a recording.

- What's going on here?

- Ming's Roboships! It's a trap!

- Shields on full!

Everybody scatter!

Pick them off one at a time!

Somebody tell me what's wrong with these guys?

- They work for Ming the Merciless?

- I mean, besides that

they outnumber us five to one, but not one of them has hit us!

- Yes, almost as if they are not really trying.

- Nice sh**ting, Jedda.

Now it's our turn!

Missed 'im!

- But you hit Ming's solar ship.

[explosions]

- Now for the rest of Ming's roboships.

Why, they, they are running away!

- Who cares, we won, didn't we?

- Yes, without even a scratch.

- There can be no error.

- Then check it again, Dynac.

The answer doesn't make any sense!

Dynac?

- I believe it is your move, my dear.

- And I believe it is checkmate, dear Mandrake.

- Very resourceful, Jedda.

- A most clever move!

- Too clever.

- Hmmm? - Oh, I mean Ming.

- Relax, old man.

We won, didn't we?

- Yeah, but too easily.

I- I just can't shake the feeling

that something's about to happen.

Ming's up to something.

[squeaking]

I- - I just wish

I knew what next move's going to be.

- It's gonna be curtains

if I catch whoever reprogrammed Dynac!

- Nobody's touched her programming.

- Then she's gone haywire.

- Comet E is approaching the sun

from deep space.

Scanners show the comet has changed course.

- You see?

She's gone soft in the circuits.

It is physically impossible for a comet to change course!
[ … ]

Well? Go on, tell 'em the rest.

- The comet is on a collision course with Earth.

It will strike in twelve days.

- L.J.! Call Phantom and Lothar! Let's go!

- Wait a minute. It's not possible!

A comet can't change course by itself.

- Tell that to the comet!

- I don't know how it moved,

but we've got to move it back!

And you know, as well as anyone, Rick,

Dynac is never wrong!

- But--but--

- Hold down the fort, Kshin, my boy.

We will be back soon.

- But--but--

Kisa! Come!

- Aw, thanks, Zuff.

- Okay, everybody, let's keep it on target

and tighten up the formation.

A direct hit from all our blasters

should nudge it enough to miss Earth.

Prepare to fire on my mark, in exactly--

- Attention, Defenders!

Comet E has changed course.

It will not collide with Earth as previously calculated.

- She's doing it again.

- Something's getting mighty fishy.

- Tractor beam!

- Can't slow down.

- Got to turn around.

Everybody,

fire auxiliaries now!

- Dad, look at the gauges.

The engines can't take much more.

They'll explode!

- Look, it is not a comet.

It is a world!

- One chance.

Fire!

- Not enough!

We're not breaking free!

- Dad,

where are we?

- Wherever we are, there's plenty of air.

Gravity reads normal.

- All the comforts of home.

- Everybody sit tight for a minute.

Okay, all clear!

- Put down your weapons, please.

- Who's there?

Identify yourself!

- You must put down your weapons.

- Not until you tell us who you are,

where we are, and why you've brought us here.

- All questions will be answered in time.

- Dad!

- Please, your weapon, put it down.

- Dad! You okay?

- Yeah, Rick, I'm--

- Flash Gordon,

we of Ilyria detest violence.

It is so uncivilized.

- Hey!

How do you know my name?

- I am called Egral.

We of Ilyria

have long known of you,

Defenders of the Earth.

We have studied your television transmissions

from far out in space.

Upon this world, you are, in a way,

quite famous.

We of Ilyria are seekers of justice,

givers of law.

We are protectors of freedom.

We travel the galaxy,

seeking primitive planets like Earth.

- I still don't know why you brought us here.

- Those who are threats to a planet's freedom,

we bring here, to trial.

Men who only love conquest and power.

- Conquest and power?

Yeah, we have one like that on Earth.

- If you mean the one called Ming,

he is here.

- You've got Ming? Here?

Where're you keeping him?

- You will see him shortly.

Meanwhile, I hope you find

these humble accommodations comfortable.

The trial will begin soon, and I, of course,

will be speaking in your defense,

though the charges against you are somewhat severe.

- Charges?

I thought you said Ming is on trial!

- Oh, no, Mr. Gordon.

It is you!

- What?

We've done nothing wrong.

You!
[ … ]

- Please, Mr. Gordon.

You must restrain your Earthly violence.

- At least our Earthly laws allow us to face our accuser,

and hear the charges against us.

- As do ours.

Here is your accuser.

- Somebody tell me I'm dreaming!

- No, Mr. Gordon.

This man brought us proof of your plans

to conquer planet Earth, while he--

- That's a lie!

He is the one who wants to conquer Earth!

Let us out of here, now!

- Barbarians, barbarians to the last.

Perhaps, Egral,

you should show them the evidence.

- This is a video recording, Mr. Gordon.

A broadcast we received

from one of your own television stations.

- And in the news tonight,

more reports of rampant destruction,

as seven barbarians...

- What is this?

- Calling themselves the Defenders of the Earth

continue their reign of terror.

This time igniting ten thousand acres of forest

in a blazing holocaust still raging out of control.

- Father, that's--that's us!

- Egral, this film is not real.

- We have analyzed it thoroughly.

The faces are yours.

- Meanwhile, closer to home today,

the t*rror1st known as Lothar,

with an unknown accomplice,

bombed the Central City Bank building.

- Flash, they blew up that building ten years ago.

- And the mystery

that has baffled authorities for weeks,

who stole the top secret bombs

from the U.S. Army's Fort James--

- Hey! That's me!

- Was solved tonight... - What?

- With the release of these secret Pentagon films,

showing Flash Gordon, the t*rrorists' ringleader,

directing the daring robbery.

In a reign of terror...

- Egral, you can't believe all this!

- That seems bent on nothing less

than the conquest of Earth!

- What I believe does not matter.

- Dad, look!

- Late reports just in from the moon

tell of a vicious and unwarranted attack

on a research vessel.

- That's why the wild goose chase.

- You're right, Dad.

But where are all the roboships?

- Conveniently edited from the film.

- The ship, "Gossamer Angel,"

was on a mission of mercy

to rescue stranded astronauts on the moon.

- Oh, gimme a break!

- The vessel had been generously loaned

to Earth authorities by the award-winning scientist

and head of the World Rescue Aid Society,

Ming the Merciful.

- What?

- This time he's got us, but good!

What can we do?

- Plan A, tell the truth.

And when that doesn't work?

Plan B.

At least one of us busts out of here,

and gets back with proof of how Ming faked those tapes.

Here's what we'll do.

Mandrake, when it's our turn to speak...

- And the "Gossamer Angel" crashed

in a fiery death on the moon, as this news footage shows.

Tonight there is still no word

on the whereabouts of ringleader Flash Gordon,

or his henchmen Phantom,

Mandrake, and--

- If it pleases the court,

I, I can bear no more.

Seeing such destruction of my beloved Earth,

such mindless violence,

such unfeeling barbarism.

- Lies! He's--

- Silence!

- Rick, no. Not yet.

- You see?

That is their true nature,

primitive violence.

I humbly rest my case.

- The defendants have denied all charges against them,

but offer no proof of their innocence.

Do you have anything to say before sentence is passed

or you are banished from this galaxy?

- So much for justice.

Time for plan B.
[ … ]

- I was wondering when you would say that.

If it pleases the court,

being banished to a galaxy so distant

that one can never return makes us very happy!

Therefore, with all due respect,

may this bird of happiness

flutter up your Ilyrian nose!

- What?

And since you've been such a wonderful audience,

allow me to say that how you could find

seven wonderful chaps like ourselves guilty is--

- What is the meaning of this?

- Well! It's quite beyond my ability to prestidigitate.

- Stop! Stop him!

- In fact,

it's like magic!

- Order! Order!

- Now, Mandrake!

Let's go!

Run for the rocket hangar and remember the plan.

Don't look back no matter what happens.

- Don't stop.

LJ! Rick! Jedda!

Keep going!

- Don't look back. I'll lead them off!

- My father? The others?

- We're the only ones who made it.

- Still got to get to the rocket hangar.

- Yeah, great idea, Rick!

- No, Kisa, stay down!

- You sure we're headed for the rocket hangar?

- Yeah, it's not far now, just follow me

- Faster! They're gonna catch us!

- L.J, jump!

- Oh, Kisa, not now!

- Hang on. We're almost there.

- Place's empty as Ming's Christmas stocking.

Guess the whole planet turned out for the trial.

Maybe everybody, but not everything.

Hang on, we're getting out of here!

- How? - Like this!

[expl*si*n]

Ice Station Earth, here we come!

- If we are quite finished with this barbaric display,

the trial will continue.

You have not helped your case.

- What do you expect? We're barbarians, remember?

Even a caveman would know your justice stinks!

- I'm afraid your world

has forgotten something, old man,

something we poor primitives

have known for a long time.

No one is required to prove his innocence.

He is innocent

until proven guilty.

- Do you think we could pass as dummies?

- Do you want me to answer that?

- Shh! Here he comes.

- Ahem!

You were deactivated.

What has gone wrong?

Stop! Stop!

I command you to stop

in the name of Ming the Merci--

Stop!

Stop!

I have deactivated you!

You cannot move!

Do you hear me?

Stop!

This is scientifically impossible!

- All clear.

Look, this is where Ming made his phony newscast.

- Rick. Catch me!

- Oww!

Jedda, if you weren't such a dummy, I'd--

- Who are you calling a dummy?

-C'mon, you guys, we got to get this evidence

back to the trial before it's too late!

Whew!

Sure don't make me like they used to.

- The vote has been taken.

The Defenders of the Earth are guilty.

For the good of planet Earth,

they must be banished at once.

- We are innocent!

It is Ming the Merciless who--

- Personally, I do prefer using the old vanishing booth.

- Wait.

No!

We must wait!

- Stop!

- No!

- Yes.

There is other evidence to be heard.

- If it pleases the court,

allow us to present those bad barbarians

we've all come to know and love,

the Defenders of the Earth!

Ming built these robots!
[ … ]

They did the destruction you saw!

- And the television transmissions you received--

- And in the news tonight,

more reports of destruction,

as the seven barbarians calling themselves

the Defenders of the Earth--

- Release the defendants!

Please, don't go! It is our fault Ming escaped.

At least allow us

to capture him for you.

- No, thanks.

We poor primitives will do just fine

fighting our own fights and holding our own trials.

- But at least let us try

to return your friend, Mandrake.

- That will not be necessary, my dear friends.

I was never banished in the first place.

- But how did you--

- A magician never reveals the tricks of his trade.

- And now if you'll excuse us,

we have a real barbarian to catch.

- They were innocent.

We found them guilty.

And to think we almost--Egral,

assemble the people for another trial.

- A trial?

Of whom?

- Of our laws, Egral.

Of our justice.

Of ourselves!