In "The Purple Death," the first chapter of the Flash Gordon series, a devastating plague known as the Purple Death wreaks havoc on Earth. Suspecting that Ming the Merciless, ruler of the planet Mongo, is behind the outbreak, Flash Gordon, Dr. Alexis Zarkov, and Dale Arden embark on a daring mission to stop him. Aboard Dr. Zarkov's sophisticated rocket ship, the trio travels to Arboria to enlist the help of Prince Barin. Along the way, they meet Queen Fria of the Ice Kingdom, who also seeks Barin’s aid against Ming. Together, they storm Ming’s laboratory to stop a fiendish experiment, but Flash soon finds himself battling a giant adversary and plunging into a deep pit. Will Flash survive the perilous encounter, and can they uncover a way to stop the Purple Death and save Earth from destruction?
