In "The Pool of Peril," the ninth chapter of the Flash Gordon series, the stakes rise as Flash and his companions, now joined by the captured Ming's lieutenants Torch, Sonja, and Thong, aid Prince Barin in rescuing Princess Aura from her villainous father, Ming the Merciless. Their daring plan leads them to the caverns beneath Ming’s palace, guided by the defected Captain Sudan. However, their movements are betrayed by Ming’s Spaceograph, prompting him to flood the caverns. As water surges around them, sweeping them toward a seemingly bottomless pit, the group’s survival hangs by a thread. Flash’s resolve is tested to its limits as he navigates treacherous waters in a race against time to rescue Aura and avoid a watery grave.