01x08 - The Sleeper Awakes

[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 ♪

[ominous music]

♪ ♪

- My ancestors fought bravely

during the last great galactic w*r

against a cruel enemy

who would stop at nothing to rule the universe.

[lasers blasting, insects buzzing]

[explosions booming]

[beams pulsate]

[expl*si*n]

Finally, ten million years ago,

far above a young planet Earth,

my forefathers sent their enemy to his doom--

or so they believed.

[birds calling]

[meteor whooshes]

But in their desperation to destroy my people

our enemy had created a monster.

A mindless, heartless, unstoppable robot

known as the Annihilator.

[dramatic music]

[lasers blast]

[dinosaur roars]

♪ ♪

[metal straining]

And so it was that my distant ancestors were freed

of the dreaded Annihilator,

the most feared and inhuman machine of destruction

ever released upon the universe.

And the Annihilator has remained,

buried beyond memory, for millions of years,

awaiting the day when he will awake from his sleep.

When he can rise up

and do the only thing he's programmed to do...

destroy everything!

Without reason, without mercy.

- Awaiting the day when he can serve...

Ming the Merciless!

[serpent hisses]

- And you won't forget that I gave you the secret

of how to awake the cruel monster?

- You question me?

- But...my homeworld...you...

you promised me, mighty Ming, it would be spared!

[serpent hisses]

- Did I? - Yes!

You promised! Otherwise I never would have--

- Enough! I detest sniveling traitors!

I have no need for your planet. Go, before I change my mind!

[serpent growls]

[laughs]

Thanks to that little fool I now have the Annihilator

to destroy those annoying Defenders of the Earth,

once and for all!

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- [snarls]

♪ ♪

[snarls]

- Kisa, get Kshin!

[door slams shut]

- Jedda, your powers, quick!

- Pendant of mystery, give me your power.

- That's it, Jedda. Just a little...more...

[rock music]

- [cries out] - Jedda!

- Is Jedda okay?

- She's okay, it just took all her power.

- Quick, Kshin, you've got to get through that opening!

- You want me to go through there?

- Hurry, Kshin!

You're the only one who can fit through!

- Before it's too late! Hurry!

- Oh, okay. I'll try.

[upbeat music]
[ … ]

[grunts]

I-I'm scared! I-I can't do it!

It's dark!

[electricity surges]

Ahh!

I got scared. A Defender never gets scared.

- Are you kidding? I was really scared in there.

- Man, if you're not scared in a situation like that,

then there's something wrong with you.

- That's true, Kshin.

We all get scared at one time or another.

- Really? - Really!

The important thing, Kshin, is that we learn from our fears.

- Attention, Flash, an urgent message

from your friend Krone in the Altair system.

- Right.

We'll take it on the big screen, Dynak.

- So I'm calling on you, Flash Gordon,

my old and trusted friend.

Without your help my world will perish!

- You can always count on me, pal!

I'm on my way.

- Be careful, Dad!

- Don't worry, Rick.

That's Flash Gordon. Nothing can happen to him.

- To you he's Flash Gordon. To me, he's Dad.

- Emergency! Emergency!

Ming's ice robots have landed in the California desert.

They are constructing machines capable of triggering

an earthquake big enough to destroy all of California.

- Come on, g*ng!

That's our cue to go have a little fun in the sun.

- All right! - Can Zuffy and I come, too?

- Sorry, Kshin, not this time.

- Kisa, stay!

Keep Kshin and Zuffy out of trouble.

- I know why they didn't want me to come with them.

They're ashamed of me 'cause I got scared today.

Oh, I'll never be a Defender, Zuffy, never!

I wish Mandrake were here

instead of getting some magic award in Paris.

[sophisticated, triumphant music]

♪ ♪

- And the winner of this year's

Magician of the Year Award is...

Mandrake the Magician!

[fanfare plays]

[crowd exclaims]

[applause]

- I really hadn't expected to win this award--

for the fifth year in a row.

Of course, I can't think of anyone

who deserves this honor more than I do, but--

- My name is Callistro,

and I am the greatest magician of this or any other year!

And I shall prove it!

- How do you propose to do that, my good man?

- A duel! A duel of magic.

- I smell a rat.

- I accept!

- As I knew you would, you pompous fool!

All the pawns are in place, Octon.

Let the game begin.

- And now, for my first illusion!

[chimes twinkling]

[cheers and applause]

- Hmph!

[cheers and applause]

- Who is this guy, anyway?

- Test it again!

[ground rumbles]

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

[expl*si*n]

- There they are! Just waiting for us.

- Looks good to me.

I say we blast 'em before they can set off another quake!

- Let's do it!

Fire!

[lasers blasting]

- Activate laser reflector dome!

[lasers blasting]

- Evasive action!

[explosions]

- Man, I've never seen anything like it!

- Ming has developed some kind of a mirror force field

that reflects our lasers right back at us!

- Looks like this job's not gonna be as easy

as we thought!

We'll have to attack from the ground.

- Excellent!

Everything is proceeding according to plan.

Very soon now... [chuckles]

it shall be time to awaken the sleeping beast!

[cheers and applause]

- Your turn, Mandrake!

- My turn, indeed.

You are under my spell, Callistro!

No human can deny my hypnotic powers!

- On the contrary!
[ … ]

It is you who are under my spell.

It's over for you, Mandrake.

[insect buzzing]

Concede before I make a total fool of you!

- No...I'll never give up! Never, never!

It's time I found out what this Callistro is really after.

[engine roars]

♪ ♪

- Krone!

It's good to see you, old buddy.

- Flash, I'd like you to meet my son, Axrel.

I believe he has a confession to make.

[electricity crackling]

- If we don't knock those machines

out of commission soon,

all of California's gonna sink into the ocean!

- What we really need now

is one of Lothar's famous battle plans.

- Never fear, Lothar Junior's here!

And I got a plan to beat all plans, trust me!

- Where have I heard that before?

- Mandrake the Magnificent

isn't so magnificent now, is he?

Let the whole world hear you say it.

Say it, Mandrake! Say it!

- I have powers I can draw upon

greater than anything you can imagine!

- Power? You have no power!

You have nothing!

You can't even stop me from using my power on...

Lothar!

- In threatening my friend, you leave me no choice.

By the ancient powers of the Mystic Realm

and the Crystal Orb of Konos,

I call forth the very power of the Universe!

- At last, fool!

The unique energy of the Crystal Orb

is the final ingredient Ming needs to destroy your world!

[energy crackling]

[expl*si*n]

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- My...p-power...

♪ ♪

[expl*si*n]

[screaming]

[expl*si*n]

- [mechanical roar]

[screaming]

- I hope the other Defenders get back soon,

'cause I'm getting scared.

- [squeaks]

- There is no time to wait, Kshin!

What we are seeing is an ancient Annihilator robot,

designed to destroy all life on an entire planet.

The Annihilator cannot be harmed or stopped

from the outside, but it does have an Achilles' heel.

It can be reprogrammed from the inside.

- Wow! - [squeaks]

- That sounds like a job for Rick Gordon!

- Only you are small enough to squeeze through the opening

in the heel of the robot.

- Me?

[masonry crumbling]

- [evil chuckle]

At last, the beast is awake!

- My lord Ming,

the Annihilator can be reprogrammed

and Rick Gordon possesses the skills to do just that.

- If, Octon, you are correct, we must make certain

that the young Gordon remains right where he is,

until it's too late!

[electricity crackling]

[ground rumbling]

- Time's running out!

- Another jolt like that

and the whole fault line will crack wide open!

- Oh! It's Kshin...

he's in danger!

[dramatic music]

[electricity crackles]

[expl*si*n]

[lasers zapping]

- You sure you two really want to do this?

It's really dangerous!

- [squeals, smooches]

- Okay, you guys! Go get 'em!

- [snarls]

- [combative squeaking]

[lasers blast]

- I can't believe I'm doing this!

It's now or never!

- [squeaks] - [snarls]

[lasers blast]

[expl*si*n]

- This all looked so simple on Dynak's view screen!

[ground splinters]

I'm never gonna make it! No, I've got to make it!

Everyone's counting on me!

Dynak X says it's real important
[ … ]

for me to reach the control center!

Dynak, Dynak, come in!

- What is it, Kshin? Are you okay?

- Are Zuffy and Kisa okay?

I was worried about you guys.

Hey, you did great!

- Kshin, it's vital that you continue climbing

until you reach the Annihilator's control center.

- Okay.

It's just like a great big jungle gym in here.

Hey, this could be fun!

- How does it feel, Mandrake,

knowing that your special power was the only thing Ming needed

to destroy the world? [crowd gasps]

Unfortunate you won't be around

to witness the destruction.

- Don't be too sure about that.

[dramatic music]

[grunts]

Because first, you'll have to destroy... me!

- As long as the power circuit remains unbroken

nothing you can do will harm me--

or save your friend!

[laughs]

So, Mandrake, it appears your "friends" are deserting you.

- Never, Callistro!

But then, you can't understand that,

since people like you have no friends!

- [grunting]

[metal strains]

Let's see how powerful that guy is now!

[ceiling collapses]

Mandrake!

- Never could make a normal entrance, could you old friend?

[energy surges]

- Your gallant action may have saved you for now, Lothar,

but the Defenders are too late to save the Earth.

- This is Dynak X calling. Come in.

- This is Rick, Dynak! What's up?

- You must return to Central City immediately.

Ming has awakened an ancient Annihilator robot.

Kshin is inside the creature

but needs your help to stop it.

- I knew he was in danger! - I've gotta help Kshin--duck!

[lasers blast]

- Don't worry, man.

This time I really do have a plan, trust me!

- Yes, Rick, trust him! Hurry, before anything happens!

- Take care, you two!

- Fire!

[lasers blasting]

- Okay, LJ, what's this plan of yours?

And it better be good! - It is!

See that switch?

That controls the power for the mirror dome

that protects the base from our lasers.

Now all you gotta do is use your pendant

to throw that switch when I give the word.

[lasers blasting]

- Cease fire.

Prepare to activate the earthquake fault!

- Go, LJ! They've stopped firing!

- Wish me luck!

- It's one of the Defenders! Fire!

[lasers blasting]

- Now, Jedda, now!

- Pendant of mystery, give me your power!

[triumphant music]

♪ ♪

- Come on, Jedda! Hurry!

- Stop him!

No, it's a trick!

Cease fire! Look out!

[explosions]

- LJ, that was the bravest thing

I've ever seen in my life!

- Aw, it was nothing.

Let's get back to Central City and see if we can help.

[ground rumbling]

- I know you're worried about Kshin, Zuffy, we all are.

- [squeaking frantically] - Settle down a minute.

This isn't easy.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- This looks like the main computer!

Now what?

- We got here as soon as we heard!

- I'm glad you guys are here.

I can use all the help I can get.

- Man, we almost didn't make it!

It's a madhouse out there!

- Kisa, I was worried about you!

- The force shields can't take much more of this!

- I calculate my shields will break down

in less than one minute.

- I need more time!

These alien computers aren't like anything I've ever seen.

- Kshin's inside that monster! Don't give up, Kshin!

- There is very little time.

- This is Kshin to Rick Gordon!
[ … ]

I'm in the control center. What do I do now?

- Listen carefully, Kshin.

I've narrowed it down to two buttons.

- Okay, Rick.

- One of them should stop the robot

but the other will make it even more powerful!

I've got to make the right decision!

- My shields have failed.

- Push the blue one, Kshin! The blue one!

- If you say so, Rick! Here goes...

- [mechanical wailing]

all[cheering]

- No! It's not possible!

That child has ruined my plans!

One day... one day soon,

I vow that I will rid the universe

of those annoying Defenders once and for all!

[triumphant music]

- Man, am I glad that's over!

- No one was hurt and Central City is just like new.

- And the reprogrammed Annihilator has been sent

to my friends Krone and Axrel to protect their planet

from attacks by Ming in the future.

- And I hope you learned something about bravery, Kshin.

- That's right!

What you did for us was very brave.

- You can say that again!

- You kidding?

Nothing's ever gonna scare me again, nothing!

- [growls] - Yah!

Well, almost nothing. [chuckles]