Flash Gordon Cosm?

[skeloric]

Despite it being easily an easy fit for Terra/Nile Empire, I think there may in fact be enough to separate it to make it a Cosm of its own.
Looking to the 30s pulp version, the 70s/80s cartoon series and early-to-mid-80s film with the Queen soundtrack as inspiration, I have a bit of a confession: All I can easily find is the aforementioned film.

But even with the film as sole source, is it truly the Nile/Terran Weird Science at work or is it something else?
Instead, it seems a bit more repeatable and a bit more reliable and quite a bit less of an "all over the board" that the Weird Science represents.
Until that time, I can't quite place the Tech Axiom, should I just say the Cosm is Tech 30 despite it seeming not quite Tech 30 across the board? (And certainly the Earth seen there is in no way Tech 30, and likely won't suddenly increase to Tech 30 due to the the interference of Mongo...)

Socially, I think 20 to 21 might be about right.

But Magic and Spirit... I have no clue.
Any thoughts?

I really want a 1930s "Space Opera" reality, which I think distinct from the "High Adventure" realities of Terra/Nile Empire. (And even Land Below, which could be a "Savage High Adventure" reality.)
But as I've said, I haven't quite found the angle by which to present it.

[Kansas Jim]

But even with the film as sole source, is it truly the Nile/Terran Weird Science at work or is it something else?
Instead, it seems a bit more repeatable and a bit more reliable and quite a bit less of an "all over the board" that the Weird Science represents.
Weird Science does tend to be a better fit for the stereotype of the lone inventor creating one-of-a-kind devices rather than allowing for mass production of zap guns, spaceships and all the other stuff found on Mongo.

I'd probably go with a Tech axiom around 25-26 for Mongo and maybe explain away the higher Tech exceptions with some kind of "Classic Space Opera" WL.

Social may not be all that high, while Ming rules a large empire it's not a very complex organization by all appearances. Maybe something in the 17-18 range?

People on Mongo believe in magic (Azura in the comic strip was called "the Queen of Magic") but it was apparently high tech masquerading as magic rather than the real thing. Since there's belief the Magic axiom probably isn't completely miserable but it's probably less than Core Earth, maybe in the 3-5 range.

The Spirit axiom is in a similar condition, the comic strip mentions a Great God Tao and priests show up in the comic, the serials and even the movie (performing Ming's wedding to Dale) but there's no real spiritual powers ever displayed. Maybe something also down in the 2-5 range.

[skeloric]

Good stuff.
I would think "Earth" Axioms might be a good thing to keep in mind, or are we actually perhaps saying that Flash Gordon is an undeclared Storm Knight and Mongo's Axioms are different from Earth's because it was in fact a separate Cosm invading Flash's Earth?
If that is in fact what you are thinking then I must admit I hadn't thought of that though I'm liking it now that you've introduced the idea.

So...
Social... maybe 15 only in that light.

Maybe the Tech is only 21 as maybe there is no "outer space" in Mongo's Cosm and thus the fancy space rockets are in fact merely aircraft that fly in the ever present atmosphere between the planets of Mongo.
Maybe your "Space Opera" Law is the Law of the Alien object or something that simply allows for weird appearance objects of Mongo to operate as if they were nothing more than their Tech 21 equivalents.
A Ray Gun is actually merely a funny looking Tech 21 pistol that requires the World Law to support it but in all other respects it is nothing more than a common pistol that anyone could fire.
Basically, "the illusion of difference".
still, its only a basic notion and might in fact be full of holes.
Alternatively, it could still be at the 26 you offered with the "Space Opera" WL pushing the overall presentation downwards toward the concepts seen in the Science Fiction of the '30s and '40s.

Magic is interesting in light of that one character mentioned.
I'll say 5, which is barely under Core Earth.
Still, there might be a need to drop it further but I'll ponder it further.

Spirit could easily equal that of Marketplace, though it might be interesting to place it at about 3 where you suggested just because it will in fact be incredibly rare in that most Cosms are Spirit 13+.

This means that it is in competition with Marketplace for being the Cosm that is the most devoid of the existential concerns commonly indicated by a Magic or Spirit Axiom.

Ming's invasion is a unique one in that his entire Cosm arrives within the other Cosm and proceeds to grow like a cancer draining the invaded reality as if Mongo was some sort of cosmic cancer.

An additional World Law might be required to account for amazing variety of essentially compatible yet different life on Mongo.

[Catstacker]

I think you'd do better to use the original Alex Raymond comic strip as your inspiration, since that's what the subsequent video adaptiations were using. But the movies and TV show were limited by their budgets (and the SFX of the time,) while Mr. Raymond just drew what he thought looked neat.

You'd have to go with a pretty high Tech axiom since they can get around to other planets faster than light. If I recall correctly, the original movie serial had Ming flying the entire planet Mongo around, conquering the universe. Most of the citizens of Mongo use swords and nets and other low-tech solutions, but I think that's Ming's way of keeping them under his control, like his manipulation of their religion with his high-tech. Then again, he wasn't interested in Flash in the beginning, it was Zarkov that he wanted to work in his laboratory. So maybe Ming just uses scientists to design his infernal devices and then eliminates them before they can turn them against him.

Oh, and I think that you'd have to have a Magic axiom of at least 8 so that the Hawkmen can fly and the Sharkmen can breathe underwater, etc.

[Kansas Jim]

I would think "Earth" Axioms might be a good thing to keep in mind, or are we actually perhaps saying that Flash Gordon is an undeclared Storm Knight and Mongo's Axioms are different from Earth's because it was in fact a separate Cosm invading Flash's Earth?
Going with the original comics, it was probably more a case of the cosm being high-tech and Earth just being a bit backwards and not making full use of the axiom. As Catstacker noted, the strip eventually did have Flash & friends traveling to other star systems with FTL spaceships so it would seem that the high-tech was not limited to Mongo.


Maybe your "Space Opera" Law is the Law of the Alien object or something that simply allows for weird appearance objects of Mongo to operate as if they were nothing more than their Tech 21 equivalents.
Going with the original strips again, Zarkhov came up with things like machines that turned Flash invisible, so there's definitely more than just Tech 21 going on.


This means that it is in competition with Marketplace for being the Cosm that is the most devoid of the existential concerns commonly indicated by a Magic or Spirit Axiom.
Though almost any adaptation of a 'pure' sci-fi setting as a cosm is going to be like that.

[Boojie]

My biggest exposure to Flash Gordon was the movie with the Queen soundtrack.
That movie rocked!
I read a few comic books for it in the 80's.
I would love to see a Flash Gordon cosm.

[skeloric]

i think I'd push the Spirit to about 8 and just run comparable to Marketplace and infuse a bit more Asian spiritualism/mysticism into it.

"Law of Super Science" maybe?
Maybe it doesn't allow for as much (AKA up to Tech 32) as Weird Science will but its more standardized and reliable in compensation.

[Boojie]

I suppose the tech part of Flash Gordon would take some think through as to decide the tech level.

[skeloric]

My biggest exposure to Flash Gordon was the movie with the Queen soundtrack.
That movie rocked!
I read a few comic books for it in the 80's.
I would love to see a Flash Gordon cosm.
Ah, a fellow fan.
Yeah just recently I encountered the theme song and was inspired to make a Cosm.
But my issue is nailing down axioms and finding a serious exploration of themes to become World Laws.
I want someone to say, "Wow, this is Flash Gordon!"

[Boojie]

Ah, a fellow fan.
Yeah just recently I encountered the theme song and was inspired to make a Cosm.
But my issue is nailing down axioms and finding a serious exploration of themes to become World Laws.
I want someone to say, "Wow, this is Flash Gordon!"


Indeed Sir! I completely understand. I can also see that issue. It seems that those points would be he hardest part of getting any cosm off the ground.