MovieChat Forums > Flash Gordon (1954) Discussion > Stun Guns

Stun Guns

posted 18 years ago by Kevjess74
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The stun guns used in this series are like sleek versions of the paralysis ray projector from the 1938 film "Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars". It's refreshing that when Flash shoots someone, instead of deadly light blasting from the gun (like from weapons typically used in sci-fi), weird - often invisible - energy flies out to instantly immobilize Flash's opponent (provided the shot was a direct hit). And this effect is neutralized by just reseting the stun gun and firing at the opponent. Besides being fairly original and requiring minimal FX, the stun guns represent the hopeful future Flash lives in, where civilization has evolved to a point beyond law enforcers needing lethal weapons. The Galaxy Bureau of Investigation's reliance on stun guns helps differentiate them from the outlaws.

[–] fistoffury 18 years ago

So do the stun guns have a kill setting like in Star Trek? Although its use would be reluctant, and only as a last resort, there are some situations in which the kill setting would be needed.

[–] Kevjess74 18 years ago

Since I still don't have most of the episodes, I can't say whether or not these stun guns have a kill setting. I doubt they do. In what I've seen of this show so far, the heroes go out of their way to not use lethal force.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] fistoffury 18 years ago

Well in Star Trek they also go out of their way to not use lethal force. They always keep the phasers set on stun unless they need a kill setting, for instance if theyre going up against something too powerful for the stun setting to stop, or if theyre fighting a robot or machine in which case the stun setting would be ineffective. And besides destroying a robot is different than killing a living thing. Some people who would never harm a living thing might blast a droid simply for being annoying. So what would Flash Gordon and friends do if they ever did go up against a robot? The stun guns wouldn't work so they would need a kill setting, or something that could destroy the robot, which would be different than killing a living thing.

[–] kkuch 18 years ago

Actually in the episode The Brain Machine, Flash Gordon shoots the Witch of Neptune's henchman and kills him. Right after that the witch freezes him so he can't move and brags about her "Brain Recorder" that she used to extract secret scientific information from Dr. Zarkov and the General guy and put it into a infinant storage bank (contining billions and billions of tiny brain electrons or something like that). While she's bragging he tries to move his arm enough so he can aim his gun and destroy the storage bank so the valuable information won't fall into the wrong hands. (You're wasting your strength earthman trying to move... wait, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?) Obviously this proves that his stun gun has a kill setting and a setting that can destroy things such as robots and computers. However (quite hilarious) in Return of the Androids an android (a guy in a radiation suit) attacks the head of the GBI and a general aims a huge ray rifle at it and the head of the GBI says "No, don't bother, a mere ray rifle won't destroy an android." It's so funny how the series condradicts itself at times.

[–] OldTimerTwo 18 years ago

Contradictions - Heh. What was science like back in the 1950s? They used slide rules (or, the case of Rocky Jones, paper and pencil) to calculate "orbits" and charts their paths through the stars. Also, don't forget, if you lost power in space, your ship would forever fall (literally) for want of power. Computers were called calculators in some series (and movies) and science consistency? What was that? A brain recorder. Yup, and audio was actually recorded on wire recorders... Living in the 21st Century, a lot of people really don't know what the technology was like in the 1950s, but it was not only primitive (by comparison), but different in many ways.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Coolshows101 12 years ago

What?!!!!! He doesn't die! Nobody dies! Sorry for yelling. Flash Unfreezes him in a later episode. The general guy is Commander Paul Richards.

"(a guy in a radiation suit) attacks the head of the GBI and a general aims a huge ray rifle at it and the head of the GBI says "No, don't bother, a mere ray rifle won't destroy an android.""

He's not the head of the GBI. He is Commander Paul Richads.

This is how it goes.
An assistant says: "They'll break in in a few minuets Commander." Richards gets ready to use the Ray Gun (Of which I have no idea what it does.) on the android. Assistant says: "That's no use sir. Ray Guns won't stop them."

All the episodes we have to day except for one are in this play list I created.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL25D0D40C9E13E8F0&feature=view_all

I am a SUPER FAN of Flash Gordon 1954!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you have any questions about Flash Gordon I will try to answer them.

[–] Coolshows101 13 years ago

Your wrong. In the episode "Return of the Androids" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdjSwp0mw4U Flash shoots the Android power source and destroyed it.