Prince Vultan

Prince Vultan is the Prince of the bird-like Hawkmen in the "Flash Gordon" comic strip and its adaptions. Prince Vultan started his career as a half-villain with a lecherous side but soon reformed into one of Flash Gordon's greatest allies. His character fits the stereotype of the barrel-chested chieftain with more than a hint of the Pirate captain or the Viking reaver in it, endowed with a booming voice and a great appetite for life, food and women.

In the 1936 film serial, he was portrayed by John Lipson who, some believeFact|date=May 2008, was mimicking Charles Laughton's Henry VIII.

Alan Melvin provided Vultan's voice in the 1979 Filmation series. He is referred to here as King Vultan, not Prince. His Sky City is a marvel of Mongo technology, as the massive construct is suspended miles above ground by beams of polarized anti-gravity light. Unlike Prince Barin's kingdom of Arboria, Vultan's Hawk-Men do not make use of airships in battle. Instead they fly under their own power or ride giant warbirds armed with harness-mounted energy cannons.

He was portrayed by Brian Blessed in the cult 1980 film "Flash Gordon". Vultan is best remembered for the lines "Gordon's alive?!" and "Squadron 40! Diiiiiiiiiiiive!". For the film's soundtrack by the rock group Queen, Freddie Mercury composed a song called "Vultan's Theme".

In the 1996 "Flash Gordon" animated series, Vultan is a somewhat conservative leader, and reluctant to act against Ming for fear of reprisals against his people. His role as Flash's ally is taken by his teenage son, Prince Talon.

In the 2007 series, Vultan appears as the leaders of a group of nomadic mercenaries called Dactyls (a variation of the Hawkmen). In the episode, "Ascension", Vultan travels to Earth, using Princess Aura's rift key. He kidnaps a teenage boy who he claims is his son. He is played by Ty Olsson.