Princess Aura

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Princess Aura is a fictional character in the Flash Gordon comic strips and serials. She is the daughter of the series' villain, Ming the Merciless, and the lover of Prince Barin, the rightful heir to the throne of Mongo, and is banished with him to the forest world of Arboria.

In 1936, Princess Aura was played by Priscilla Lawson in the Flash Gordon movie serial.

In 1940, the role was played by Shirley Deane in the third Flash Gordon serial, Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe.

In Filmation's The New Adventures of Flash Gordon animated series (1979-1980), Princess Aura's voice was performed by Melendy Britt. She was portrayed as Ming the Merciless' ostensibly-villainous daughter, who at first aided her father versus Flash and company, but later on would turn against him and join the rebel forces of Mongo - no doubt in part due to her attraction to Flash Gordon. She also had an elite guard of female warriors under her command known as the Witch-Women. After Ming was removed from power, the Witch-Women remained in Princess Aura's service.

Princess Aura also initially resented Dale Arden and rejected Prince Barin's affections, but would do a complete turn-around and become the former's friend and the latter's love interest as the series progressed. Consequently, her attraction to Flash is downplayed and does not resurface after her desertion of her father.

In 1980, the role was played by Ornella Muti in the Flash Gordon motion picture produced by Dino De Laurentiis.

In the 1996 Flash Gordon animated series, Princess Aura is a stereotypical 1990s spoiled teen, who often defies her father due to her attraction to Flash, or for the sake of her mother, but seems not to realize his reign is actually tyrannical. This version has green skin, because Ming is reptilian.

In the 2007 Flash Gordon, Aura is played by Anna van Hooft. She is once again portrayed as a resentful teenager. In the first episode, she schemes to recover the "Imex" so that she can prove herself worthy to her distant father. In episode nine she says she wants to be more in the political arena. Her father tricks her by saying yes to this only to force her into a political marriage with Prince Barin. Aura seems to greatly resent this trickery and initially plots to poison Barin to escape. She then changes the plan and slips Flash a love potion to make Barin jealous and call off the arrangement. Unfortunately, the plan goes wrong and her father orders Barin and Flash to fight to the death for her with poisoned weapons (which would finish off one or both of them, as Ming hopes). Unwilling for anyone to die for her, Aura swaps the poison with sleeping potion. As a result, when Barin attempts to strike Ming with his weapon, the monarch is merely put to sleep for a short time. Upon awakening, he learns of Aura's interference and scolds her for being weak and unwilling to kill to become ruler of Mongo. In the series finale of the 2007 series, she assisted her twin brother Terek overthrow Ming and rule Mongo for themselves. At the end of the episode, Aura is convinced by her brother to execute their father.

[edit] Sexuality

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Aura is generally portrayed as a carnal and sensual personality, most famously displayed in her openly lustful attitude towards Flash.

Interestingly, The New Adventures of Flash Gordon she is a great huntress, she is generally seen pursuing her prey in the company of an exclusively female cadre. While this superficial resemblance to Artemis - a goddess whose mythology is the archetype of the Amazons is at best subtextual, Aura's initial conversation with Dale Arden includes a statement indicating that it is only her father's reserving the earth woman as his love slave that is preventing Aura from adding Dale to her own harem.

[edit] Trivia

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A look at Princess Aura's character model sheet for the Filmation series strongly indicates a close resemblance to Teela, who is one of the principal characters in the He-Man and the Masters of the Universe animated series. This is perhaps unsurprising, considering that He-Man was another Filmation production. Melendy Britt would later provide the voice for the title character in She-Ra: Princess of Power, Filmation's follow-up to the He-Man series.