Biography[]
Captain Sudan is a character seen in the film serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940).
As Commander of the Palace Guards, Captain Sudan is one of Ming's highest-ranking and most trusted soldiers. That trust is ill-placed, for unbeknown to Ming, Sudan's main loyalty is to Prince Barin. As such, Sudan plays a vital role in Flash Gordon and Prince Barin's fight to topple Ming from power. Sudan is able to give Flash and his friends access to Ming's palace at crucial times. It is never explained how the friendship between Barin and Sudan was forged. Nor is it explained how Sonja, a spy in Barin's camp, remains unaware that Sudan is a traitor to Ming.
Despite the fact that Sudan sometimes questions his orders, is slow to carry out commands and would appear to be an obvious common link between the miraculous safe passage of his enemies into and out of his palace, Ming never seems to suspect Sudan's treachery. This proves to be a fatal oversight as ultimately it is Captain Sudan who locks Ming and his coterie in the palace tower so that they are trapped in there when Flash Gordon aims the Z-O rocket ship at it.
Captain Sudan was played by the actor William Royle.