Dale Gordon

Art by Plustina

GOLDEN

Race: Human

Skills: Piloting, mechanics, computer science, combat

Family: Gordons

Dale Gordon (née Arden) is a famed space explorer and skilled warrior from Earth.

History In The Making

Dale is a bold and good-natured woman who began dating Flash Gordon, the big man on campus, during her college years. One evening, the pair were abducted by scientist and explorer Hans Zarkov, who claimed to need their help in defending Earth from Emperor Ming of the newly discovered planet Mongo. 

Upon reaching Mongo, Dale confirmed that Ming was, indeed, planning an invasion. She sabotaged his plot with the help of Flash and Hans, then foiled additional schemes while flying between Mongo and Earth for a number of years. Amid their journeys, she and Flash married, became parents, and gained a significant amount of fame, using their skills to lead units in battle.

Defenders of the Earth

At the beginning of the TV series, Flash scrambles to rescue Dale and their teenage son Rick, who have been captured by Ming. Dale dies while resisting torture, refusing to help Ming find Flash, and her knowledge is transferred into a mystical crystal which Rick uses to power a super computer.

This Is Their Story

The tale This Is Their Story introduces Dale and Flash's daughter April, a brave, knowledgeable teen who is impacted greatly by the loss of her mother. While Flash and Rick join a small but powerful unit called the Defenders of the Earth, April trains at a combat academy in space, and reunites with her father and brother on Earth upon graduating.

This Is Their Story also introduces Sheila DeWindt, a compassionate woman from Mongo who becomes Flash's second wife eventually.

Defenders of the Earth: 1938

Dale has a prominent role in Defenders of the Earth: 1938, which follows her exploits with Flash and others during the titular time period. She is characterized largely as a courageous and spunky adventurer.

Dynasties

Dale returns to life in the tale Dynasties, during which she is presented as a woman of several resources, which she uses to set a plan of vengeance in motion. It is revealed that, amid her adventures, she spent years gathering information on other notable families and figures, particularly the royals of Mongo, the royals of the Netherworld, the Walker family, the Graf family, and additional people, including Lothar and LJ.

Throughout the narrative, Dale displays a willingness to cross lines and to take extreme measures while pursuing her goals, which go beyond getting revenge on Ming. Ultimately, she realizes that she must choose love over hate in order to preserve what matters most to her.

This Is Their Side Story

In This Is Their Side Story, a revived Dale is revealed to have another daughter named Veena — a mystically empowered young woman who was led astray after being abducted by her father. Upon reuniting with the girl, Dale strives to keep Veena on the right path, and engages in new adventures as a Defender. She also reestablishs her bonds with Rick and April, and rekindles a friendship with Flash, who is involved romantically with Sheila. She later meets a teen named Duffy, the daughter of an alternate dimension's Dale.

Defenders Chronicles: Highlander

In Defenders Chronicles: Highlander, Dale is revealed to have played a major role in the upbringing of her niece Tori, whom she raised with Flash alongside April and Rick. She is presented as both a loving woman and a dedicated adventurer, who helped to sharpen many of Tori's combat skills while strengthening her character.

 Relationships

Dale with Duffy, Veena, and April. 

Art by Neldorwen.

Though she grew up as an only child, Dale Arden became surrounded by family upon coming of age. Like Jedda Walker, she has links to many people across planet Earth, planet Mongo, and even in an alternate dimension. 

Gordon Family

Dale's most famous relationship is with Flash, whom she met during her days in college. She is the biological mother of April Gordon, Rick Gordon, and Veena Dark. She is also the aunt and legal guardian of Tori Gordon, who was born to her sister-in-law Janet, and the aunt of Sara Gordon, the child of her other sister-in-law, Abigail. In some dimensions, Duffy Gordon is her only kid. During at least one tale, Duffy loses her mother and travels to a new dimension, where she bonds with, and is adopted unoffically by, another Dale.

Rick's daughter in Defenders Chronicles: Highlander, the Princess of the Netherworld, is named after her.

Walker Family

Along with the children whom she counts among her own — Veena, April, Rick, Tori, and Duffy — Dale harbors affection for Rachel Walker, the daughter of her friend Jade, who was the Phantom's first wife. When Jade was set to be incarcerated for a number of years, she asked Dale to monitor Rachel during her youth, ensuring that the girl was always with a decent foster family. 

Dale is also a longtime acquaintance of the Phantom's brother Kurt, whom she generally displays antipathy toward, but has collaborated with on occasion.

Royals of Mongo

In Dynasties, Dale is a friend of Ming's wife Zyna, whom she met during her first period of captivity on Mongo. Zyna ultimately aided in Dale's revival. She is also close to one of Zyna's daughters, Castra, and to Castra's husband, Prince Tevrok, both of whom fought alongside her in the Great Rebellion on Mongo.

Other Bonds

Dale is admired by many younger adventurers, including treasure hunter Atascadero, and, to some extent, Kristina Graf.

Skills

Like most members of the Gordon family, Dale is a talented pilot and a skilled combatant. In Dynasties, while entranced briefly, she holds her own in a fight with the younger, fitter, Rachel Walker. She is an exceptional mechanic, but is eventually surpassed in this discipline by two of her children, April and Rick. Famously, she helped the rebel forces make significant progress during the Great Rebellion on Mongo, and later proved to be a valuable addition to the DoE.

Related: Gordon Family