Mandrake

Art by Plustina

Mandrake the Magician is one of the principal characters of Defenders of the Earth, developed further in DoE fan fiction. He is a powerful magic user whose abilities have brought him fame and fortune, and also make him a valuable member of the DoE in their battle against Ming. Mandrake is the adoptive father of Kshin. In the fanfic This Is Their Story, he is revealed to be the biological father of a girl named Amy, who possesses great abilities of her own, as do magicians such as Zorelda and Veena Dark. He is a longtime acquaintance of fellow adventurer Lothar, and of successful explorer Atascadero.

Mandrake is generally presented as level-headed and charming. Many writers of fan fiction maintain these qualities while also exploring his past and his love life. Works such as The Wannabe Artist and This Is Their Side Story have examined his bonds with his children. The latter tale introduces the Mandrake of Earth A, a planet which features characters who are almost identical to those from the unaired television pilot for Defenders of the Earth.

Like his counterparts in other dimensions, the Earth A Mandrake is a famed, powerful magic user, and the guardian of a boy named Kshin. He is also an old friend and a combat acquaintance of the adventurer Lothar. After years of exploits together, the two formed a small but capable unit called the Defenders, dedicated to protecting the world from the invading tyrant Ming. Among their teammates are Flash Gordon and the Phantom, both of whom, like Mandrake and Lothar, are fathers of other Defenders.