The Dehumanizer is a hypnotic ray machine that can turn people into obedient zombies. Ming the Merciless uses his Dehumanizer in Chapter 102: The Tunnel of Terror of the 1936 Flash Gordon serial to force Dale Arden to marry him. As Ming explains to Dr. Hans Zarkov, "Science will overcome all things... even the human emotions." The duration of the ray's hypnotic spell can be adjusted; it's dangerous if the spell lasts for too long. Despite the danger, the Dehumanizer doesn't need a trained operator; the High Priest uses the machine to hypnotize Dale.