The Winged Baboons are supporting antagonists in the 2013 film Oz the Great and Powerful. As opposed to the infamous flying monkeys from the original novel, these creatures are baboons with bat wings instead of monkeys with feathery wings. Because one flying monkey is good (Finley), the baboons serve as a contrast and work for the Wicked Witch of the East as the bulk of her army.
Appearances[]
Oz the Great and Powerful[]
At the beginning of the film, a winged baboon was apparently sent by the Witch of the East to find Theodora the Good and kill her. After she runs into Oscar Diggs, the baboon catches onto her trail and pursues them both. However, Oscar manages to distract it with a dove, which it chases after. Some were also responsible for tangling Finley, a flying monkey, in vines and left him to die until Oscar rescued him.
When Oscar Diggs decides to join Glinda the Good Witch of the South to stop the Witch, Evanora (who is the real Witch of the East) sends out the baboons and her winkie soldiers from Emerald City to stop them. To escape, Glinda creates a glittery mist that sends the baboons in confusion. But the baboons eventually escape and corner the group on a cliff. The group is forced to jump, so the baboons leave believing them to be finished (unaware that the group flew away to safety via Glinda's bubbles as they left).
Retreating back to Emerald City, they join in the gathering of Evanora's army and the Wicked Witch of the West, the latter declaring they will give no mercy to their enemies. The baboons cheer upon hearing this. When Glinda appears at the dawn of the battle, she summons her mist as the resistance appears to be attacking. Evanora summons the baboons from the towers of Emerald City to take them down. They attack the soldiers savagely, tearing them to bits. However, the baboon general notices that the "soldiers" are made of straw and show this to Evanora. Realizing the soldiers are a trick, Evanora is shocked and sees that the baboons have been lured into the Poppy Fields, causing many of the baboons to fall asleep. Though many try to resist it, they are unsuccessful. Some, however, remain awake long enough to help Evanora capture Glinda and take her back to Emerald City.
More baboons later begin to wake up from the poppy's effects and two rescues the magic-drained Evanora in time from falling following her battle with Glinda. Swearing revenge against Glinda and Oscar, Evanora retreats with the remaining baboons from the Emerald City and flies away to the East.
The Muppets' Wizard of Oz[]
Rather than being actual flying monkeys like in the book, they are instead a group of "motorcycle enthusiasts", with Sal Minella being the only actual monkey in the group (later becoming the leader following the Wicked Witch of the West's defeat). Several actual flying monkeys resembling Sal do appear in a painting in the Witch's castle.
Once Upon a Time[]
The origins on the Flying Monkeys begin when Zelena visited The Wizard. When it is revealed he was a circus huckster who liked putting on a good show and wasn't as mighty and great as he claimed, Zelena made use of him by transforming him into her loyal pet flying monkey.
Flying Monkeys in Once Upon a Time.
The Wicked Witch of the West, Zelena, began to take residence in Regina's old palace. Once she received word from Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip that the old inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest had returned, she sent one of her flying monkeys to extract Regina's blood. The flying monkey ambushed the Queen and Snow White in the woods. It took her blood, but was warded off by one of the Merry Men's arrows.
The same flying monkey was sent to attack Regina once more and chased her while she is with the rest of the inhabitants. Mistakenly, the group believed the beast was after Robin Hood's son, Roland, or so it appeared, because the boy was standing near Regina. When the flying monkey swooped down, Regina shielded Roland and swiftly dispensed of the creature by turning it into a stuffed toy, which she gifted to the boy.
Despite having obeyed Zelena's orders under duress, Aurora and Prince Phillip admit that the witch wants Snow White's unborn child, and they were forced to keep silent on the matter or risk their own child's life. Directly after, Zelena arrives to make good on her threats by turning the twosome into a pair of flying monkeys.
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