Villain(s)  Quetzalcoatl (Aztec feathered serpent)

Actor(s):  George Zucco, Ralph Lewis, Hope Kramer, Eddie Acuff

Brief Description  The Flying Serpent (1946) is an American Poverty Row fantasy-horror B-movie produced by PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation). It follows a deranged archaeologist who uses the ancient Aztec bird-god Quetzalcoatl to murder his enemies and guard hidden treasure. The film is an unofficial, reworked remake of PRC's 1940 horror hit The Devil Bat, written by the same screenwriter, John T. Neville, swapping out a giant bat for a feathered reptile.

Plot:
The story begins with an onscreen prologue explaining that the Aztec Emperor Montezuma hid a vast treasure north of San Juan, New Mexico, placing it under the protection of a mythical beast. In the modern day, the brilliant but demented archaeologist Dr. Andrew Forbes (played by George Zucco) discovers this temple ruin along with the legendary Quetzalcoatl, a living, breathing half-bird, half-reptile creature. Forbes keeps the beast locked away in an underground cage inside a secret cave to guard the gold.

Forbes learns that the monster is fiercely protective of its own plumage. Years prior, Forbes accidentally caused his own wife’s death by gifting her one of the beast's feathers. The creature tracked the feather down and slaughtered her. Forbes turns this tragedy into a weapon: he plucks feathers from the caged monster, plants them on people who threaten his operation, and releases the flying serpent. The monster tracks the scent of its missing feather, rips open the victim's throat, and drains their blood.

Forbes becomes enraged when an ornithologist, Dr. Lambert (James Metcalf), publishes an article about rumored local Aztec gold and shows interest in the ruins to Forbes' daughter, Mary (Hope Kramer). Fearing treasure hunters, Forbes lures Lambert to the site, plants a feather on him, and lets Quetzalcoatl loose to kill him. : A radio host and mystery author named Richard Thorpe (Ralph Lewis) launches a live investigative broadcast to look into Lambert's bizarre murder. As Thorpe, local authorities, and other curious parties edge closer to uncovering the secret cave, a paranoid Forbes is forced to systematically eliminate them. He sneaks feathers onto multiple victims, staging horrific aerial ambushes.

Forbes' web of lies collapses when he accidentally handles the feathers or drops one near himself during a chaotic confrontation. Quetzalcoatl turns on its master, brutally attacking Forbes in his own hideout. The mad archaeologist is killed by his own creation before the monster is finally destroyed, leaving the gold lost to time. Rather than an imposing god, the creature was heavily panned by critics for being a "tatty puppet" controlled via poorly concealed strings. Most of its flight sequences were filmed in the famous Bronson Canyon in Los Angeles.