Morphin’ Madness – Power Playback

Power Rangers Zeo - Episode 27 - "The Power of Gold" (09/17/1996)
Desperate to defeat the Power Rangers Zeo, King Mondo of the Evil Machine Empire plans to divide and conquer our heroes! While one group is fighting Cogs, the other are fighting his new creation - Wolfbane, a powerful wolf-like machine that easily throws the Rangers around. Just when evil is about to triumph, some unknown power source enters our galaxy, disrupting King Mondo's control over his forces, causing them to retreat.

The Power Rangers gather at the Power Chamber where Billy, the former Blue Ranger, announces that the energy from the mysterious pyramid that entered our galaxy is an exact match of the power from the Zeo Crystal. That means whoever is on that pyramid has the same power as the Power Rangers Zeo.

Determined to locate this new power source, the Rangers split up again, and King Mondo launches his attack. As Tommy and Adam begin to pick up a signal, Billy disappears and the Rangers are called to battle. Wolfbane easily pushes the five Zeo Rangers around, and just as he's about to go in for the kill, a gold and black streak knocks over all of King Mondo's forces. The Rangers look up on the cliff-side to see...

THE GOLD RANGER.

Following this episode, Fox Kids held a number of promo's asking who the identity of the Gold Ranger really was. Over the course of a handful of episodes, the producers had you guessing it was everyone from Tommy's brother to Skull to the obvious choice, Billy. In what can only be described as the biggest letdown, the true identity was revealed to be Trey of Triforia. He had to pass his powers on to someone else after a fierce battle that left his mind divided, and Billy was selected - but was unable to absorb the power.

It was then that Jason, the original Mighty Morphin Red Ranger, returned and became the Gold Ranger and second-in-command of the team, even leading in Tommy's absence. The power would eventually bond to Jason's life force and then attempt to leave his body, causing him to have to give the powers back to Trey of Triforia. With the original Gold Ranger back, the Power Rangers Zeo easily defeated King Mondo, and Trey of Triforia returned home. He would be seen once again during Power Rangers In Space fighting a horde of monsters led by Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa.

Power Rangers Mystic Force - Episode 1 - "Broken Spell" (2/20/2006)

In the past a peaceful dimension of magic and wonder existed. One besieged by the armies of the undead Morlocks, but this world fought back. And it's warriors kept the hordes from invading the human world, Earth. A brave red warrior and his allies sealed these armies underground, hopefully to never return. But at a great cost, their lives.

In the modern day a young man makes his way to the city of Briarwood. Where inevitably the paths of 5 young individuals will cross. Vida, Chip, Xander, & Madison, are working their average jobs at a record store when a massive earthquake rocks the city. The darkness has returned, the Xenotome has opened, and the Knight Wolf Koragg has returned along with Necrolai and her master Morticon as well.

An old man leads our 4 teens and their new friend Nick into the mystic woods beyond Briarwood, woods which are locally known for their magical properties. But a mysterious stranger appears, a woman wielding a white wand. After taking the kids to her base Root Core, the sorceress Udonna reveals herself! The Forest is a part of the parallel realm between Earth and the Underworld. A crack in the gates to the underworld has opened, and Udonna knows that these 5 new teenagers with attitude will become the Power Rangers Mystic Force!

But before Udonna can reveal their abilities to the rangers, she's whisked away to the scene of a destroyed village. There a Morlock monster is rampaging. The rangers have left their wands behind though, they do no want the magic given to them. And so their mentor, the wise Udonna will use her own! Calling out Magical Source, Mystic Force the

White Mystic Ranger is born!

This powerful sorceress fends off the invading Morlock while her young apprentices do battle with the Hidiacs, minus their magic! However the Dark Knight Koragg appears and attacks! Leaving us with a cliffhanger until the next episode...

Udonna would go on to mentor the rangers without the use of her powers for a majority of the season. But as a seasoned veteran of the past magical wars she knew her stuff. She had lost both her husband Leanbow and son Bowen in the battles. Only to find out years later that not only did her son survive in the human world, but that he was in fact the Red Mystic Ranger! And the even larger bombshell would come when it was discovered that the mighty Leanbow did not fall in battle, he instead was twisted by The Master into the dark knight Koragg!

Udonna would eventually save her husband, regain her powers, realize the truth about her son, and help defeat The Master & Sculpin! The Mystic Force Rangers would save the world just as their predecessors once did. Their legend complete, Udonna would join her son and husband on a final journey. The one to see Nick's/Bowen's adoptive parents. And thus that was the last time we saw Udonna. The following years show Operation Overdrive did not feature a normal crossover with Mystic Force, instead opting for the "Once A Ranger" 15th anniversary special. Likewise Mystic Force never had a proper crossover with SPD during it's run either. Maybe one day she'll return.

On a sadder note Peta Rutter, who played Udonna passed away in July 2010 from complications involving a brain tumor. Joining the company of another fallen ranger, Thuy Trang, she will indeed be missed.

Power Rangers Turbo - Episode 22 - "Phantom Phenomenon" (9/17/1997)

A msyterious ship lands on Earth. And it just so happens to be near Justin's soccer match, where one of his friends discovers the ship. Meanwhile Divatox plots more petty thievery at the Angel Grove Bank! Of course she'll be taking advantage of the ever vigilant Bulk & Skull being on patrol that day. Though the theft is a success, Elgar and his goons are beaten before they can make off with the cash. An inivisible power seems to stop them. And Cassie takes notice of this phantom.

Attempting to rob a gold mine, Elzar appears again. And once again the phantom foils his plans. And again Cassie stumbles across the only clue, the phantom is keeping himself hidden. Justin returns to the mysterious ships landing zone hoping it holds a clue to the phantom. And he's right, as Divatox's forces attempt to destroy his ship! But the Phantom intervenes just in time. Breaking from his invisibility powers for the first time,

The Phantom Ranger is finally revealed!

Seemingly sacrificing his ship to targeted missles, Phantom Ranger rescues Justin's friend. Tricking Divatox's forces into retreating under the pretense of a completed mission. Secretly he tricked them with an illusion and his ship survived. The silent and mysterious Phantom Ranger then vanished to the stars once again.

The Phantom Ranger would go on to return to Earth several times and aide the Turbo Rangers. Providing them with such weapons as the Rescue Zords and Artilitron, Phantom Ranger was an indespensable ally to the Turbo Rangers. Shortly after Zordon returned to his homeworld of Eltar, he was captured by Dark Specter, and the Phantom Ranger began a search across the stars for him. When the Turbo Rangers finally left Earth, after losing their powers to Divatox, they became the Space Rangers. And once again Phantom provided his support. Not only did he crusade across the galaxy fighting the forces of the Alliance of Evil at every turn, all while continuing to come closer to finding Zordon, he also provided the rangers with the information necessary to obtain the Delta Megazord and Mega Voyager!

After many battles and countless time on the run, the Phantom Ranger was last seen battling alongside his and the Turbo Rangers old ally, Blue Senturion! While the Gold Ranger and Alien Rangers battled portions of the Alliance, it was up to Phantom & Senturion to carry on the fight against the remaining Machine Empire on Phantom's homeworld. After the wave of good energy resulting from Zordon's destruction passed their sector of space all evil was destroyed and the two survived the battle. However this was the last time the Phantom ranger was ever seen or heard from.

There was a planned third part of the Power Rangers In Space finale that would have finally revealed the characters identity after two years of speculation and theory. Sadly budget constraints forced the key scene, though parts of it were shot, to be cut entirely. This footage has never been seen. And although we may never have confirmation of the Phantom's identity, Co-Producer of PRIS Judd Lynn has expressed his original intent for the character to be none other than Billy Cranston, the original Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger. Likley this is the closest to the truth we will ever have. Production theories abound that at one time the Phantom was also meant to be Zordon's son and even Justin's fatehr. But regardless we will likely never know.

Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue - Episode 11 - "From Deep In The Shadows" (4/22/2000)

Titanium Power. Two words that would eventually help usher in the defeat of Queen Bansheera's demon hordes. But first, it was a dangerous power created by Lightspeed Rescue in the hopes of changing the game of this conflict. The original intended user was Carter Crayson, the Red Ranger. But the power was simply too great for his body to handle. After a painful test, Ms Fairweather and Captain Mitchell agree the powers were too dangerous for anyone to wield and the Titanium Morpher was locked away....

As Captain Mitchell ponders these powers, his daughter Dana reminds him of the loss of his son, her brother, Ryan Mitchell. He'd have been 20 on that very day, but a tragic car accident took his life. Simultaneously a dark intruder infiltrates Lightspeed headquarters. And the Titanium Morpher is stolen! Meanwhile Vypra begins an attack on the city, though she seems more sure of herself than normal. That's because she has a new secret ally;

the Titanium Ranger!

Making his debut at the sides of Diabolico and Vypra the Titanium Ranger was more than a match for all 5 Lightspeed Rangers. Titanium Laser in hand he laid waste to the team, forcing the rangers to retreat. As the rangers ponder the morpher theft, and the identity of the Titanium Ranger he begins to wreak havoc on Mariner Bay. Just in time to fight back the Lightspeed Rangers receive a powerful new weapon, the V-Lancers! Using thes mighty new weapons the rangers have Titanium on the ropes! After flooring the evil ranger, he rises from the rubble and turns to reveal his face, one immeditately familiar to Captain Mitchell. That of his long dead son, Ryan Mitchell.

Ryan would go on to be an evil ranger for a time as we discovered more about his dark past. We would find out that rather than dying in that car accident, Diabolico made a dark deal with Captain Mitchell. Ryan would live, but be raised by Demons. Once reconciled with his father, Diabolico cursed Ryan with an evil Cobra tattoo that would continue to inch closer to his neck each time he morphed. Eventually he would have died from using his powers, but before that happened he broke the curse of the cobra. After helping the rangers ultimately defeat Diabolico, Bansheera, and the Demon armies, Ryan would reappear to help the Lightspeed and Time Force Rangers in the team-up episode "Time For Lightspeed." This would be his final appearance for nearly 13 years. We know now that the Titanium Ranger will reappear, in suit only, in the finale of the Power Rangers Super Megaforce later this year!

Power Rangers In Space - Episode 1 - "From Out Of Nowhere Part 1" (2/6/1998)

The Turbo Rangers are defeated, their powers gone, the zords destroyed, the Power Chamber decimated. With no options left TJ, Cassie, Ashley, & Carlos hijack an experimental Nasada spacecraft and head to outer space in search of Zordon.

Divatox, Rita, Lord Zed, and a host of other old enemies of the Power Rangers are having a special gathering in space, a meeting with Dark Specter. And Astronema, the ascendant new Queen of Evil. Dark Specter has captured Zordon and is slowly killing him. But unbeknowst to the Alliance of Evil, a cloaked figure has infiltrated this gathering, one who does not belong. A hero from another world, he is Andros

the Red Space Ranger!

All power rangers were thought to be destroyed by Divatox and her minions, but it would appear that Zordon's legacy continues to live on even in his absence across the stars! After escaping this gathering of evil, and fending off an attack wing of Velocitrons & Quadro Fighters, Andros has an accidental encounter with the 4 former Turbo Rangers on his Astro Megaship. Unsure of these trespassers intially they fight one another, but an encounter with Astronemas' ship forces them to land before they can resolve their differences. Andros has no choice but to enlist the help of Earths rangers, as his new allies. And off they rush into battle with this strange new ranger on a new world!

Andros would reveal his civillian form in the following episode as well as bring the Turbo Rangers into the fold, forming the complete team of Space Rangers (Power Rangers In Space). Andros would go on to lead the team through a year long war against the alliance of evil, teaming up with the other heroes of Earth's past on occasion like the Blue Turbo Ranger, The Phantom ranger, or the Mighty Morphin Black Ranger! Andros would also be the first ever Red Ranger to receive a power up which did not exist in the sentai source footage his show was adapted from. He wielded the very first Battlizer!

This alien hero would go on to find his long lost sister and save her from evil, destroy the Alliance of Evil with his allies, and be forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. Andros has the unique and unfortunate honor of being the ranger who ended Zordon's long life. At his mentors request, he destroyed Zordon so that all evil would be erased from the universe. A truer hero there has never been. Andros would reappear to aid the Lost Galaxy Rangers in their battle against the renewed Psycho Rangers in the crossover "To The Tenth Power". He would also reappear one more time in the Power Rangers Wild Force Special episode "Forever Red" to aid the other 9 Red Rangers in their battle against General Venjix and the remnants of the Machine Empire!