Warning: Spoilers for Power Rangers Prime #4!Now may be the perfect time for thePower Rangersto find a new leader. Dating back to the start ofMighty Morphin Power Rangers,the teenagers with attitude were led by the guidance of an Eltarian wizard, Zordon. As a coach and mentor - and sometimes more when the opportunity presented itself -Zordon was just as heroicas his Rangers. However, that was the past, and for the future, it’s time for change.
The future of the franchise calls forRita Repulsa to lead the team, as first hinted inPower Rangers Prime#3 by Melissa Flores, Michael Yg, Fabi Marques, and Ed Dukeshire, and continued in the following issue. In #3, Rita first forms an unlikely alliance witha new team of Rangersby imbuing them with their powers.
ThePower Rangersfranchise has always framed Rita Repulsa as the Rangers' classic antagonist, but a new era of Rangerhood is intrinsically linked her to their lore and creation. Her new connection to Ranger lore primes her for a position to become their leader and, most importantly, finally reform.
Power Rangers Form an Alliance with Rita Repulsa in the Comics
By remodeling the history of thePower Rangers for an entirely new universe,Power RangersPrimeoffers readers a version ofRita Repulsa unlike ever seen before. Ina tweak to her origin story,Primereveals in its first issue that Rita Repulsa crashed down to Angel Grove from the moon in a capsule similar to the moon prison she rose from inMighty Morphin Power Rangers'“Day of the Dumpster” episode. In the new comic series, she’s much younger than she’s usually depicted, but not necessarily stronger, as her magic is"glitching"to the extent that hericonic monsters can turn on her.
At Last, Power Rangers Has a Powerful New Team on Deck
The latest iteration of the Power Rangers has finally started to develop its new team of Rangers, and it could be among the franchise’s most powerful.
As the villainous space witch gathers her strength and navigates unfamiliar territory, she recruits an even more unlikely ally -old-school Power Rangers sidekick Bulk- to become her unwilling minion. In search of power, Rita forces Bulk to take her to the Angel Grove Natural History Museum, which houses artifacts encompassing the powers of the Power Rangers. The would-be Rangers are there as well to help a fugitive Lauren Shiba -the Red Samurai Ranger- get her powers back. After a collision, the two parties agree to a temporary team-up to fend off the VR Troopers.
Where Is the Original Power Rangers Leader, Zordon?
The Rangers Don’t Need Him with Rita Repulsa Around
Despite the planet being overrun by an Eltarian government, this universe’s equivalent hasn’t appeared anywhere in sight nor in mention. Interestingly enough, though,Primedoes showcase the iconic Command Center where Zordon and Alpha 5 resided in the original iteration of the franchise. Before arriving at the museum, Rita and Bulk arrive at the Command Center so that she can take its power for herself. But Rita soon discovers that whateverpowerful temple that the Command Centerused to be has long gone, and in its place isa luxury retreat.
The creative team has no qualms about dismantling everything fans know about Power Rangers in favor of producing something entirely new.
To express her displeasure, Rita burns the newly rebranded Command Your Center Luxury Retreat to the ground. Had her magic not been so glitchy, she would have successfully killed those inside. The last recognizable remnant of Zordon is destroyed, suggesting that the creative team has no qualms about dismantling everything fans know about Power Rangers in favor of producing something entirely new. Furthermore, whileZordon’s connection to the Morphin Gridproved essential to giving the Rangers their powers,Rita Repulsa was born connected to the Grid, further proving that neither Zordon nor his tools are needed anymore.
Rita Repulsa Doesn’t Need to Be a Power Rangers Villain Anymore
The Eltarians and the VR Troopers Are Power Rangers Prime’s Primary Antagonists
If the Power Rangers do not need Zordon to gain their powers, it follows that they no longer need Rita Repulsa as a foe. Thus far, thePrimeseries’main antagonists have been the Eltarians, who colonized the planet to save it from the Beast Brigade. In doing so,Zordon’s species has colonized Earth, forming a dictatorship under an unforgiving rule and espousing a revisionist history to distract the planet’s citizens from their ulterior motives. The full extent of their fascist government is enforced throughtheir police force, the VR Troopers, who show their true colors inPower Rangers Prime#4.
One of the VR Troopers is Ryan Steele, boyfriend of Yellow Ranger Prime’s Valentina. After Valentina tells Ryan that her friend, Jun, is housing the fugitive Shiba, Ryan promises the Yellow Ranger that he’ll talk things through before doing anything rash. It turns out he lied, as he immediately starts firing upon Shiba and Rita on sight with intent to kill (or at the very least capture). The VR Troopers are an extension of the Eltarians' pure villainy.Primealready has two antagonistsin that sense, so Rita doesn’t need to be a tertiary villain on the Rangers' enemies list.
Is Rita Repulsa Even a Villain in This Power Rangers Universe?
She’s Not Quite a Hero, But She’s Far from a Villain
Rita Repulsa’s alignment inPower Rangers Primeis complicated to say the least. As someone who has attempted to kill people in the first four issues of the series, carved a path of destruction wherever she went, and has ongoing intentions of world domination, Rita is far from a hero. However,she’s not exactly a villain either. Again, by comparison, the people of Eltar and the VR Troopers are far more egregious in their villainy compared to what Rita has done, which says a lot. By the same sword, Rita Repulsa has some, albeit minor, positive qualities to her character.
Power Rangers Is Ready to Reject the Original Show’s Top Theme and Turn the Rangers Loose
The Power Rangers have always represented agents of order in the classic television series, but now, they’re rejecting that to become agents of chaos.
Admittedly, Rita is adamant aboutthe importance of choice. Before taking on Bulk as her loyal subject, she gives Bulk a choice as a prize for saving her life. Similarly, when outnumbered by the VR Troopers, Rita and Shiba need her new friends' help, but Rita makes a point to say that she will not force the powers of the Power Rangers onto them.“What makes a Ranger powerful … is their power of choice,“she announces. A true villain wouldn’t give her opponents or even her allies a choice in any matter. The Rita Repulsa of the ’90s certainly wouldn’t.
Will Rita Repulsa Finally Receive Redemption as a Power Rangers Leader?
Rita Repulsa’s Redemption Arc Has Been Several Years in the Making
Rita Repulsa may be putting her villain days behind her, but she still has a long way to go before becoming a full-blown hero. The franchise has a precedent forpreparing to redeem Rita Repulsa. Back inPower Rangers in Space,when the entirety of evil in the universe was nullified by Zordon’s Z-Wave,the franchise’s greatest weapon, Rita became a genuine force of good. As a result, she resurfaced in Power Ranger Mystic Force almost a decade later as the Mystic Mother,proving that her redemption had remained permanent.
Rita is likely to continue working closely with the Rangers moving forward…
In addition, the previous BOOM! Rangerverse canon saw the originalMighty Morphinversion of Rita have a change of heart as she teamed with the Rangersto battle Dark Specter.Primecould see Rita Repulsahave a similar change of heart. Rita is likely to continue working closely with the Rangers moving forward, since her magic is powering their powers, and just as they learn how to hone their powers from her, she could learn morality from them. Time will tell asPower RangersPrimecontinues, but it’s likely that the former villain will finally become a true hero.
Power Rangers
Power Rangersis a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV seriesMighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the JapaneseSuper Sentaiseries,Power Rangersbecame a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage fromSuper Sentaiwith new scenes featuring American actors. The franchise follows teams of young heroes who transform into Power Rangers to battle various villains, using martial arts, special powers, and giant mechas called Zords. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded into multiple TV series, films, comics, video games, and merchandise, becoming one of the most successful children’s franchises in the world.
