Warning: Spoilers for Power Rangers Prime #5!
The deadliest team ofPower Rangershave just debuted their new weapons.Power Rangers Prime#4 officially introducedthe entire all-powerful teamline-up of this generation’s new Power Ranger team. Lauren Shiba acquired Red Ranger status in the previous issue, with her teammates accepting their powers in the next issue.
Power Rangers Prime#5 by Melissa Flores and Michael YG sees the Rangers put their new powers in action for the first time ina battle with the VR Troopers, debuting new weapons in the process. Except for the Blue Ranger, each member manifests their weapons, each with a mystic slant. Red and Yellow unlock daggers from their wrists, a staff with a snake’s head for the Black Ranger, and a mace for the Pink Ranger.
These are sharp, blunt objects that the90s Power Rangers wouldn’t have been allowed to hold.
Power Rangers Prime #5 by Melissa Flores, Michael YG, Fabi Marques, and Ed Dukeshire
The Power Rangers using actual blades and blunt objects as weapons is a massive departure from their depiction in 1993’sMighty Morphin Power Rangers. Due to censorship and parental advisories of the 90s, syndicated franchises likePower Rangersweren’t allowed to use sharp weapons, even if they were under their disposal. One famous example from the era comes from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. Concerns about the Turtles being too violent for kids banned them from cutting anyone in the sequel,a detail few fans noticed.
Censorship isn’t as constrictive today as it once was … [allowing] thePower Rangersfranchise the chance to depict its team as violent in ways that were not allowed on 90s television.
The same once applied to the Power Rangers franchise. Onscreen, the story, characters, and their weapons needed to adhere to FCC guidelines of the time. Censorship isn’t as constrictive today as it once was, particularly in the comic book space. This allows thePower Rangersfranchise the chance to depict its team as violent in ways that were not allowed on 90s television. In-universe, depicting the Prime Rangers as being capable of dealing serious damage with blunt objects hints at the dire consequences that come fromaligning with Rita Repulsa, who has imbued their powers with dark magic.
What Other Changes Has Power Rangers Prime Made From the 90s?
Most of the Power Rangers Prime’s Early Issues Showcase Elements That Wouldn’t Have Happened in the 90s
In addition to introducing more extreme methods of weaponry, these Power Rangers having an alliance with Rita Repulsa is one of the many things thatwouldn’t have happened inMighty Morphin.Power Rangers Primehas largely served as an attempt to put adark twist on classicPower Rangersat every turn. This includes burning down the Command Center,Bulk being Rita’s sidekick, and Zordon’s native species of Eltar taking over the planet. Using blunt force weapons is merely one example of thePower Rangersdiverting away from the status quo set by its 90s iteration.
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.
