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Preface
Xi’s Log, The Spectrum II, Stardate 2021.4:
“Allegedly from the green and black muscular being now in our ship, Jason and Zack were captured by SPD and placed into cells alongside Dark Specter’s newest princess of evil, Astronema.
Even though evidence suggests this is the case, all we have to go on is this Ecliptor’s word which seems inconsistent. When describing Astronema, he changed the detail of her hairstyle and hair color 4 times. How is that even possible?”
The Cover
Taken straight from the Mighty Morphin #6 review:
“Gee, what am I gonna think is better? The generic cover of Power Rangers falling from the sky as we’ve seen already or the great cover of our Princess of Evil on Onyx ready to slice and dice you.”
Mighty Morphin – 2
Power Rangers – 4
The Story
After Ecliptor tells Trini, Drakkon, and Xi of Astronema’s origin and her current predicament with Jason and Zack, Ecliptor asks for their help in breaking everyone out at dawn. Trini is a bit hesitant to work alongside Ecliptor, thinking that Astronema will just come after them again. However, Ecliptor gives Trini his word that if they can break Astronema out, both he and Astronema won’t go after the Power Rangers ever again.
And so, at dawn, the prison break out begins. Ecliptor handles the SPD agents while Trini sneaks in and breaks the Rangers and Astronema out. As everyone begins to make their getaway, one of the SPD agents is about to get the jump on Jason. However, repaying a debt to Jason for saving her life, Astronema strikes him off their space train, presumably killing him. As everyone teleports to their respective spaceships, Drakkon threatens Fendrick from the last issue into handing over the fusion converter they need to leave Onyx.
On the Spectrum, as Trini laments on her decision leading to the SPD agent’s death, the hunt begins for the Empyreals…
Ending Thoughts
Action packed issue with some good moments here and there.
I mentioned in the last review how this setting could’ve embraced the western setting more, this issue takes full advantage of one classic trope: the train scene that is in practically every western movie. And because it’s Power Rangers, we get to put our own sci-fi spin on it with robotic drones and duplicating psychotic monsters fighting on top. It makes for one very unique action sequence.
With the only exception being Zack, every character gets a moment to shine. Without reading “Heir to Darkness” (even though y’all should), readers get a sense of who Astronema and Ecliptor are and it’s cool that both the artist and colorist from that story bring their talent again in the opening flashback. And you get more of a sense of who she is now that she went through the trials in Heir to Darkness. What I found the most revealing is during Jason’s confrontation with her where on instinct, she blasts the SPD soldier with part of his helmet damaged so she could see his eyes as he died. And for a brief panel, she looks horrified at what she did. A tiny spark of the good in her.
This issue also develops Trini’s character arc more with her reflecting on her decision to go along with Ecliptor’s plan. From the very start of the series, she knows that she has to do the right thing for everybody. But, with kidnapping Drakkon and all of that, a part of her has been struggling with whether this is all the right decision. It’s such a clear mirror with Astronema’s character who absolutely thinks she’s doing the right thing. At the end of the issue, she finds the balance between good and evil for her: acknowledging that there is always a choice. Something Drakkon never learned.
Power Rangers #6 is a great issue with a unique sci-fi twist on a western trope as we prepare to go back to searching for evil being even more powerful than our Princess of Evil (but with less fabulous hair): the Empyreals.
Random Thoughts from the Morphin’ Grid
- Wait, Karone’s from Inquiris?
- The thing about actor likenesses from PR. I’m sure the main MMPR actors are used to it by now, but a part of me wonders what the actors that played those kids think about all of this.
- So, the thing about showing the flashbacks of Astronema’s life is that we can clearly see the Quantrons as the “Rangers” attacking Karone’s family. And, all I’m thinking about is how they justified to Astronema that the exact same beings that murdered her family are being mass-produced as their army. None of this raised a red flag for her in the future?
- Ok, Darkonda and “noble” do not go in the same context.
- Ok, so wait. Did they put three people into one cell? Man, between this and all 6 Rangers sleeping in Drakkon’s old cell in Mighty Morphin #6, you gotta wonder. The good guys have gigantic spaces. Why don’t they have more than one place to stuff people in?
- Also, you guys are all in the same cell, Jason. Don’t you think Astronema would’ve known already that Zack told you about all of this?
- And one more thing. Why are Jason and Zack in prison uniforms and Astronema isn’t? For the matter, they’re only gonna be here one night. Why go through that effort? SPD, what are you doing? God, you’re so much better in 2025.
- We didn’t get to see it much but the robotic SPD driver looks similar to Xi with the exception of the head and some of the details. I wonder if there’s a connection.
- There’s one panel with Astronema’s hair being all white. It’s most likely a coloring mistake, but honestly, it lends credibility to the theory that her hair just changes all of the time.