Warning: Contains SPOILERS to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #15
When Tommy Oliver was finally freed from Rita Repulsa’s mind control, he chose to atone for his sins and join the group. Power Rangers
. However, in an alternate world, a different version of the Green Ranger chose to side with his Queen, following a much darker path. On his path to achievement, he crossed a critical line that would leave fans who watched the original show in the 90s horrified.
BOOM! Studios Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The comic book series is a massive eight-year saga that expands and transforms the stories of the original Power Rangers lineup. However, although the main continuity of the Angel Grove teens remained largely the same, in an alternate timeline,
Tommy Oliver’s transformation into Lord Drakkon
it meant despair for both timelines.
Leading the beginning of your world’s fall, Drakkon coldly killed the franchise’s most beloved sage, Zordon. With such a strangely violent turn for the franchise, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers the series made a horrible statement that shocked all fans of the original series.
Tommy Oliver’s betrayal can be felt in all realities
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (2016) #15 – Written by Kyle Higgins; Art by Daniel Bayliss; Letters from Ed Dukeshire
In the alternate reality known forever as
the world without coins
, a timeline where Tommy Oliver deposed almost every other RangerZordon continually maintains an unshakable faith that Tommy can still find a change of heart. In his rise to power, the newly dubbed Lord Drakkon understands that the quickest way to destabilize the Power Rangers is to destroy their leaders. Leading an all-out attack on the Power Rangers’ command base, Drakkon single-handedly defeats each ranger, cbaptizing his victory with the death of Jasonthe Red Ranger.
To fully cement his victory over the fallen resistance “No Coin,” Drakkon’s last major obstacle is the always so virtuous and overly confident father figure to the Rangers, Zordon. Even in his last moments, Zordon pleads with the Green and White Ranger, telling Drakkon that it is not too late to change his mind. Resolute on his path to empirical domination, Drakkon traverses
Zordon’s Temporal Containment Chamber
effectively killing the last of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers leaders. From that point on, Drakkon would enjoy the entirety of your world before changing his view of the Prime Rangers universe.
Drakkon’s cruelty would have horrified children in the 90s
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (2016) #1 – Written by Kyle Higgins; Art by Hendry Prasetya; Color by Matt Herms; Ed Dukeshire Lyrics
In the original 1990s
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
show, teamwork, friendship and forgiveness were fundamental principles of the program’s message for younger audiences. Tommy was never supposed to be evil, just another troubled teenager who was led astray by an evil force. Tommy was a victim who chose to overcome the pain he suffered rather than use it as a weapon against innocent people. Tommy cruelly massacring Zordon would have sent terrible chills down the backs of the young audience who admired heroes. This comic’s dark event hurts even more considering what happened to Zordon afterwards.
The existential horror of feeling your spirit being torn apart by time is an unfathomable experience that not even adults can comprehend.
No longer tied to a single point within the time stream and without a body to house it Zordon is doomed escape momentarily through the time tunnel before disappearing into nothingness. Death is already a complicated abstract idea that
the Power Rangers
The shows’ younger audiences would have a hard time understanding, but the existential horror of feeling your spirit being torn apart by time is an unfathomable experience that not even adults can understand. However, despite his permanent death, Coinless Zordon, like his Prime counterpart, possess one last vestigial tie that could have been called.
Zordon’s suffering lasts longer than his life
Your body is your own weapon
After having your soul and body separatedZordon’s physical body remained behind and
fell under the control of Rita Repulsa
next to the Dragon Coin. Although she made little use of him at first, she eventually sensed enough of Zordon’s spiritual remains in the lifeless shell to bring him to life. Known simply as Vessel, the being served Rita until he was prepared for the Dark Spectre’s possession. So not only was Coinless Zordon spiritually murdered by Lord Drakkon, but your physical container was more likely corrupted and turned into Drakkon’s pawn.
Again, these acts would never have been found in
the powerful original Morphin
. The genuinely abject horror of seeing a beloved mentor die as the forces of evil parade around his body could only be done successfully, as it is done in the comics. Power Rangers is and always has been a means of hope and perseverance, so it was a terribly shocking introduction to see what violent cruelty Lord Drakkon was capable of. Fortunately every 90 years Power Rangers fan, however, his Zordon lives in peace and Tommy Oliver never became a multiverse-destroying cosmic warlord.