Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Power Rangers Prime #1!Rita Repulsa’s introduction in the originalPower Rangersseries is absolutely legendary, as that was the catalyst for the entire series as a whole. Rita had been imprisoned in a space dumpster on the moon for ten thousand years before a couple of human astronauts accidentally released her. That’s whyZordon gathered the Power Rangers, and the rest is history. But now, inPower Rangers’ new continuity, Rita’s origin story features a big retcon - though it does perfectly honor the original.
InPower Rangers Prime#1 by Melissa Flores and Michael YG, readers are thrown into analternatePower Rangersuniverse, one where the Eldarians aren’t benevolent galactic peacekeepers (like Zordon), but rather are planetary conquerors. The Eldarians came to Earth under the guise of assisting the humans with another alien invasion (the Beast Brigade), only to turn around and take over the world themselves - killing the Power Rangers in the process. The Eldarians are the greatest threat the Power Rangers have ever faced, but now, an all-new threat has emerged: Rita Repulsa.
BOOM! Studios confirms this character is, indeed, Rita Repulsa (despite her dramatic design change) in the solicitation forPower Rangers Prime#3.
In the final pages of this issue ofPower Rangers Prime, residents of Angel Grovenotice a massive explosion on the moon’s surface, with some momentarily believing the moon had just exploded. However, it turns out it was just a human-sized capsule that launched from the moon, and shot down towards Earth. When it finally reached Earth’s surface, the capsule crashed into a dumpster before Rita Repulsa emerged from the garbage, proclaiming the familiar line, “I’m free!”.
Power Rangers Prime Honors the Campiness of the Original While Maintaining a Serious Tone
Rita Repulsa Being Imprisoned in a Space Dumpster is Silly, butPRPDoesn’t Ignore It
Rita Repulsa isn’t imprisoned in a space dumpster in thePower Rangers Primereality, as that detail is a bit too silly for the more serious tone this new continuity is establishing. However, that doesn’t mean Power Rangers Prime is going to forget how this legacy character got her start, nor will it turn its proverbial nose up at one of the most significant moments in Power Rangers history. And so, what fans are left with is this modern interpretation of that classic origin story, one that gives a nod to the original while still doing its own thing.
Rita Repulsa Might Be the Power Rangers’ Only Hope in Defeating the Eldarians
Rita is Famously aPower RangersVillain, but She Might Find Redemption
Rita Repulsa is famously the first villain the Power Rangers ever had to face, and she’s maintained her standing as apillar of evil and villainy throughoutPower Rangerslore. However, inPower Rangers Prime, the real villains are the Eldarians, and they were famously heroic in Power Rangers canon. Could this mean that the new generation of Power Rangers will be teaming up with Rita Repulsa? Could she fill the vacancy left by Zordon as the Power Rangers’ leader? Right now, anything is possible, including Rita Repulsa’s ultimate redemption.
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.
While it’s too early to tell if Rita Repulsa will find redemption in thePower Rangers Primeuniverse, it’s clear that that would be an exciting change from the original continuity. However, what’s more striking about her new origin story isn’t how it might be different from the original, but the subtle way it’s the same, asPower Rangersintroduces the newRita Repulsawith a perfect nod to her legendary (albeit a bit silly) first appearance.
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.
