Spoilers for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #116 ahead!
In the latest issue of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, a new villain takes advantage of the franchise’s ever-growing list of Rangers. Dark Specter uses the powers of former villain Rita Repulsa to mind-control Rangers from different universes, creating an army for himself.
This issue is part of the ongoing Darkest Hour arc and is written by Melissa Flores, with art by Adam Gorham, Marco Renna, Joana Lafuente, and Ed Dukeshire. The issue highlights the challenges that come with having a long list of Rangers, both from a creative perspective and within the Power Rangers universe.
With each new addition to the Rangers’ ranks, Vile gains more power to expand Dark Specter’s army, making the threat even more urgent and far-reaching. The once-contained battle between the Rangers and their enemies now spans across space and time, as Vile’s influence grows stronger with each passing moment. The fate of the entire universe rests on the shoulders of the Rangers, as they must band together and fight against this overwhelming force.
The expansion of the Power Rangers universe persists, whether it be for the better or worse
The BOOM! Studios comics have significantly increased the number of Rangers, including those exclusive to the comics and those from television. With Rangers from various eras, timelines, and universes, the franchise’s character roster has expanded to the scale of the Marvel Comics universe or the Marvel Cinematic Universe, providing numerous heroes to choose from. However, this can be both a blessing and a curse. Similar to the MCU, Power Rangers is reaching a point where there may be too many heroes to keep track of in one shared universe.
While having many heroes offers storytelling benefits, it also raises questions that may distract from the story being told. For instance, in the MCU, when Spider-Man confronts a global or multiversal threat, viewers may wonder why he doesn’t call on The Avengers for help. Similarly, readers may question why modern Rangers don’t seek assistance from Rangers from other eras more frequently. The solution presented in Darkest Hour is to turn many of them evil.
“In Darkest Hour, the increasing number of characters provides Dark Specter with more opportunities to expand his army. This shows that the Rangers creative team is aware of how the proliferation of Rangers can be viewed as a problem for some readers.”
The Dark Specter plot validates the creative self-awareness regarding the proliferation of Power Rangers
The Dark Specter’s plot in the Darkest Hour highlights the creative team’s self-awareness about the potential drawbacks of having a proliferation of Power Rangers. By introducing more characters, the Dark Specter gains more opportunities to expand his army and become more powerful. This acknowledges the fact that the more Rangers there are, the greater the risk of some turning evil. Even the most heroic characters can become a threat to the galaxy, which only adds to the Dark Specter’s strength. While the number of Power Rangers may be a contentious issue among fans, treating it as an in-universe Achilles Heel is a clever way to address it.