Where the original Power Rangers were during the show’s most important battle is a question that Green Ranger Tommy later ing the crew. While the Mighty Morphin team would go through a few changes, Power Rangers followed pretty much the same set of heroes from MMPR season 3 to the first half of Turbo. It was only after Tommy and the others left that Power Rangers first moved into an all-new team with no MMPR or Zeo characters.
The new Turbo Rangers quickly earned their place in the franchise and later led the show into a new era with 1998’s Power Rangers in Space. Now ed by Red Ranger Andros, the Power Rangers had to face not only Astronema but an intergalactic alliance of villains. By the end of the season, the fate of the universe came down to whether the Power Rangers, who were away from their ship and mentor, would be able to stop the Alliance of Evil from conquering the universe. The only thing missing from this epic finale were the Mighty Morphin characters.
Where Were The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers During "Countdown To Destruction?”
Jason, Tommy, And The Others Would’ve Tried To Help
“Countdown to the Destruction” was the ultimate finale of the Zordon Era and brought Power Rangers full circle with a two-part special in which the fate of the entire universe was at stake. Not only had Zordon been captured by Dark Specter, but the Alliance of Evil was launching its attack against multiple planets at the same time. Several villains from previous seasons appeared – including Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd – and we got glimpses of freedom fighters and rebels fighting Dark Specter’s forces all across the universe. However, the original Power Rangers were nowhere to be seen.
Power Rangers in Space is widely regarded as one of the best seasons of the show, if not the best.
Naturally, the cast of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was no longer on the show, with the remaining original actors having left the series midway through Turbo. This is why “Countdown to Destruction” never shows what characters like Tommy Oliver or Jason Lee Scott were doing during Astronema’s invasion. That said, given how crossovers and cameos were always common in Power Rangers, the fact that there wasn’t a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger in “Countdown to Destruction” is disappointing. This was supposed to be the conclusion of the story that began in 1993 and even ended with Zordon’s death.
Adam was the only Mighty Morphin/Zeo Ranger to appear unmorphed in Power Rangers in Space.
From an in-universe perspective, the fact that we still don’t know what the original Power Rangers were doing during “Countdown to Destruction” is also disappointing. Even though Power Rangers never focused too much on lore consistency, the show does have a very interconnected timeline, with most of the seasons taking place in the same continuity. Characters like Jason, Kimberly, Zack, Billy, Trini, and Tommy would have certainly tried to help during an intergalactic invasion that could have destroyed Earth, even if they no longer had morphers. The same applies to second and third-generation characters like Adam and Kat.
The Original Rangers Appearing In Countdown To Destruction Would’ve Made It Even Better
Their Connection To Zordon Would’ve Made His Sacrifice Hit Harder
Power Rangers in Space is widely regarded as one of the best seasons of the show, if not the best. Its finale, “Countdown to Destruction,” is also a fan-favorite episode that many consider to be the greatest season finale in the history of the show. There is even an argument to be made that, had Power Rangers ended for good after In Space, “Countdown to Destruction” would have been a perfect conclusion to the franchise. Rather than just wrap up the stories of the In Space Rangers, “Countdown to Destruction” revisited characters like Zordon, Rita, and Zedd.
Power Rangers In Order: How To Watch Every Series Chronologically & By Release Date
From Mighty Morphin to Cosmic Fury, here is how to watch every Power Rangers TV show in order, both chronologically and by release date.
Even though the emotional weight of the episode came primarily from Andros trying to save his sister, In Space’s finale was also very nostalgic and worked as a love letter to the original show. From Bulk and Skull announcing themselves as Power Rangers to Zordon’s sacrifice, everything in “Countdown to Destruction” hits harder if you watched Mighty Morphin Power Rangers first. This is why having some of the original characters appearing, even if for brief cameos, would have made “Countdown to Destruction” even better. Someone like Jason or Tommy having to kill Zordon would’ve been a lot more tragic.
The Original Power Rangers’ Stories Are Full Of Gaps Waiting To Be Filled In
We Only Know Snippets Of What Happened To The Original Power Rangers
What the original team was doing during Astronema’s invasion is one of many Power Rangers mysteries that the franchise might never answer in detail. The fact that Power Rangers kept retconning what happened to its original heroes and their powers made it all even more complicated to decipher. For example, in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, the Rangers replaced their Zeo powers with Turbo morphers. After the Command Center was destroyed in Turbo, it could be assumed that both the Zeo and the Turbo powers were gone forever. However, in 2002’s “Forever Red,” Tommy uses his Zeo Red Ranger form.
Andros would share the screen with Jason and Tommy for the first and only time in Wild Force's "Forever Red."
What happened to Tommy isn’t that difficult to infer compared to other characters, especially since we know he obtained a Master Morpher at some point and was able to use all of his previous forms whenever he wanted. Still, what happened to most Mighty Morphin and Zeo characters between the 1990s and their most recent cameos in the franchise is unknown. For example, in Power Rangers: Once & Always, a Zeo Yellow Ranger is shown as one of the heroes captured by Robot Rita.
Power Rangers Has One More Chance To Explain Where The OG Team Was During In Space
The Comics Have Used Elements From Power Rangers in Space Already
Looking at the TV show only, it’s unlikely Power Rangers will ever explain where the other heroes were during “Countdown to Destruction.” The closest thing to it we’ve gotten was Billy, the original Blue Ranger, referencing Zordon’s death and the Z-Wave in both Once & Always and Cosmic Fury. At least it has been established that the original Rangers are aware of what happened to Zordon, although we don’t know how or when they learned about it. Regardless, Power Rangers’ best chance of filling in the gaps in its timeline is through the comics.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers' Original Team |
|
|---|---|
Character |
Color |
Jason |
Red Ranger |
Trini |
Yellow Ranger |
Zack |
Black Ranger |
Billy |
Blue Ranger |
Kimberly |
Pink Ranger |
Tommy |
Green Ranger/White Ranger |
BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers books have already answered many questions that the show never addressed and even retconned things that never made sense about Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. While the comics are primarily set in the Mighty Morphin era, they have incorporated time travel and alternate realities. Red Ranger Andros even appeared in a story arc set before the events of his Power Rangers season. Hopefully, the comics will run long enough to cover, or at least address, the events of “Countdown to Destruction” through the perspective of characters that we did not get to see in the episode.
Power Rangers In Space
- Release Date
- February 6, 1998
- Directors
- Worth Keeter, Blair Treu
- Writers
- Judd Lynn, Jackie Marchand
- Franchise(s)
- Power Rangers
Cast
Tracy Lynn Cruz-
Patricia Ja Lee
Power Rangers In Space is the sixth season of the Power Rangers franchise, airing in 1998. The show follows the remaining Power Rangers, Andros, Carlos, Ashley, Cassie, and T.J., as they flee their home planet of KO-35 and attempt to find the legendary Phantom Ranger, Zordon, and Alpha 5.
- Seasons
- 1
- Streaming Service(s)
- Pluto TV
- Main Genre
- Action
- Creator(s)
- Haim Saban, Shuki Levy
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