Pink Power Rangers for Breast Cancer Awareness

Last year while my mom was going through and recovering from breast cancer treatments, I did a blog post about some cute pink Pokemon. While my mom has watched about as little Power Rangers as she did Pokemon, this year I decided to focus on some of my favorite pink rangers. 

Kat Hillard (Mighty Morphin/Zeo/Turbo)

Everyone seems to cite Kimberly as the perfect pink ranger, but I prefer the character of Katherine Hillard. After being used as Rita's pawn, she ended up replacing Kimberly as the pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. When Kimberly broke up with Tommy via letter, Kat was the one who consoled Tommy.  She stayed a core member of the Power Ranger team through Power Rangers Zeo and into Power Rangers Turbo. She handed over the pink ranger mantel to Cassie when she left for college. She wasn't seen again until the Legendary Battle during Super Megaforce, where she appeared with her Zeo powers. Somewhere between the events of Dino Thunder and Super Ninja Steel, Kat and Tommy finally got married to Tommy and they had JJ. During the events of Once & Always, Kat took on the Mighty Morphin Pterodactyl powers to save Tommy and the others. And because of the Zeo holiday flashforward, we know that she and Tommy lived happily ever after. The longevity and development of her story and the love of Catherine Sutherland to her fans makes her my favorite pink ranger.

Karone (Lost Galaxy)

Formerly Astronema, she was Andros’s sister and Zhane’s love interest during Power Rangers in Space. After the Lost Galaxy Rangers lost Kendrix against the Psycho Rangers, Karone found the Pink Quasar Saber and took upon herself the pink ranger mantel. Though that mantel was later returned to a reborn Kendrix, Karone regained the Lost Galaxy powers and used them during the Legendary Battle. It was beautiful to see her turn from a big bad to a Power Rangers, a transformation not seen before or since.

Jen Scotts (Time Force)

She was engaged to Alex, the red Time Force Ranger in the year 3000, but after his "death", Jen led the Time Force Rangers against the mutants in the 21st century. Though of course Wes was a powerful influence on the team, Jen was still the official leader. The only pink ranger leader of the franchise. She had a difficult time trusting Wes, after what happened to Alex. However, she ended up falling for Wes. She later returned to help the Wild Force Rangers and to fight in the Legendary Battle. Her leader status makes her a top tier pink ranger.

Syd Drew (SPD)

A princess with a powerful power. She might be a princess, but Syd knew how to keep up with the boys (especially when her superpower gave her a diamond fist). She started out superficial and stereotypical blonde brat (how did she end up in law enforcement with her attitude?) but as the season went on she became more compassionate to others, including her teammates and the aliens they encountered (she agreed to share her birthday with Jack so that's pretty special). While she was definitely still a princess at the end of SPD, her growth would make our Disney Princesses proud. Her character development is what got her into my list of the powerful pink.

I could easily have highlighted many other pink rangers, like Cassie, Shelby, or Vida. However, these four powerful woman would make the rest of the Power Rangers proud all on their own. As remarkable (albeit fictional) women, they're perfect for spotlighting for Breast Cancer Awareness. If you've been touched by breast cancer, make sure you hug your loved one while they're here and be there to hold their hand during treatments. Everyone needs that support, especially while going through something that requires the bravery of a Power Ranger.

Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger: The Legacy of Jason David Frank

As I was about to settle in for a Sunday nap, I got a text from a friend that Jason David Frank, one of the original Power Rangers and one of my childhood heroes, died this weekend, reportedly from suicide. Normally celebrity deaths don't rock me too much (don't get me wrong, all their deaths are sad). However, I've met Jason David Frank and even after all these years he's still Tommy Oliver to me (even more since meeting him). 

He began his legacy in Power Rangers as the evil Green Ranger. After being freed from Rita's control, it wasn't long before he led the Ranger team as the White Ranger and later the Red Zeo and Turbo Rangers. But to those familiar with the franchise,  there's no  red to rehash his character's life story.

When I met JDF at Salt Lake FanX 2016, I was impressed by his love for his fans. He said he wanted the 100th person in line to feel just as important as the first. He's the standard to which I compare all celebrity meet and greet (Well, him and Catherine Tate). His legacy goes deeper than his long history as a Power Ranger. To many who treasure the franchise, he raised them when their parents were busy working or were otherwise unavailable. He taught kids to stand up for themselves and yet to still be kind. He taught how to be a leader and a mentor. It's strange to think there can be no more Tommy Oliver surprise appearances in the future of Power Rangers.

While still unconfirmed, it's rumored that he died by suicide. This pangs me even more… he gave to his fans and wanted them to feel special and important… yet he had internal anguish and pain that was never resolved. 

Suicide is very preventable cause of death… and men are four times as likely to die this way. I want to ask all men (and women) to step up. If you've contemplated or attempted suicide, I'm glad you're still here. If you are currently dealing with depressive, anxious, or suicidal thoughts, please reach out for help. The world has already lost one hero this week, we don't need to lose you too. 

To Jason David Frank, Tommy Oliver will live on in the hearts of Ranger fans forever. Once a ranger, always a Ranger!

Who is Tommy Oliver?

Happy St. Patrick’s Day this week! In honor of this holiday, I wanted to spotlight a character whose name will always be associated with the color green for many of us who grew up in the 90s. So here’s to Tommy Oliver, the original green Power Ranger. Though he started out as green, he’s had quite a few powers. We’re going to visit each of them today.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

We got our first glimpse of Tommy as he arrived in Angel Grove as a possible martial arts rival for Jason. But it wasn't long before Rita corrupted him with the evil of the Green Power Coin. However, even as the Green Ranger, he was still defeated and he joined the heroes. Those powers eventually faded, but it wasn't long before he came back with the White Ranger powers.

So as the White Ranger, he traded out Dragonzord powers for White Tiger powers. As time went on he developed a romance with Kimberly and, along with the other Rangers, they got Ninja Ranger powers to trump their dino powers. But all good things must come to an end, as Kimberly passed on her powers to Kat and the remaining Rangers got turned into little kids.

If you want to see more about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, check out this blog post.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

While not in the same continuity as the television series, Tommy appeared as the White Ranger, leading the Power Rangers against Ivan Ooze. Just like in the main continuity, they gained their Ninja Ranger powers. With their new powers and their new zords, the six Power Rangers took down Ivan Ooze and saved the parents of Angel Grove from an untimely death.

Power Rangers Zeo

After the Zeo Crystal turned him into the Red Ranger, Tommy continued to lead the team, this time against the Machine Empire. After a long-distance break up with Kimberly, he started dating Kat. During this time period, he also reunited with his long lost brother, David, as they had been adopted by different families. Later, after the Gold Ranger needed a replacement, it was Tommy who recruited Jason to return as a Power Ranger. In the end, the Rangers defeated the Machine Empire.

If you want to see more about Power Rangers Zeo, check out this blog post.

Power Rangers Turbo

But it wasn't long before more evil showed up. Tommy led the new Turbo Rangers to take on Divatox. These new powers and new Turbo Zords led Tommy to an interest in cars and mechanics (which probably affected some of his choices in grad school, which we’ll see later). Eventually, as he moved on after high school, Tommy chose TJ as his replacement for the Red Ranger. 

If you want to see more about Power Rangers Turbo, check out this blog post.

Power Rangers Wild Force

After his time as a full-time Ranger, Tommy eventually received a doctorate in paleontology and found three Dino Gems (to be discussed later). Throughout this time he seemed to stay in contact with other Rangers, as Andros (the Red Space Ranger) recruited him and eight other Red Rangers to fight off the remains of the Machine Empire on the moon. 

Power Rangers Dino Thunder

Years into Ranger retirement, Tommy became a science teacher, where he inadvertently met, recruited, and mentored three new Power Rangers. But after finding the Black Dino Gem, he gained the power of invisibility and became the Black Dino Thunder Ranger. During his tenure as a Dino Thunder Ranger, Tommy had issues after issue with his morpher and Dino Gem. But despite his issues he still teamed up with each the Ninja Storm and SPD Power Rangers. And naturally by the time their foe Mesagog was defeated, the Dino Thunder Powers were gone.

Power Rangers Super Megaforce

During the years that follow, Tommy must have been working on his Master Morpher (later shown in Super Ninja Steel). As the alien armada attacked Earth and countless Rangers came to the aid of the Megaforce Rangers, Tommy utilized both White Ranger and Green Ranger powers to fight the alien fleet. 

Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel

Only a couple years after the alien armada attacked, dark forces attempted to abduct Tommy, along with several other veteran Rangers. Tommy was able to evade capture and he used the Black Dino Thunder powers, the Green and White Mighty Morphin powers, and the Red Zeo powers to help save the other rangers.

The Future???

Tommy’s future is a bit fuzzy in Ranger canon. There’s a Zeo episode “A Season to Remember”, which is basically a giant flashback to the Zeo era. In the “present day”, he’s married to Kat with children and grandchildren. By the time he appears in Super Ninja Steel, he has at least one child, a son named JJ. In the comics (which may or may not be canon with the TV show), JJ becomes an SPD Ranger in the future and his mother is Kat. Does this mean Kat and Tommy are married in the show?

It’s hard to say where things will go with Tommy in the future of Power Rangers. Jason David Frank, who has portrayed him since day one, is loyal to his fans. I’ve met him and he’s super friendly. Always wants the best experience for the fans he meets. If you ever have a chance to meet JDF at a convention, he’s well worth the money. He's easily one of my favorite celebrities that I've met. As far as the character, it’s not in Tommy’s nature to leave others hanging. If the Rangers ever need him, you can bet he’ll be there. In my mind he’s just like a loyal Gryffindor who will always do what’s right. 

Salt Lake FanX September 2016

Power Rangers Binge List: Zeo-Space

Earlier this year I did a binge list for the most important episodes of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I'm still not sure if I want to go through all 30+ seasons right now, but I figured it only made sense to finish off the Zordon era at least. So here are the high points to hit when watching through Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, and Power Rangers in Space.

Power Rangers Zeo

1. A Zeo Beginning (2 episodes - about 40 min)
Taking off right on the heels of MMPR, the former Rangers become the new Zeo Rangers. And not a moment too soon. Rita and Zedd get driven off their prime moon real estate, as the Machine Empire moves in. So make sure you watch it for the new powers, new zords, and new enemies.

2. The Power of Gold (1 episode - about 20 min)
Twenty-five episodes where nothing much happens. That's the beginning of Zeo. Finally on episode 27 we get introduced to the mysterious Gold Ranger. We don't know who he is, but he shows up and "join" the team.

3. Revelations of Gold (1 episode - about 20 min)
After several episodes of teasing who the Gold Ranger is, we find out that his true identity. Plot twist: It's no one we'd seen before. Also, the Alien Rangers reappear for a spell.

4. A Golden Homecoming (1 episode - about 20 min)
So with Trey the Gold Ranger needing a reprieve, the Rangers need to find a new Gold Ranger to take on the powers. Billy cannot, because of the explosion at the Command Center. So they end up getting an old friend to return from the Peace Conference.

5. Rangers of Two Worlds (2 episodes - about 40 min)
I love a good team up and this is the first that Power Rangers did. So when Rita and the Machine Empire each send out a monster, the Alien Rangers team up with the Zeo Rangers to take on both creatures.

6. Good as Gold (1 episode - about 20 min)
The sorta-finale. It didn't resolve all the plot points of Zeo, but it did alright. Trey comes back to get the Gold Ranger powers and of course there's a big battle against the Machine Empire. It didn't wrap up as nicely as seasons of Power Rangers do nowadays, but it was good. It left some plot holes for Turbo, but we can look past that.

Power Rangers Turbo

7. Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie (1 movie - 1 hr 40 min)
A year after Zeo, the Turbo movie brings the Zeo Rangers back as Turbo Rangers (with Justin and Rocky swapped). New team, the return of Kimberly and Jason, new zords, and the new villain Divatox.

8. Shift Into Turbo (3 episodes - about 1 hour)

Turbo was a time of transition in Power Rangers in many ways. The first of which was the departure of Zordon and Alpha 5. So the arrival of Dimitria and Alpha 6 starts that transition into something new.

9. The Millennium Message (1 episode - about 20 min)

Power Rangers Turbo never exactly got a proper sixth Ranger, but this episode introduced the Blue Senturion. He kind of acted as a sixth Ranger in this season, teaming up with the Rangers on an ongoing basis, after allying himself with the Rangers in this episode.

10. Passing the Torch (2 episodes - about 40 min)

Along with Zordon's departure, this two-part episode  was part of the transition to a new era of Power Rangers. We saw the departure of four Rangers (who, other than Tanya, had been around since Mighty Morphin). So we get a few new Rangers who'll stay with us until the end of the Zordon era.

11. The Phantom Phenomenon (1 episode - about 20 min)

Like the Blue Senturion, the Phantom Ranger acted as a kind of sixth Ranger. So with this episode, he's introduced. There are rumors that his identity was supposed to be revealed later on, but that never ended up happening. There were rumors of him being Billy or Doug (Justin's dad), but I guess we'll never know.

12. Clash of the Megazords (1 episode - about 20 min)

Unlike most sixth Rangers, the Phantom Ranger didn't stick around indefinitely. After a handful of episodes, he left Earth in the Rangers hands. He did appear in the finale of the Zordon era, but that's about it.

13. Chase into Space (2 episodes - about 40 min)

The first Power Rangers series with a proper finale. Dimitria and the Blue Senturion take off to Eltar, Divatox gets called away by a greater evil, and the Turbo powers are destroyed. All of this leads the four older Turbo Rangers into space, leaving Justin behind with his dad.

Power Rangers in Space

14. From Out of Nowhere (2 episodes - about 40 min)

Picking up right where Turbo left off, the four former Rangers head into space. But of course danger soon hits. So they end up teaming up with a man from a distant space colony. With his help they become the Space Rangers. 

15. Shell Shocked (1 episode - about 20 min)

Power Rangers in Space had a couple fun crossovers with former Rangers, but before any of that we got a crossover with the Ninja Turtles! These Ninja Turtles came from The Next Mutation continuity. I've never seen that TMNT series but the crossover is fun.

16. True Blue to the Rescue (1 episode - about 20 min)

The second of the crossovers we get in this series is the return of Justin, the blue Ranger from Turbo. He gets pulled back into the fray to help his old friends. It was only a one-off episode, but Justin did say he'd come back if they ever needed him. Still waiting......

17. Survival of the Silver (1 episode - about 20 min)

Another mysterious Ranger #6. This time he's from Andros's past. Ever since KO-35, he's been in stasis, but now he's coming back. So welcome to the mix, Silver Ranger.

18. Always a Chance (1 episode - about 20 min)

Last of this season's team ups. After Carlos's confidence is shot, we get a return from a veteran Black Ranger. Adam uses his faulty power coin to return to MMPR status, despite the personal risks. This would be the last time that Adam would appear until Power Rangers Operation Overdrive.

19. Rangers Gone Psycho (1 episode - about 20 min)

Evil Rangers and copy-cat Rangers aren't a new idea, but Astronema took it to a new level above what Rita did with Tommy. In creating the Psycho Rangers, she created the strongest foes that the Space Rangers had faced up until that point. The Psycho Ranger arc actually lasted six episodes, but I'm only going to include this one.

20. Mission to Secret City (1 episode - about 20 min)

Battlizer armor became a staple to the Red Ranger armory in almost every season, but it started here. In facing one of Astronema's monsters, Andros releases the power of his battlizer, becoming even stronger.

21. Countdown to Destruction (2 episodes - about 40 min)

These episodes marked the end of the Zordon era of Power Rangers. Originally it was meant to the be series finale, but obviously it got picked up afterwards. It included many cameos of villains and heroes from the Zordon era, leading up to the Rangers' eventual victory. Cameos included the Alien Rangers, Trey the Gold Zeo Ranger, the Phantom Ranger and Blue Senturion from Turbo, Rita and Zedd's forces, the Machine Empire, and Divatox.

Have you seen these seasons of the Zordon era? Who was your favorite Ranger from Zeo, Turbo, and/or Space? If you want me to keep doing these Power Rangers lists, make sure you comment and let me know.