Fixing Power Rangers: Megaforce Part 4

As the Mega Rangers fight a war on many fronts, old friends make themselves known.

THE CAST

The Power Rangers and Allies

• Troy Burrows - (18) New Megaforce Red. Troy, having resolved most of his issues regarding his family in the first season, now struggles with living up to the legacy of Zordon. He is leading what might become the most prevalent Ranger team of the entire war and the pressure put on him to save, not just Angel Grove, but the whole world might just be enough to break him. His main conflict for the season will be making sure that his frustrations remain under control and that he can find a way to still relax (for his sake, at the very least) during this whole ordeal.
• Emma Goodall - (18) New Megaforce Pink. Emma's caring nature really comes out during the war. She's what's keeping the team in good mental health, her compassion healing their mental wounds. However, all the stuff that she's worried about until now feels shockingly petty and unimportant; her main conflict in this season will be making the realization that people's concerns are valid even through what seems like more important events. Protecting the environment is important: just not the most important thing right now. Saving the world? She can get behind that.
• Noah Carver - (18) New Megaforce Blue. Noah feels as though this war is the event he's been preparing for his whole time for being a Ranger. More than ever, he's helping Tensou and the other Rangers with creating improvements to their powers and Zords. His main conflict will be learning not to overwork himself and destroy any sense of physical or mental well-being that he still has.
• Gia Moran - (18) New Megaforce Yellow. Gia is perhaps the most stable of all of the Rangers through all this. Her tough-as-nails attitude and how used she is to dealing with constant pressure turns out to be very useful for the war. Her main conflict will be learning not to lose who she is and become who she hates, a person who ignores compassion and kindness for the sake of practicality.
• Jake Holling - (18) New Megaforce Green. Among all the Rangers, Jake perhaps feels the most lost. He always viewed being a Ranger, unlike everyone else, as perhaps the way he gets to have fun. Suddenly, the fun stops being fun and the jokes stop feeling appropriate. His main conflict will be trying not to lose himself in the despair - something that his relationship with Gia should help with.
• Orion - (18) New Megaforce Silver. Feeling useless after losing his powers, Orion forges out on his own to try and find a way to help the Rangers outside of using his vast knowledge of Ranger history. Out of everyone, however, he manages to keep his optimism and hope - never losing that giddy feeling of meeting all of the heroes he's worshiped.
• Gosei - (10,000s) Gosei takes something of a backseat during this season but his newfound role as a wartime general brings him back to the old days when fighting against Master Vyle.
• Tensou - (1) Tensou continues to help the Rangers with their fight, though now lacks the ability to turn into a Zord. He is still in a damaged state, though much of it is irreversible.
• Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier - (39) Bulk has expanded the Juice Bar into something of a wartime refugee center, handing out food and drinks at no cost to everyone who needs it. Angel Grove is ground zero for monster attacks and Bulk realizes this; he wants to help out as much as he can.
• Eugene "Spike" Skullovich - (18) Gold Samurai Ranger. Spike is absent for most of the season, more often than not aiding the Samurai Rangers in Stone Canyon or elsewhere.
• Tommy Oliver - Various Powers. The "leader" of the Power Ranger coalition formed to defend Earth.
• The Legendary Rangers - Throughout the season, the Power Rangers would be joined by Legendary Rangers from the series' past, often to impart lessons and to get help for various circumstances.

The "Angels of Angel Grove"

• Hendricks - (16) Red Angel Ranger. A kind boy whose heart rushes for justice. Naive but compassionate,
• Ekaterina - (16) - Pink Angel Ranger. Constantly worries about her friends, especially her younger brother Hendricks.
• Octavian - (16) - Blue Angel Ranger. Cool, confident... most of the time.
• Helen - (16) - Yellow Angel Ranger. Impulsive, impatient, improper - but she's loyal and loves her older brother, Tucker.
• Tucker - (16) Black Angel Ranger. A kid who grew up on the street and something of a rough rider, but he's a good person at heart.

The Bad Guys

• Prince Vekar - Something of a flamboyant monarch, he is nonetheless intelligent and cunning (though clearly not to the same extent as his brother Vrak). However, his strategies start failing more and more as the series progresses which frustrates him and makes him act out of anger and without thinking.
• Damaras - The Prince's right-hand man, but clearly more the man behind the curtain. More often than not, his plots succeed against the Rangers but they have a higher than usual failure rate due to Vekar's inability to follow them to the letter due to his arrogance. Very Darth Vader-esque.
• Argus - The Prince's best knight, he is sworn to the duty of protecting the Royal Family and doing whatever they ask of him. "Just following orders" is practically his catchphrase.
• Levira - The Armada's technical expert, she is the one responsible for creating most of the devices and technology used by the Armada. Fittingly, she had a huge disdain for Vrak, especially his Zombats.
• Karrde - Karrde is the exact visage of a proper criminal. Ruthless, efficient, but not arrogant. He is charismatic, almost in a friendly way, but he'll kill you without a second thought. Was defeated in the past by the Pirate Rangers (the Red Ranger was his brother), but was set free by Damaras to fight for the Armada. Wants quasi-revenge for his brother's death since, even though he was his enemy, he was still his brother. His is a tragic story.
• Emperor Mavro - Mavro is something of a paradox. He clearly loves his sons very dearly, but is a tough parent. He is the head of the Armada, which rose from the ashes of the United Alliance of Evil and his father was old friends with Master Vyle. He's patient and thorough, though he becomes more careless when both his sons are killed. He is incredibly powerful and durable, and uses that to his advantage.

EPISODES

1 - The Space and Galaxy Rangers retrieve important information from the Armada: they're going to launch a full-scale planetary invasion of Earth. Tommy arrives to give the Mega Rangers their Legendary Ranger Modes. The war begins.

2 - The war rages, with the Mega Rangers unlocking the Skyship's Megazord mode for the first time. Tommy informs them that the Legendary Megazord (by virtue of being operated using Legendary Ranger Keys) receives upgrades based on creating bonds between Ranger teams by bettering their synchronization in the Morphing Grid, which means that they should look to connect with previous Power Rangers to become more powerful. Also, we learn that the Time Force Rangers of the year 3013 have come back in time along with the SPD Rangers of the year 2033.

3 - MYSTIC FORCE TRIBUTE. "Mystic Alliance." Jake episode. Madison, the Blue Mystic Ranger, calls for the Rangers to help her in Briarwood where the Armada have awoken an army of Hidiacs. Madison helps Jake sort through some of his relationship issues with Gia, and the two of them come to consider each other friends. Because of this, the Rangers unlock the Legendary Mystic Megazord.

4 - Argus and Levira engage the Rangers for the first time on Earth. Noah and Argus strike up a rivalry when Argus nearly kills Noah's girlfriend, who gets put into the hospital for most of the season.

5 - SPD TRIBUTE. "Compatibility." Troy episode. The SPD Rangers are working on foiling a plot by the Armada to shoot rockets into the center of the planet, destabilizing the core. Troy runs into Anubis Kruger and Jack Landors who he initially clashes with, due to their military background (something they share with his father). However, Troy manages to get over his initial frustration with the incongruity of their methods and learn to trust them. In the process, the Rangers unlock the Legendary SPD Megazord.

6 - The Rangers begin experimenting with various Ranger Key combinations, though trying to do so only causes the Megazord to malfunction. They realize that Tommy is right - sticking the keys in there isn't really going to do anything until the Morphing Grid unlocks the powers.

7 - JUNGLE FURY TRIBUTE. "Lend A Helping Hand." Gia episode. The Jungle Fury Rangers are busy defending the headquarters of the Order of the Claw, and send RJ - the Wolf Ranger - to fetch the Mega Rangers for help. After the Rangers clear the Order of the Claw of invading Armada forces, RJ implores the Rangers to help him with something else: cleaning up and getting the Jungle Karma Pizza restaurant back up and running after it was wrecked in the invasion. Gia is impatient throughout this, but learns that there is value in getting it up and running again after seeing people enjoying the pizza that RJ provides them with. Gia's realization unlocks the Legendary Megazord to unleash the Jungle Animal Spirits - which comes in useful during a counterattack.

8 - The Armada successfully infiltrate the Skyship and almost manage to take it down from the inside, but the Rangers fight them off.

9 - WILD FORCE TRIBUTE. "Lion's Heart." Emma episode. When the Rangers are sent to Turtle Cove to fight off invading Armada forces, they run into a kindly veterinarian named Cole Evans who helps patch up Emma after she gets roughed up in a fight. Emma mentions that she hates how useless she feels sometimes and that she's always getting hurt. Cole tells her that of course she's useful and an integral part of the team; she helped get people to safety after all. Cole reveals himself to be the Red Wild Force Ranger and summons the Red Wild Zord - who, it turns out, can fuse with the Legendary Megazord to form the Legendary Wild Force Megazord due to the bond formed between Emma and Cole.

10 - Various side characters who become important later on are introduced.

11 - SAMURAI TRIBUTE. "The Warrior Way." Noah episode. Argus and Noah fight at the beginning of this episode, Noah getting beaten soundly. Lauren arrives in Angel Grove, asking the others to help the Samurai Rangers in Stone Canyon. Lauren stays to help Noah recover, in the process training him to be a better fighter. When Noah confronts Argus later, Noah fares much better - but still loses because he chose to save civilians rather than focus on the fight. Regardless, Noah manages to unlock the Legendary Samurai Megazord to defeat Argus' general. Noah apologizes to Lauren for squandering her training - but Lauren says she's proud of Noah for having the courage to forgo her training when the situation didn't call for it (something she learned from her brother).

12 - Gosei and Orion episode. Stuck in the Command Center while the Rangers are out, Gosei and Orion reminisce about the past year. Orion reveals his desire to return to being a Ranger again. Gosei notes that he should be patient. This is a Bottle Episode, a cost-saving measure.

13 - TURBO TRIBUTE. "The Family Business." Troy episode. Justin, Blue Turbo Ranger, arrives in Angel Grove with Storm Blaster. He informs the Rangers that there are "people who can help them" on Eltar. Gosei mentions that it's a shame that he can't go but informs Troy that this is a good opportunity for him to learn about his homeworld. The Rangers remain on Earth but Troy goes with Justin. When on Eltar, Troy learns about Zordon's family history, where he fits into the fold, and the legacy that he has to live up to. It's a lot to take in. Justin fetches Alpha 5 and the Robot Rangers, robotic versions of the Turbo Rangers built by Zordon long ago. Troy and Justin converse quite a bit, becoming friends - with Justin even telling Troy his life story and why Zordon chose him at such a young age. They return to Angel Grove just in time for Troy to use the newly unlocked Turbo finisher to destroy the Armada forces sent to attack the city.

14-15 - TIME FORCE TRIBUTE. Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger, arrives in Angel Grove to hand-deliver a new Zord. The Q-Rex Dinozord is a Zord created from future technology and something of a "Version 2.0" of his old Q-Rex Zord, using parts from the original Dragonzord that Tommy graciously provided. However, the Zord is at first rendered inoperable by the Armada and the Mega Rangers have to engage the enemy. In the process, Orion must operate the Q-Rex Dinozord which can't transform into the Q-Rex Megazord without an active Mega Ranger. The Rangers are in a huge pinch and need help badly. Gosei says to forgo further testing on the "new power" he's been working on, sending Orion the Silver Ranger morpher - officially turning him into the Silver Mega Ranger. Orion uses the power of the Q-Rex Megazord to destroy the monster.

16 - LOST GALAXY TRIBUTE. Orion receives a distress signal from his parents on Mirinoi: the Armada has decided to send ships there for a skirmish in order to try and defeat the Galaxy Rangers. Orion begs Gosei to let the team help. Gosei allows this but tells them to return quickly, asking Troy and Jake to stick around for the time being. Orion takes the Q-Rex Drill to get to Mirinoi, where he meets up with Leo Corbett and Damon Henderson. They fight off some X-Borgs and monsters. Orion mentions that he hasn't been home in quite a long time, Leo and Damon taking him on a bit of a tour of the place. We learn what's happened with Terra Venture and everything while they're there. Orion eventually unlocks the Lost Galaxy finisher for the Q-Rex Megazord.

17 - Various side characters who become important later on are introduced.

18 - OPERATION OVERDRIVE TRIBUTE. "Treasure Hunting Fiends." Jake episode. Tyzonn travels to Angel Grove because he has been tracking (quite literally) a Fearcat in the employ of the Armada. Jake helps him out, thinking there might be treasure at the end of this adventure. Tyzonn has to teach Jake that treasure isn't the real reward and everything, and Jake kind of already knows that but a reaffirmation is never bad. They become friends just in time to destroy the Fearcat, which unlocks the Overdrive finisher for the Legendary Megazord.

19-20 - The Damaras Arc. Frustrated at his prince's inability to take his tactical advice, Damaras goes down to confront the Rangers directly. He is the toughest fighter the Rangers have faced thus far, soundly beating them. It is only when Vekar recalls Damaras out of anger that Damaras leaves the Rangers be. Introduced in this episode will be a recurring villain: Karrde, a terrifying space criminal hired by Damaras.

THE MOVIE - The various side characters introduced and developed throughout the season (Hendricks, Ekaterina, Octavian, Helen, and Tucker) are transported to the Command Center when the Rangers return to base, them having snuck on. They discover the broken Gosei Morphers and cards, where it seems like Tensou has been repairing them during his off-time. Taking them with a little hesitation, they eventually find themselves using the base's teleporters to go and help the Mega Rangers. The Mega Rangers are not pleased that these kids have stolen their old powers, but a confluence of events - plus Gosei's blessing - lead them to entrust the kids with them. As well, they unlock the Megaforce finisher for the Legendary Megzord. The kids dub themselves the Angel Rangers - in honor of their hometown's name. As well, now that Angel Grove has its own set of protectors again, the Mega Rangers can start focusing on taking the fight to the Armada directly. The main villain for this movie is Karrde, who proves to be a vicious fighter who takes two Ranger teams to defeat (but not destroy).

21 - The Mega Rangers begin a more active campaign against the Armada, even going into space to destroy a significant chunk of their ships. However, they discover that this is still really only a fraction of the Armada's fleet; the rest have been resupplying them. It almost seems as if there is no end in sight. Karrde seems to block the Rangers' moves at every turn.

22 - LIGHTSPEED RESCUE TRIBUTE. Emma and Gia episode. Lightspeed Rangers Dana and Ryan help the Mega Rangers when they pursue a general that escapes to Mariner Bay. In the process of tracking it down, Dana and Ryan give some advice to Emma and Gia - both of whom feel like sisters but don't really feel like friends anymore. Dana and Ryan give their perspective: that family is always family regardless of however long it takes to see each other again. The team unlocks the Lightspeed Rescue finisher for the Legendary Megazord.

23 - NINJA STORM TRIBUTE. Troy episode. The Armada revive Lothor, having found him in the remains of Mesagog's lab. Lothor is glad to be among the presence of space aliens again, though Levira is the only one to find him amusing. Lothor attacks the Mega Rangers, but Cam - Green Samurai Ranger of Ninja Storm - arrives to help them out. Cam is able to help Troy with some of his familial issues, making sure to note that his dad turned into a guinea pig at one point. Troy helps the Mega Rangers unlock the Legendary Ninja Megazord with the help of Cam's Minizord. In the end, Lothor is defeated and sealed back into the pits of evil.

24 - Villain development episode. We get into the family life of Prince Vekar, his relationship with his father and his second-in-command Damaras, as well as the odd friendship he has with Argus and Levira - his two retainers. Karrde gets some development, also, with his past as enemies of the Pirate Rangers expanded on, as well as how he relates to Damaras. This also the "Prince Vekar Has a Cold" episode, so it's another stock-footage heavy bottle episode.

25 - DINO THUNDER TRIBUTE. Noah episode. Tommy and Ethan - Black and Blue Dino Rangers - arrive to help out the Mega Rangers, providing them with some much-needed intel on the state of the fleet. Noah and Ethan bond as they work together to find a way to sneak onto the fleet. They unlock the ability to fuse the Q-Rex Megazord and the Legendary Megazord together to form the Legendary Q-Rex Megazord.

26 - ZEO TRIBUTE. In the aftermath of the battle, Tommy sticks around to teach the Rangers a thing or two about fighting against space aliens (and also to find out whatever the Zeo upgrade happens to be). However, before they can bond enough to unlock it, Orion is captured by Karrde. The Rangers rush out to rescue him with Tommy, using the Zeo Ranger powers to defeat Karrde and a summoned horde of Sixth Rangers. They never do end up unlocking a Legendary Zeo Megazord, but Tommy's presence allows them to create an upgrade for their Galleon Cannon: Zeo Shard-powered Final Strikes.

27 - End of Karrde. The Rangers finally destroy Karrde for good, triggering Damaras to jumpstart his plans in earnest.

28 - Gosei episode. As Gosei reminisces about his past, the Rangers discover that they can access Gosei's original team using Legendary Mode. Gosei manages to find some closure as the Rangers destroy a general who Gosei had also fought long ago.

29 - RPM TRIBUTE. Spike helps the team contact the Ranger Operators in Corinth, accessing the interdimensional portal they used in the last crossover. The Ranger Operators arrive on Earth, but when Scott tries to morph, he is possessed by the spirit of Venjix. It takes the power of all the RPM crew and the Mega Rangers plus Spike to free Scott and take down Venjix, the team ultimately unlocking the Legendary RPM Megazord as a result.

30 - IN SPACE TRIBUTE. The Mega Rangers infiltrate the Armada fleet. However, they are caught by Damaras who tortures them for information. However, they are rescued by T.J. and Cassie who free them from the Armada's clutches. The team manages to escape with knowledge of the main Armada fleet's location - currently stationed at the Cimmerian Planet, the old headquarters of the United Alliance of Evil. Emperor Mavro is located there, on his capital ship.

31 - IN SPACE TRIBUTE, PART 2. With T.J. and Cassie, the Mega Rangers arrive at the Cimmerian Planet using the Astro Megaship Mark II, which has stealth capabilities. The Space Rangers stay behind to keep the Astro Megaship on high alert while the Mega Rangers infiltrate the Armada fleet. They locate Emperor Mavro but before they can assassinate him, they stop themselves. Is it really right to kill this guy in his sleep? They debate the ethics of a preemptive strike like this. Mavro, however, was never asleep. They are attacked and soundly defeated by the Emperor, likely their toughest-ever foe. They are forced to escape onto the Astro Megaship, but need to land on a planet for repairs after they sustain some damage. However, they call for the Legendary Megazord and the Q-Rex Megazord, which now can sport the Mega Winger's wings thanks to the gratitude they have for the Space Rangers. The Power Rangers return to Earth, battered and beaten, but now have an accurate measure of their enemy's abilities.

32 - ALIEN RANGERS TRIBUTE. Ninjor returns to Earth, delayed because he was helping the Aquitian Rangers deal with skirmishers sent by the Armada. The Alien Rangers, however, were ultimately successful in driving off the Armada - though that might just be them consolidating their forces on Earth. Ninjor and the Alien Rangers give the Mega Rangers their final upgrade: a giant-sized Ninjor that can help them in fights. Neat.

33-35 - The Rangers finally destroy the advance force, killing Vekar, Argus, Levira, and Damaras. However, their victory is short-lived as the main fleet arrives to conquer Earth, Mavro now angered beyond comprehension.

36-39 - Final Battle arc. Every Ranger in every city has to fight off waves and waves of Armada soldiers and monsters. There is a glimpse of every Ranger team in the series as they fight off Armada forces, each episode acting as a sort of mini-tribute to four teams at a time, telling war stories of heroism and sacrifice.

40 - MIGHTY MORPHIN' TRIBUTE. The team destroys the main Armada fleet along with Emperor Mavro, who they have to use every power on in order to stop. Mavro grows giant-sized and Tommy manages to give them the Mighty Morphin' upgrade for the Legendary Megazord: a complete transformation into the original Megazord, as well as turning the Q-Rex Megazord into the Dragonzord. They defeat Mavro but must face the remainder of his army, triggering the Legendary Battle. The Power Rangers defeat this massive army with flying colors. The Power Rangers part ways, having spent the last year saving Earth and absolutely exhausted. They go to the Juice Bar where Bulk is telling the story of the first time Rita Repulsa attacked Earth. As the Mega Rangers finally get to relax, a figure arrives: Jason, the original Red Ranger. As Jason thanks the team (and Bulk) for all they've done, he tells them that this is the start of a new age for the Power Rangers. And that, "May the Power protect you."

Current Timeline

SABAN ERA:
1993: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers (Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger)
1994: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Season 2 (Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger and Gosei Sentai Dairanger)
1995: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Season 3 / Mighty Morphin' Alien Rangers (Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger, Gosei Sentai Dairanger, and Ninja Sentai Kakuranger)
1996: Power Rangers Zeo (Chouriki Sentai Ohranger)
1997: Power Rangers Turbo (Gekisou Sentai Carranger)
1998: Power Rangers In Space (Denji Sentai Megaranger)
1999: Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (Seijuu Sentai Gingaman)
2000: Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive)
2001: Power Rangers Time Force (Mirai Sentai Timeranger)
2002: Power Rangers Wild Force (Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger)

DISNEY ERA:
2003: Power Rangers Ninja Storm (Ninpū Sentai Hurricaneger)
2004: Power Rangers Dino Thunder (Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger)
2005: Power Rangers SPD (Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger)
2006: Power Rangers Mystic Force (Mahou Sentai Magiranger)
2007: Power Rangers Operation Overdrive (GoGo Sentai Boukenger)
2008: Power Rangers Jungle Fury (Juken Sentai Gekiranger)
2009: Power Rangers RPM (Engine Sentai Go-Onger)
2010: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers Re-Version (Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger)

NEO-SABAN ERA:
2011: Power Rangers Samurai (Samurai Sentai Shinkenger)
2012: Power Rangers Megaforce (Tensou Sentai Goseiger)
2013: Power Rangers Megaforce Season 2 (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger)

Well, this has been quite the journey. Power Rangers Megaforce was a series with a ton of problems, but hopefully this edition of Fixing Power Rangers managed to mitigate some of those issues. Next time on Fixing Power Rangers, we work with no base and no guideline to adapt Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters into Power Rangers Special Operations.