Warning! This article contains spoilers for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #106There are few Power Rangers more iconic than the original Red Ranger, Jason Lee Scott, and that’s including some of the other members of the original ‘90s squad. However, another long-time Ranger has recently taken over as the new Red Ranger following Jason’s departure, and the series just justified why this potentially controversial choice is indeed the perfect one.
The original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers consisted of five members: Red Ranger Jason Scott, Yellow Ranger Trini Kwan, Black Ranger Zack Taylor, Blue Ranger Billy Cranston, and Pink Ranger Kimberly Ann Hart. Later, Tommy Oliver would make an appearance as the villainous Green Ranger before eventually becoming the heroic White Ranger. This was the iconic team, and their leader was Jason, the Red Ranger. Under his leadership, the Power Rangers faced a great number of immensely dangerous threats, not only to Planet Earth, but the entire cosmos. That is, until the day came when Jason had to step down. In BOOM! Studio’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #100, Jason lost connection to the Morphin Grid following his victory over the evil Death Ranger. While this came as a shock, both to fans and the other Rangers themselves, Jason decided to use this opportunity to live a normal life, and leave his duties as a Power Ranger behind. Now, a new Red Ranger is stepping up to take his place, and it’s someone who’s been around from the start: Trini Kwan.
Trini Kwan is the New Red Ranger, & the Series Shoots Down Potential Complaints
In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #106 by Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice, Alpha-1 attacks the Power Rangers on the planet Safehaven. At this point, Trini Kwan has already accepted the position of Red Ranger, and Alpha-1 tries to use any anxieties she has about her new role against her. While Trini and Alpha-1 fought, Alpha-1 told Trini that she had no right to be the Red Ranger. He said that she wasn’t as smart as Billy, wasn’t as brave as Jason, and overall was nothing special. Alpha-1 even said that Trini will always just be the ‘Yellow Ranger’, as if that was some kind of detrimental insult on her character. However, by the end of the fight, Trini outsmarted Alpha-1 with an ingenious and well-orchestrated plan–proving that everything he just said about her was completely wrong.
It seems as though Alpha-1 is almost like a stand-in for negative criticism regarding Trini Kwan’s position as the new Red Ranger. While there hasn’t been any majorly negative real-world controversy surrounding this change, there are likely people out there who dislike this particular direction–and Alpha-1 is speaking for them here. Alpha-1 basically says that Trini never did anything in her career as a Power Ranger to earn the title of Red Ranger, but in truly epic fashion, she shoots down every negative word he utters. Alpha-1 tells her she isn’t as smart as Billy, yet she outsmarts him and thereby defeats her opponent. Alpha-1 tells Trini she isn’t as brave as Jason, yet Trini is the only one standing in the middle of a battlefield outside a zord, orchestrating the plan that leads to Alpha-1’s capture.
While Trini Kwan earned the title of Red Ranger in an earlier issue, this Power Rangers comic cements that position by absolutely crushing any criticism someone could have regarding this choice–successfully justifying making this 90s hero the new Red Ranger.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #106 by BOOM! Studios is available now.