There is something quintessentially ’90s about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is why it was only a matter of time before the two franchises crossed over. Now, a new cosplay is honoring the IDW Publishing/BOOM! Studios crossover with a killer look that will leave fans yelling, “Go Go Turtle Power!”
Honoring one of the coolest moments in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover comics — when the Turtles and April O’Neil are granted Morphin powers — cosplayer Swagwing Duck (@swaggycosplayer) has displayed his take on Donatello’s Black Ranger on his Instagram account. The look recreates the comic crossover perfectly, complete with Donny’s golden shell armor combined with elements of the classic Black Ranger suit. The helmet looks perfectly molded to fit a turtle head and includes not only the mastodon motif but the glowing red eyes seen in the IDW/BOOM! crossover. Lastly, instead of Donatello’s classic bo staff the Black Turtle Ranger now wields the Power Axe.
Accompanying Swagwing Duck is Ninjeti Crane Ranger (@ninjettiip) in her classic Pink Ranger cosplay. This stunningly accurate costume could very well belong to April, whose own Ranger outfit was not that different from the one worn by other Pink Rangers, minus the skirt. The weapons and costumes for both the Black and Pink Ranger are on point and were shown off at the most recent Katsucon held every year in Maryland’s National Harbor right next to Washington DC.
It’s Cowabunga Time!
The Heroes in a Half Shell and the Teenagers with Attitudes have a lot in common beyond their ’90s rise in popularity. Both franchises have captivated fans for decades with their mix of sci-fi and martial arts action. Both teams are also conveniently color-coded with unique weapons and archetypes assigned to each team member. In fact, for the Turtles there have been more than a few theories about how each turtle corresponds to personality types and element. Each team also faces off against over-the-top enemies with grandiose and yet vaguely defined plans to take over the world.
Maybe that’s why the 2019 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles crossover miniseries seemed like such a natural progression of both franchises. The series was drawn by Simone di Meo, and written by Ryan Parrott, who is also writing the sequel series currently being released. The new series is drawn by Dan Mora. During the crossover event of MMPR/TMNT it was almost inevitable that both teams would switch costumes, and as the teenagers from Angel Grove became the Ninja Rangers so did the mutants from Manhattan become the Turtle Rangers. Leonardo became the Blue Ranger, Donatello the Black, Raphael the Red, Michelangelo the Yellow, and April the Pink Ranger. Even Casey Jones got in on the action as Ranger X.
The turtles and their allies kept all their previous martial arts prowess and added in the powers, weaponry, and Zords of the Power Rangers, making them a mind-blowing combination of two of the coolest things from the childhood memories of many fans. Maybe that is why this new cosplay look from Swagwing is just so cool. It hits with a double whammy of ’90s nostalgia and pop culture awesomeness in the way it perfectly combines the look of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Source: Swagwing Duck via Instagram (1, 2)