No villain has been more prevalent in Power Rangers lore than Rita Repulsa. It’s been three decades since the villain first emerged from her moon prison and to this day, she finds a way to terrorize Angel Grove whenever possible.

Whether she returns as a robot or whether she’s even more vile than usual, there’s no denying why she’s the Empress of Evil. This is particularly the case in the BOOM! Studios comic revival of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, although she’s currently in the midst of a potential rebranding as the Mystic Mother. Before her pursuit of redemption, she was as conniving as ever, especially through her words, as the silver-tongued devil of the franchise. Here are some of her most twisted lines from the comics.

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“My name is Rita Repulsa and you have all made a terrible mistake.”

Go Go Power Rangers #1 by Ryan Parrott, Dan Mora, Raul Angilo, and Ed Dukeshire

Rita Repulsa’s first appearance in the pilot episode of the show made a long-lasting impression that fans still remember vividly. As memorable as that moment was, the comics illustrate the first face-to-face confrontation between herself and the Power Rangers. A rescue mission to save a pair of astronauts quickly reveals itself to be a trap that Rita sprung the Rangers right into.

When many of Rita’s schemes in later years derailed into her becoming comic relief, it’s easy to forget that early on, Repulsa was a deceptive mastermind. The reason why Rita was such a threat during her earliest episodes is because she was always a woman with a plan and would sink to any depths to make sure it was executed. Not only does this plan succeed, but with a horde of monsters surrounding the Rangers, Rita is cocky in knowing she has the high ground on her home turf.

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“I’m the only one who loves you, Tommy.”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #3 by Kyle Higgins, Steve Orlando, Hendry Prasetya, Corin Howell, Matt Herms, Jeremy Lawson, Ed Dukeshire, and Jim Campbell

Tommy Oliver’s introduction into Rangerhood was by way of being mind-controlled into being Rita Repulsa’s lackey. The comics deepen that relationship by focusing on the PTSD that Tommy is suffering as a result of having his mind and agency taken away from him. When he joins the Rangers, his mind is never quite the same, not immediately at least. He’s seeing Rita in his head everywhere he goes and he has recurring nightmares about her.

The most spine-tingling nightmare comes when he has a dream of his mother ripping her face off to reveal Rita Repulsa. Beyond the scary visual, her insisting to the Green Ranger that she loves him, when clearly she has sinister intentions, is nothing less than frightening. Either her love is as fabricated as the spell she mind-controlled Tommy with, or blind allegiance is Rita’s twisted idea of love.

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“Threaten me again, Warrior Queen, and I will return this city to the dust from which it came.”

Go Go Power Rangers #14 by Ryan Parrott, Eleonora Carlini, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire

Before she builds that twisted kinship to Tommy, though, Go Go Power Rangers depicts Rita Repulsa’s expedition to the planet Breel in search of the Dragon Coin that would eventually put Tommy in her path. The journey brings her in front of Queen Adriyel, who rules over the planet Breel. Rita knows more than enough about the planet Breel, as her reputation as the “Destroyer of Breel” centuries prior precedes her. Adriyel orders her soldiers to attack Rita, but Rita disposes of them with ease.

Underestimating Rita is easy for characters (and readers) to do when she’s been defeated so often, but she makes it clear here why underestimating her is a mistake. Rita is capable of far more than she’s given credit for, and can destroy colonies singlehandedly.

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“I built this temple to fight everything and anything. Even myself. If any of you make it out of here alive … I will be supremely disappointed.”

Go Go Power Rangers #15 by Ryan Parrott, Eleonora Carlini, Simona Di Gianfelice, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire

The story continues into the next issue, where the Queen escorts Rita to the Temple of Repulsa. The monument that Rita built to declare her victory over the Kedry people eons ago also houses the Dragon Power Coin. However, to protect it, she created an army of monsters who will attack anyone who enters the Temple, including Rita herself.

Contrary to popular belief, Rita Repulsa doesn’t join forces with just anyone, even when keeping her bumbling henchmen in mind. Even forming an alliance with the Queen to get what she wants is a tall task for the Empress, and thus Rita expects everyone who works with her to earn their keep in some way. She expects such of the Warrior Queen and her soldiers in this moment. It’s why she keeps her foolish henchmen around for as long as she has (and why she secretly loves them): they’re survivors.

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“My father turned me into a survivor … unlike you.”

Go Go Power Rangers #19 by Ryan Parrott, Eleonora Carlini, Simona Di Gianfelice, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire

Speaking of survivors, survival is a trait that Rita has been established consistently in the comics to not only respect, but to see in herself. Rita Repulsa’s origin story saw her cold-hearted father, Master Vile, rip the baby Rita from the arms of her mother, the pure-hearted Lady Fienna, and raise her to be evil. Rita acknowledges the harsh realities of her childhood and even the harshness of her father, but believes those hardships only made her stronger.

That’s why she carries so much reverence for her father as an adult and so much hatred for her mother despite Fienna only trying to save her soul. What makes this so disturbing is not only Repulsa’s coldness toward her mother, but just how she’s justified years worth of pain she suffered and twisted it into love for a man who doesn’t deserve it.

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“One way or another … your people will serve the queen. Whether or not you’re alive to join them is up to you.”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #7 by Kyle Higgins, Hendry Prasetya, Matt Herms, and Ed Dukeshire

With the help of Lord Drakkon’s Black Dragon, Rita Repulsa is able to destroy the Command Center, take control of the Rangers’ Zords, and force the Rangers into retreating into a pocket dimension. When Rita Repulsa is confident that she’s done away with the Power Rangers once and for all, she orders Angel Grove and all the planet’s leaders to swear allegiance to her.

Many of these quotes highlight how scary it is when Rita Repulsa knows she’s in control, but this is by far the best example of that. As far as Rita is concerned, she has the power and control to make demands as grandiose as this, and there are not any Rangers around to stop her. This is Rita at her most unstoppable in her mind. An unstoppable Rita Repulsa is bad news for everyone in her path.

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“My name is Mistress Vile! And your hubris will get you killed, Zeddie.”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #102 by Melissa Flores, Simona Di Gianfelice, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire

Rita Repulsa proceeded to disappear from storylines not long after the “Shattered Grid” arc, leaving her absent from Rangers comics for an elongated amount of time. She re-appears suddenly and defiantly to kick off the new “Recharged” arc of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. After receiving a power boost from Dark Specter to carry out his duty, Rita re-dubs herself Mistress Vile, and makes her mark by decimating her former disciples at the Moon Palace.

She especially makes an example out of Lord Zedd. Again, Rita is entirely in control and knows it, but more importantly, she’s confident about her newfound power. This is a different kind of confidence that one might think would vanish after countless defeats at the Rangers’ hands. But with new strength at her fingertips, Rita inhales a new breath of fresh air in her new form.

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“Do not mistake my misfortune for weakness.”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #104 by Melissa Flores, Kath Lobo, Simona Di Gianfelice, Fabi Marques, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire

This issue exists to let readers know how Rita Repulsa came to work for Dark Specter and received her power upgrade after Lord Zedd banished her back into her dumpster (just like he does in the show upon his debut). Where the show and the comics differ is that, in comics lore, Rita’s dumpster prison is recovered from space by Divatox, the main antagonist of Power Rangers Turbo. Divatox makes the mistake of thinking she can take advantage of Rita in a moment of vulnerability.

Rita’s been forced to swallow defeat several times, but refuses to acknowledge any weakness on her part. Rita has been beaten and embarrassed time and again, but refuses to stay down when she’s pushed down, like a cockroach, as Lord Zedd would call her. If she wasn’t getting back up to commit evil, it would almost be inspiring.

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“Oh, how I missed saying this … make my monster grow!”

Power Rangers: Ranger Slayer #1 by Ryan Parrott, Dan Mora, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire

When most longtime viewers think about Rita Repulsa quotes, the most iconic one to come to mind usually is, “Make my monster grow!” It became one of her key catchphrases that she’d say practically every episode she’d appear in, leading into the final Zord battle of each episode’s third act. It’s such a staple of her character that she does not hesitate to bring it back in the comics after coming back from the dead (with help from the original Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger).

It’s a fun anecdote to know just how much delight Rita Repulsa takes in saying this phrase. It’s no secret that Rita always relished taking part in evil acts, but seeing her take enjoyment out of the little things like this almost makes her relatable. Of course, that’s as relatable as a maniacal monster breeding witch can be for audiences.

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“I … am … Rita Repulsa! And I bring death with me!”

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #106 by Melissa Flores, Simona Di Gianfelice, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire

The comics often find new ways to expand on classic Power Rangers lore, and here, readers get to see the first meeting between Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. Thousands of years ago, on the planet Sparo V, the future married couple would cross paths when Repulsa invades Zedd’s camp on orders of Master Vile.

A young Rita at this point in her life may have yet to have made a name for herself in the universe, but she refuses to be undermined just the same. In fact, being undermined in this instance seems to only fuel Rita’s strength, motivating her to overwhelm Zedd even harder than before. This is merely a taste of the Rita Repulsa who would terrorize the Power Rangers on a weekly basis thousands of years later on the planet Earth in Angel Grove.