Warning: Spoilers for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1!The original Red Ranger from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers has a new costume, and it’s sporting a dark secret about his Ranger form. As readers eagerly anticipate the release of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return, which succeeded in its Kickstarter goal within 45 minutes, they previously received a preview of the Red Ranger’s vigilante costume.
As it turns out, this new costume contains a hidden detail that could reveal a vital part of the plot to come for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return #1 by Amy Jo Johnson, Matt Hotson, and Nico Leon. While much remains to be revealed about the story to come, readers can predict key details of the story by judging from previously released previews and character designs showcasing Jason’s costume and scars beneath it.
The preview images reveal that Jason’s helmet has a large slash across the eye that, unlike with previous Ranger transformations, has not repaired itself on its own. This could be a reflection of Zordon’s absence in the Rangers’ lives 30 years later.
Why Isn’t the Red Ranger’s Suit Repairing?
It has been unveiled that the story of The Return takes place in an alternate timeline in which no Power Rangers ever leave the team. As a dark consequence, this winds up being a timeline where Zordon, Alpha-5, and the Command Center are all destroyed in one fell swoop during an attack from Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd. This tragedy is disheartening enough to convince all the Rangers to hang up their Morphers. The only exception is Jason, who carries on his Ranger duties decades later as the sole Power Ranger protecting the planet.
Previous looks at Jason’s character designs, both in his Ranger form and in his civilian clothes, reveal a scar across his face, likely acquired from his time fighting crime as a vigilante. This seems to be confirmed when taking a closer look at Jason’s new Ranger outfit, which is sporting a long gash across his helmet that matches the scar on his face. While Rangers getting parts of their costume torn or destroyed is nothing new for the franchise, the fact that it hasn’t been repaired yet is odd. The Rangers always transform into new forms, hence why every time the Rangers morph again, the tears in their costume are no longer present.
Zordon’s Death May Have Disconnected Rangers from the Morphin Grid
Jason’s outfit not being repaired on its own could say a few things about his adventures. The simplest answer is that his escapades as a solo Power Ranger have been so dangerous and the injury he sustained is so bad that it not only failed to heal but transferred to his real body. The alternative answer could be a far more grim detail. With Zordon’s death in this universe, there is a chance that the Rangers losing their main connection to the Morphin Grid also lost them the healing ability with their Ranger forms that come with it. All will be revealed when the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Return series begins on February 7.
