The latest edition to BOOM! Studios’ Power Rangers universe, the Death Ranger, is finally revealing their true intentions and, potentially, the true extent of their power. At this point, there are still many things that readers have yet to learn about this mysterious new Ranger. Readers may not get a full understanding of who the Death Ranger is until Power Rangers Unlimited: The Death Rangers hits retailers August 31, but in Power Rangers, small details about them are being slowly unveiled. Among the few things that audiences do know about the Death Ranger is that they are a member of the Omega Rangers and are officially the first non-binary Power Ranger.
The Death Ranger’s origins date back even further than the current iteration of the Omega Rangers featuring Trini, Jason, and Zack, as the lore regarding the Omega Rangers stretches back thousands of years. Those original Omega Rangers, each with their own elemental powers, banded together to protect the galaxy against the forces of evil. Things changed when one of these Rangers was seduced by some death-defying forces of evil that convinced them to turn on their comrades, becoming the Death Ranger.
At a point in time when the death of thousands of his home planet KO-35’s inhabitants and the near-death of his best friend Zhane continues to weigh heavy on Andros, Power Rangers #22 (by Ryan Parrott and Marco Renna) reveals why the hero is interested in forming an alliance with the mysterious Death Ranger. While the Death Ranger promises to bring back Andros’ friend Zhane, they have much grander plans in mind: to resurrect all those lost in KO-35’s destruction. The Death Ranger is capable of “resurrecting” others, in effect creating an undead army, although the undead don’t seem to return quite as they used to be, as they become evil zombies.
While it’s already too late once Andros learns that he’s made a mistake in trusting the Death Ranger, this discovery reveals the full terror of the Death Ranger’s powers, as well as unearthing their complexity. Their ultimate goal in raising an undead army is to take out Dark Specter and his army, which admittedly is a noble goal. Dark Specter is an evil force of nature and most Rangers feel the same way. However, it’s the way in which they attempt to do so that’s the problem.
The Death Ranger’s unflinching methods – which include killing Rangers and raising the undead into warped, twisted versions of themselves – makes this Ranger into a villain in line with the darkness of the Great Monarch of Evil. As such, there is just as much urgency for the Power Rangers to stop the Death Ranger as to ally with them in facing down Dark Specter.
Power Rangers #22 is available now from Boom Studios.
