After decades of protecting the universe through his connection to the Morphin Grid, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ original ‘90s Red Ranger, Jason Lee Scott, is officially retiring–and it’s the heroically heartfelt goodbye the character deserved.
Jason Lee Scott was introduced in the first episode of the live-action series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Like his fellow future Rangers, Jason was a student at Angel Grove High School who was called upon by the being known as Zordon to accept the duty and responsibility of becoming a Power Ranger due to the recent awakening of the powerful villain Rita Repulsa. To become a Ranger, Jason–just like the rest–had to be connected to what’s known as the Morphin Grid which is the source of the Rangers’ power. While the Morphin Grid gave Jason the ability to essentially become a cosmic superhero, there was one downside to that connection which was explored in this latest addition to Power Rangers lore.
In BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #100 by Ryan Parrott, Moisés Hidalgo, and Marco Renna, Jason has been possessed by an evil entity known as the Dark Ranger, and Jason wasn’t the only one. Both Zack Taylor and Trini Kwan were also overtaken by the Dark Ranger’s influence, but Jason stood out as he was the Death Ranger’s prime host. Using Jason’s body and his connection to the Morphin Grid, the Death Ranger rose up an army of the dead on a far-off planet with the intention of using those ‘space zombies’ to conquer the universe. So, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (those who weren’t ‘infected’ with the Death Ranger’s influence) powered up to stop them. In the end, however, there was only one Ranger who had the ability to stop the Dark Ranger, and that person was Jason–though the price he’d have to pay was great.
The Red Ranger’s Final Sacrifice to Save the Power Rangers Universe
Just as the Dark Ranger and their army were about to decimate the Power Rangers, Jason and the Power Rangers’ ally, Andros, sever Jason’s connection to the Morphin Grid–which, in turn, severs the Dark Ranger’s connection to the Morphin Grid as well. Unfortunately, this means that Jason has forever lost his ability to transform into the Red Ranger. While that is a sad thought given Jason’s history as an iconic member of the Power Rangers since the ‘90s, Jason seemed ready to hang it all up when the time finally came. For some time now, Jason has been wanting to spend time with his family as his career as a Power Ranger constantly got in the way of that. Now, Jason is finally able to be with those he cares for the most.
Not only was Jason ready to retire from the Power Rangers, but he certainly went out with a bang. By sacrificing his power and his title as the Red Ranger, Jason effectively saved the entire universe from the Dark Ranger who was essentially leaching off of Jason’s connection to the Morphin Grid–which is not a bad way to say goodbye to an iconic hero. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers officially retired the original ‘90s Red Ranger, and while that may be a metaphorical punch to the gut for some fans who have followed the series since they were kids, Jason Lee Scott’s retirement was done in the best and most heroic way possible.
