Boom Studio’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comic has been great at both providing some nostalgic throwbacks to the classic show and forging its own, modern identity for the series. But today’s issue adds one of the biggest twists to Power Rangers canon in over two decades.
Over the first nine issues of the comic, the Rangers have been dealing with the treat of Rita Repulsa and her latest villainous ally—a giant, evil being known only as the Black Dragon, who’s been wreaking havoc by taking control over the Rangers’ Zords, priming them to level cities across the world.
Before it can do that though, Tommy and Billy discover that the Black Dragon isn’t a monster like Rita’s usual cohorts, but a mecha, like their Zords. While the other rangers distract the Dragon and retake control of their Zords, the duo break into the giant beast and shut it down... which seemingly causes the whole thing to blow up, taking them with it.
They’re not dead, of course—the series can’t do that much to Power Rangers canon—but neither is the Black Dragon, who reveals to Rita that the giant mecha was not his true form, but one that he’s been controlling from his plane of existence, a land where Tommy and Billy have been transported to. The Black Dragon’s true form is altogether much more surprising...
Because the Black Dragon is a seventh Ranger. An all-new, all-mysterious addition to the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers cast.
Whoever the character is, its clear they’ve got links to Tommy and his former role as a villainous henchmen at Rita’s disposal. No only does he carry a similar dagger to Tommy’s own, his design, created by the comic’s cover artist Jamal Campbell alongside writer Kyle Higgins (and even Saban itself), almost feels like a fusion between the Green Ranger, White Ranger, and Black Dino Thunder Ranger suits Tommy would wear across his time in the Power Rangers franchise:
Whoever this mysterious figure is remains to be seen—including if, as is the long tradition of extra Rangers in Power Rangers and the Super Sentai franchises, he’ll end up joining the main team after a villainous stint. But for now, he’s being set up as the true big bad of the comic series, and it’s kind of cool the book can mess around with Power Rangers canon like this.