Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Power Rangers Prime #1! ‘90s kids who were big fans of Power Rangers will likely remember VR Troopers, the nearly identical (but not quite) team of morphing heroes. VR Troopers was also a Saban property just like Power Rangers, so it makes sense why they’re so similar. But now, those similarities aren’t purely rooted in a similar style or shared production company, as Power Rangers officially combines lore with VR Troopers. And in doing so, Power Rangers sets up the VR Troopers as devastating enemies.
In Power Rangers Prime #1 by Melissa Flores and Michael Yg, fans are thrown into a completely new Power Rangers continuity unlike anything they’ve seen before. The Elterians have conquered the Earth under the guise of helping protect it from a Beast Brigade alien invasion, adding humanity to their ever-growing galactic empire. When the Elterians arrived at Earth, they initially fought side-by-side with the Power Rangers. However, once the day was won and the Elterians put into action the real reason why they were there, they saw the Power Rangers as a threat to their conquest.
The Elterians are the same race of aliens that Zordon belonged to, and in the original
Power Rangers
continuity, they are intergalactic peacekeepers, not planetary conquerors. That clearly changed in the new continuity of
Power Rangers Prime
.
The Elterians killed the Rangers and anyone who would inherit their power (friends, family members, and even their children). Not only that, but the Elterians relegated the Power Rangers to mere myth, denying their existence and claiming that any Power Rangers story was nothing more than fiction. Then, the Elterians created their own Power Ranger-like strike force: the VR Troopers. The VR Troopers effectively replaced the Power Rangers, and filled their role as a global protection unit. Meanwhile, the Power Rangers themselves effectively became extinct – that is, until the events of this new series.
In the above X post by BOOM! Studios revealing a variant cover by artist Inhyuk Lee, it’s not only confirmed that the VR Troopers will be the Power Rangers’ enemies, but the most dangerous VR Trooper has already been named: Ryan Steele. Ryan was shown in Power Rangers Prime #1 as a student in an Elterian academy, training to become a VR Trooper. That’s significant given that Ryan was the leader of the VR Troopers in the original ‘90s series, and it seems he’ll fall into a corrupted version of that role in this new Power Rangers continuity.
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The VR Troopers were three teenagers named Ryan Steele, JB Reese, and Kaitlin Star, who were tasked with protecting the world from the evils of the VR Dimension after they were given advanced technology that allowed them to siphon power from that dimension and morph into the VR Troopers. The ‘big bad’ of the series – a villain called Grimlord – wanted to breach the veil and conquer the physical universe just as he conquered VR, and he had no shortage of wacky minions for the VR Troopers to fight.
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Learning that my favorite Power Rangers memory from growing up was never canon was heartbreaking, but it did not make it any less fun to watch.
While it had an interesting premise and cool special effects (indeed, the entire series leaned into the virtual reality craze of the ‘90s), VR Troopers wasn’t quite able to step out from Power Rangers’ shadow. Many fans saw it as a cheap knock-off as opposed to its own unique series, unimpressed with the flashy CGI and familiar aesthetic. However, that shortfall has just become an interesting development in Power Rangers Prime.
The New VR Troopers Could Add All-New Villains to Power Rangers Lore
Does the VR Dimension Now Exist in Power Rangers Continuity?
Power Rangers Prime #1 explains that the VR Troopers are basically just Power Rangers look-alikes controlled by the Elterian Empire, which makes them terrifying villains for the Power Rangers to eventually face later in the series. But, what if there’s more to it than that? Perhaps the Elterians became aware of the VR Dimension and harnessed its power to create its VR Troopers. The Elterians are aware of the Morphin Grid (indeed, Zordon was an Elterian, and he led the Power Rangers for years), so maybe they found another otherworldly power source, and decided to make it their own.
The idea that the VR Dimension exists in Power Rangers canon is truly exciting, and implies that all the villains from the ‘90s VR Troopers show also exist in Power Rangers lore – including Grimlord. Perhaps this could lead to an eventual VR Troopers/Power Rangers team-up once the Elterians are defeated, allowing the VR Troopers the chance to not only find redemption in this new world, but also finally fight side-by-side with the heroes of its ‘sister series’, the Power Rangers.
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It took 29 years, but Power Rangers finally delivered a team-up every Mighty Morphin fan had dreamed of seeing since the original 1990s show.
While the prospect of the VR Troopers teaming up with the Power Rangers is exciting, that’s not the current reality. As it stands, the VR Troopers are nothing more than an Elterian hit squad, and the Power Rangers are collectively public enemy number one (and virtually extinct). And now that fans know VR Troopers alum, Ryan Steele, will be reclaiming his position as the leader of the team, it’s clear that the Power Rangers will be in for the fight of their life to reclaim what was taken from them.
Power Rangers Prime #1 by BOOM! Studios is available now.
Source: BOOM! Studios/X
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the Japanese Super Sentai series, Power Rangers became a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage from Super Sentai with new scenes featuring American actors. The franchise follows teams of young heroes who transform into Power Rangers to battle various villains, using martial arts, special powers, and giant mechas called Zords. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded into multiple TV series, films, comics, video games, and merchandise, becoming one of the most successful children’s franchises in the world.
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