Warning: ContainsSPOILERSforMighty Morphin Power Rangers #15When Tommy Oliver was finally freed from Rita Repulsa’s mind control, he chose to atone for his sins and join thePower Rangers. However, in an alternate world, a different version of the Green Ranger chose to stay alongside his Queen, taking a much darker path. In his path toward conquest, he crossed one critical line that fans watching the original show in the ‘90s would be appalled by.
BOOM! Studios’Mighty Morphin Power Rangerscomic book series is a massive eight-year-long saga that expands on and transforms the stories of the original Power Rangers lineup. However, while the prime continuity of the Angel Grove teens remained mostly the same, in an alternate timeline,Tommy Oliver’s transformation to Lord Drakkonspelled despair for both timelines.
Spearheading the beginning of his world’s downfall,Drakkon coldly slayed the franchise’s most beloved sage, Zordon. With a twist so uncharacteristically violent for the franchise, theMighty Morphin Power Rangersseries made a gruesome statement that shocked every fan of the original series.
Tommy Oliver’s Betrayal Could Be Felt Across Realities
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (2016) #15 -Written by Kyle Higgins; Art by Daniel Bayliss; Letters by Ed Dukeshire
In the alternate reality forever known asthe Coinless World,a timeline where Tommy Oliver depowered nearly all other Rangers, Zordon continuously maintains unwavering faith that Tommy may still find a change of heart. In his rise to power, the newly dubbed Lord Drakkon understands that the quickest way to destabilize the Power Rangers is to destroy their leaders. Spearheading a full-blown assault on the Power Rangers’ base of command, Drakkon single-handedly defeats each ranger, christening his victory with the death of Jason, the Red Ranger.
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To fully cement his victory over the fallen “Coinless” resistance, Drakkon’s last great obstacle is theever-so-virtuous and overly-trustingfather figure to the Rangers, Zordon. Even in his last moments, Zordon pleads to the Green and White Ranger, telling Drakkon that it’s not too late to change his heart. Resolute in his path to empirical domination, Drakkon cuts throughZordon’s temporal containment chamber, effectively killing the last of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ leaders. From that point forward, Drakkon wouldseize the entirety of his worldbefore changing his sights on the Prime Rangers’ universe.
Drakkon’s Cruelty Would Have Horrified Kids in the ’90s
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (2016)#1 - Written by Kyle Higgins; Art by Hendry Prasetya; Color by Matt Herms; Lettering by Ed Dukeshire
In the original 1990sMighty Morphin Power Rangersshow,teamwork, friendship, and forgivenesswere key tenets of the show’s message to its younger audience. Tommy was never supposed to be evil, just another troubled teen who was led astray by an evil force. Tommy was a victim who chose to overcome the pain he had endured rather than wield it as a weapon against the innocent. Tommy cruelly slaughtering Zordon would havesent terrifying chills down the backs of the young audiencewho admired the heroes. This comic book’s dark event hurts even moreconsidering what happened to Zordon afterward.
The existential horror of feeling your spirit being ripped apart by time is an unfathomable experience that even adults can’t comprehend.
No longer tethered to a single point within the time stream, and without a body to house him,Zordon is doomedto momentarily slip through the time warp before fading into nothingness. Death is already a complicated abstract idea thatthe Power Rangersshows’ younger audiences would struggle to grasp, but the existential horror of feeling your spirit being ripped apart by time isan unfathomable experiencethat even adults can’t comprehend. However, despite his permanent death, Coinless Zordon, as well as his Prime counterpart, possessone final vestigial tetherthat could have been called on.
Zordon’s Suffering Lives Longer Than His Life
His Body Is Its Own Weapon
After havinghis soul and body cleaved apart, Zordon’s physical body remained behind andfell into Rita Repulsa’s controlalongside the Dragon Coin. While she made little use of it at first, she eventually noticed enough of Zordon’s spiritual remnants in the lifeless shell to bring it to life. Known simply as Vessel, the being served Rita until it was primed for Dark Specter’s possession. So, not only was Coinless Zordon spiritually murdered by Lord Drakkon buthis physical vesselwas most likelycorrupted and turned into Drakkon’s pawn.
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Once again, these acts would have never been found inthe original Mighty Morphin. The genuinely abject horror of watching a beloved mentor die while evil forces parade around their body could only ever be done successfully, as it is done in the comics.Power Rangersis and has always been a medium about hope and perseverance, so it was a terrifyingly shocking introduction to see what violent cruelty Lord Drakkon was capable of. Thankfully for every 90sPower Rangersfan though, their Zordon lives on in peace and Tommy Oliver never became a multiverse-shattering cosmic warlord.
Check out the Power Rangers’ next series,Power Rangers Prime,debuting on July 07, 2025 by BOOM! Studios.
Power Rangers
Power Rangersis a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV seriesMighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the JapaneseSuper Sentaiseries,Power Rangersbecame a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage fromSuper Sentaiwith 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.
