The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers’ original nemesis might be gone, but her influence is still being felt even years after she stopped being a part of their world.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Power Rangers #16, available now from Boom! Studios.
The Power Rangers have been faced with the most menacing enemies they have ever encountered. As impactful as both the Empyreals and invading Eltarian forces have been, there is one villain whose influence still lingers long after the battle has finished. In fact, out of all the revelations made in recent months, the most shocking of them all might be the fact that Lord Zedd’s own army has never really been his. No matter how long she has been gone, Rita Repulsa is still who the Evil Space Aliens are fighting for, and she always has been.
After the destruction of the final Empyreal and death of Supreme Guardian Zartus, the Eltarian War has finally come to an end. Though the fallout on Earth is genuinely devastating, not everyone who fought on its behalf has chosen to stay behind and aid in the recovery efforts. Goldar, Squat, Baboo, and Finster all choose to head back to the moon, even when given the option of returning to the relative utopia of Safehaven. Upon arriving in Bandora Palace, the four Evil Space Aliens are greeted by an incensed Lord Zedd who demands to know why they really came back instead of escaping altogether. As Power Rangers #16 (by Ryan Parrott, Francesco Mortarino, Christian Prunesti, Raul Angulo, and Ed Dukeshire) reveals, the villains haven’t returned out of any twisted sense of honor, but for the memory of the space witch they never stopped serving.
Rita Repulsa has been an iconic part of the Power Rangers’ universe ever since they were first introduced in 1993’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers television series. As the primary antagonist of the show, Rita commanded the likes of Goldar, Finster, and all of the monstrous creations she helped give life to for years to come. Lord Zedd, on the other hand, wouldn’t step into the picture until the second season of the series, and even then he was often on an even footing with the Rangers’ first nemesis when it came to leading their shared army. Although as the comics have made clear, it was never actually Zedd’s army to begin with.
Baboo pointedly tells Zedd that the only reason he and his compatriots didn’t run was for worry of what Rita would have thought of them. Even years after her demise, Rita Repulsa’s influence is still shaping those whose lives she touched. In spite of the overtly evil methods she employed, Rita was always at her core a genuinely caring figure. No matter how much her spirit was twisted by her upbringing under Master Vile, Rita maintained the sort of spirit which leaves a permanent impression on those lucky enough to know it. She may have largely lived and died as a supervillain, but that doesn’t mean Rita wasn’t still the best of the Power Rangers’ original villains at her core.
Considering how close he and Rita were, it’s hard to imagine that this is truly new information to Lord Zedd. It is far more likely that he only needed confirmation of his subordinates’ intentions to ensure they hadn’t returned to work against him in secret. That might be a painful discovery to make either way, although it also reaffirms that Goldar and the others aren’t going to be leaving Zedd’s side anytime soon. At least, not as long as he doesn’t try to diminish their real leader’s legacy.
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