At Random

Faces of Evil
The Many Villains of Power Rangers Part 3

Power Rangers is a series that should be familiar with just about everyone growing up during the nineties. Many kids fell in love with the colorful costumes and the slick karate moves. Each child had a favorite Ranger that they wanted to be for halloween. Well I never quite liked the Rangers. In fact, the only time I was a fan of a ranger, was when he/she was under the villains spell fighting against his comrades. The truth is I always gravitated toward the villains of the show, which Power Rangers had plenty of. There have been a fair amount of silly, demented, and even downright terrifying baddies whose presence only made the series that much more enjoyable. After all, what is a hero without a villain? Considering I have seen a fair share of the Power Ranger seasons (more than a sane person should anyway), I thought I would share my personal thoughts on these wicked menaces. Everything I say here should be taken with a grain of salt as I in no way suggest that you begin taking this show (even its villains) seriously. This is simply me giving my appreciation to a show that bestowed upon me many fond memories.


Power Rangers SPD

Emperor Grumm – For most of the season, this intergalactic tyrant ran the show, supposedly taking down the A-Squad Rangers and unleashing enough criminals to send the Rangers into a panic. He was often seen talking to what the audience assumed to be himself but was later revealed to be the true mastermind behind everything. In fact, Grumm turned out to be nothing more than a puppet. Surprisingly, he also was one of the few Power Ranger villains to keep their life by season’s end.

A-Squad – Are these Rangers or Terminators? Look at those guns! Anyway, this group of Rangers was supposedly captured early on in the season, thus resulting in B-Squad being chosen to defend the Earth in their place. Of course it was all a ruse and these Rangers were revealed to have been in cahoots with Grumm the whole time. Honestly, I don’t know why they were ever promoted to A-Squad considering their fighting skills were lack luster at best. All they did was rely on their guns.


Omni – This was the true master villain behind Grumm; a giant brain. Ill repeat it; a giant brain. Well at least it had a cool Zord that towered over all others. Aside from that, I think sadly even Scorpius could take this thing. What a lousy way to end an otherwise decent season.







Power Rangers Mystic Force

The Ten Terrors – Wait….more demons? I thought the Rangers defeated the demons like five seasons ago. Well turns out these guys are stronger than the previous species. The fact that their normal size is that of a giant should say something; and yes, that was not their only power (like a certain Maligore). These are the ten strongest demons and they only serve under Octomus the master. I guess it begs the question: just what was Banshira queen of of anyway?




Octomus the Master – Only in Power Rangers can a creature with a skull for a head that has octopus tentacles protruding outward be considered frightining. Here is the true lord of the demon race. What separated him from other villains was that it took way more than just the Rangers to defeat him. In fact it was his own powerful magic turned against him that lead to his demise. Master indeed.





Power Rangers Operation Overdrive

Flurius
Moltor
Kamdor – Admittedly, I don’t know much about these guys, having seen only one episode of the season. All I know is that these three were rival villains that were competing with each other to see who could conquer the Earth, which is a unique idea, but look at them; Who can take these guys seriously? Its pretty obvious who is who, judging by names and looks.

Thrax – This was the reason I watched that single episode. This is the son of Rita and Zedd and twice as tough. As you can guess, he inherited all of Zedd’s strength along with his staff. It took several past rangers along with the current crop to put him down, finally putting an end to Rita and Zedd’s legacy of evil.







Power Rangers Jungle Fury

The Overlords – Jungle Fury followed the same pattern as Wildforce. A group of villains acted as place holders until the true villain showed up to take his rightful place; and just like the others these losers were destroyed rather easily. What were they lords of anyway?


Daishi – Also like Wildforce, this master of something or other had a human form that was discarded in favor of a more powerful one. Now to be fair, Daishi was powerful and did have a commanding presence but he lacked any real motivation. It seemed like he just wanted his throne back from the Overlords, which is OK but why persist in sending monsters the Rangers way? He also had a somewhat cool costume.


Power Rangers RPM

Venjix – No, this is not a rebuilt General Venjix; this one is superior in every way. To begin, he started out the series by actually conquering the Earth and even killing a few people. Wow, I guess the writers went all out for the final season of the show. This Venjix is everything the Machine Empire should have been. Every time he is destroyed, he just rebuilds himself stronger than before. At 80%, he nearly destroyed the Rangers for good. A nice way to cap of the series with an above average villain (by Power Ranger standards).

At Random

Faces of Evil

The Many Villains of Power Rangers Part 2

Power Rangers is a series that should be familiar with just about everyone growing up during the nineties. Many kids fell in love with the colorful costumes and the slick karate moves. Each child had a favorite Ranger that they wanted to be for halloween. Well I never quite liked the Rangers. In fact, the only time I was a fan of a ranger, was when he/she was under the villains spell fighting against his comrades. The truth is I always gravitated toward the villains of the show, which Power Rangers had plenty of. There have been a fair amount of silly, demented, and even downright terrifying baddies whose presence only made the series that much more enjoyable. After all, what is a hero without a villain? Considering I have seen a fair share of the Power Ranger seasons (more than a sane person should anyway), I thought I would share my personal thoughts on these wicked menaces. Everything I say here should be taken with a grain of salt as I in no way suggest that you begin taking this show (even its villains) seriously. This is simply me giving my appreciation to a show that bestowed upon me many fond memories.

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy

Scorpius – How is this guy in the least bit threatening? He looks like skinned hamster. What is there to be afraid of? Anyway, he was kind of a take off of Jabba the Hutt; an intergalactic warlord who was fat and never really all that threatening to begin with. I have no clue how this guy amassed his army but at least he was killed off before the end to make room for better villains.

Trakeena – The daughter of Scorpius, Trakeena had probably the most character depth out of any Power Rangers villain in any season. She never wanted to be a galactic princess or rule an empire. In fact, she ran away and went on her own journey of self discovery. Of course, tragedy struck in the form of her father’s death, forcing her to take up the throne. A series of unfortunate events later, and Trakeena not only lost her mind, but she also transformed into a full blown monster strong enough to nearly destroy the Rangers. She returned the next season for a one off appearance before finally being laid to rest at the hands of two seasons worth of Rangers.

Power Rangers Light Speed Rescue

Queen Banshira – Banshira was the queen of the demon kingdom. She spent most of the series trapped in an alternate dimension, giving orders to those she chose to lead in her place until she could be freed. Towards the end, she betrayed her generals and absorbed their powers into her own to return to full power before being defeated by the Rangers.

Diabolico – What a disappointment; a demon with feelings? This guy cared about his subordinates and comrades, going so far as to betray Banshira because she used them. By the end of the season, it was impossible to take him seriously. On top of his countless failures, Diabolico just wasn’t much of a threat. When she had no more use for him, Banshira tossed him aside. I would think since he had been serving her for a millennia, he would have known better than to trust her.

Prince Olympius – The prince of the demon empire was the son of Banshira and heir to the kingdom. He was constantly feuding with Diabolico for her favor despite the fact that he was far more competent at bringing the fight to the Rangers. He went through so many transformations throughout the season that by the end he was one of the strongest villains to ever threaten the Rangers.

Power Rangers Time Force

Ransik – Wow was this guy ugly! Ransik was the leader of a mutant army that was merely misunderstood. He was a sympathetic villain who just wanted equal rights for his brothers and when he couldn’t have them, decided to take them by force. Wait….evil mutant leader that wants equal rights? This guy is Magneto! He even had enough power to crush the Rangers himself. Heck, I think he is the only villain that actually did defeat them but surrendered because his daughter got caught up in the mess. He was eventually redeemed the following season.

Nadira – Ransik’s daughter and a pretty useless one at that. Her main purpose was to accompany mutants on their mission and just over see everything. When the action started, she usually was quick to run away.

Power Rangers Wild Force

Jindrax and Toxica – These two weren't really all that powerful. In truth, they weren’t that evil to begin with. They were just close friends that were following the orders of their superiors. In the end they marched off into the sunset to travel the world.

The Duke Orgs – Each one of these supposed “Dukes” was useless and met their end at the hands of the Rangers only to be resurrected and killed off again. Each one was formidable but they were really just placeholders for their true master.

General Venjix – As the last general of the machine empire, Venjix took it upon himself to attempt to conquer the Earth. It even took the combined strength of every Red Ranger up to that point to defeat him. Of course, in reality, Venjix was just a recycled Beetleborg costume that only added to my disappointment. What robot has antennas anyway?

Master Org – This was the leader of all orgs and quite a potent threat. After transforming from his chubby human form, he adopted the form of a giant muscled up Jindrax, with enough power to destroy the Ranger’s zords and strip them of their powers. He was ultimately destroyed but he made sure to push them to the limit before getting blasted into the great beyond.

Power Rangers Ninja Storm

Lothor – An evil space ninja? What will they come up with next? Lothor is the Joker to the Ranger’s Batman. His personality changes to accommodate the situation he is placed in. One minute he was hosting an evil beauty contest, the next he was stealing the Ranger’s powers. Lothor even broke the fourth wall on more than one occasion, talking directly to the viewer. He was also one of the few villains to have a familial relationship to a Ranger, being the Green Ranger’s uncle. Lothor is up there as one of the best in the Rangers storied history of villains.

Power Rangers Dino Thunder

Mesogog – This tyranno terror was perhaps my favorite villain to challenge the Rangers. Just look at him. He looks like he could chew the head off a Ranger! Equiped with telekinesis, super strength, and a brilliant mind, Mesogog was a formidable threat. He also had an unfortunate weakness in the form of a human transformation that wanted nothing more than to separate himself from Mesogog, but by the end of the season, he was all the more powerful for it. He also had the unique ability to evolve, further enhancing his strength.

At Random

Faces of Evil
The Many Villains of Power Rangers Part 1

Power Rangers is a series that should be familiar with just about everyone growing up during the nineties. Many kids fell in love with the colorful costumes and the slick karate moves. Each child had a favorite Ranger that they wanted to be for halloween. Well I never quite liked the Rangers. In fact, the only time I was a fan of a ranger, was when he/she was under the villains spell fighting against his comrades. The truth is I always gravitated toward the villains of the show, which Power Rangers had plenty of. There have been a fair amount of silly, demented, and even downright terrifying baddies whose presence only made the series that much more enjoyable. After all, what is a hero without a villain? Considering I have seen a fair share of the Power Ranger seasons (more than a sane person should anyway), I thought I would share my personal thoughts on these wicked menaces. Everything I say here should be taken with a grain of salt as I in no way suggest that you begin taking this show (even its villains)seriously. This is simply me giving my appreciation to a show that bestowed upon me many fond memories.

Mighty Morphing Power Rangers

Rita Repulsa – The first series baddie was Rita. With a wicked head of hair, a cone bra, and a voice that could shatter glass, Rita was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Every week she would attempt the same plan of sending a monster to Angel Grove and every week the Power Rangers would defeat it, usually resulting in Rita suffering a headache. In fact, her constant failures lead to the introduction of the next villain….





Lord Zedd – Whoa! Did this guy look scary. Was this really a villain meant for a kid’s show? His brain and muscles are showing! Zedd started out as a serious threat, banishing Rita, banging up the Rangers, and coming close several times to conquering the world. Then the inevitable happened; mothers everywhere complained that he was too scary and demanded he be toned down and that is exactly what Fox did. Fox went so far as to have him Marry Rita of all people, reducing him to a grumpy husband. Poor Zedd really deserved better.




Ivan Ooze – For their first movie, the Rangers needed a larger than life threat and Ivan was just that. Wickedly clever and immensely powerful, he destroyed the Rangers home, stole their powers, and took control of their city; all in the span of a few hours. He even handed Rita and Zedd their backsides just to show who the true “Master of Disaster” was.








Power Rangers Zeo

Master Vile – This multi-headed freakshow is the father of Rita and slightly less useless. Vile was under the impression that Zedd was the reason for Rita’s constant failures, so he insisted that he would capture the Earth for his little girl. Well at least Zedd lasted longer than a couple of months. This guy showed promise in the beginning, challenging the Rangers head on but quickly retreated when he couldn’t get the job done.



The Machine Empire – Led by the Royal House of Gadgetry, these bots quickly took over Zedd’s living space and brought the fight to the Rangers. Sadly, they never lived up to their potential. As machines, you would think they could just rebuild their fallen soldiers stronger than before, but I guess they were too busy bickering with Rita and Zedd to think of that.




Power Rangers Turbo

Maligore – What powers did this guy have besides being giant? I don’t know why anyone would go out of their way to free him considering how weak he turned out to be.





Divatox – As her name would suggest, this empress of evil was a full on diva. She wanted the spotlight on her at all times. Divatox didn’t even really care about the rangers so much as she just wanted to conquer the Earth to prove she could. It was a bit strange that a diva acted as the leader of space pirates but Power Rangers never made much sense to begin with( thinking about it now, not too many shows from that era did).





Power Rangers in Space

The United Alliance of Evil – With the final season to the original series, the writers decided to throw together every villain featured so far (with the exception of those who appeared in the movies)and give them a common goal of destroying the rangers. Strangely, this group did not play a huge role as the main villains of the season, rather two new arch fiends were introduced as the true leaders behind the previous villains, challenging the Rangers themselves in a bid to conquer not just the Earth but the Universe itself.


Dark Specter – Wait….havent we seen this beast before? He looks just like Maligore. Even Divatox notices the similarities. The only difference is that this guy can talk. For a being that is supposed to be the “Monarch of Evil”, he really didn’t do much besides bark out orders. Heck, he didn’t even fight the Rangers. Why was everyone so afraid of him? When I first saw him I remember thinking, “Don’t take that from him Zedd! Use your staff and blast this chump back to whatever sad part of the universe spawned him! Where is your dignity?” At least when he bit the dust, his second in command was a more than suitable replacement.

Astronema – Wow, was this gal evil. In her first appearance she did more than any villain that preceded her. She actually took down the Rangers and would have finished them if it weren’t for her lousy no good brother and his little dog too (OK, I made up the part about the dog). Still, she wasn’t even afraid to fight the Rangers. Astronema had a personality that was a mix between a serial killer and a child. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to kill the Rangers or play with them. Her crowning achievement would have to be using the United Alliance of Evil to nearly conquer the Universe, defeating several of the past seasons Rangers in the process. I have to give the writers credit for creating a serious villain that was actually able to best the Rangers on more than one occasion.