Power Rangers' Forgotten Tommy Oliver Replacement Officially Returns
Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows.
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The Power Rangers franchise's most underrated Green Ranger returns twenty-six years later, carrying Tommy Oliver's legacy in the heroes' current biggest crossover. After starting his journey as a mind-controlled antagonist, Tommy Oliver broke free of his evil influences to become a loyal ally to the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers team. Throughout the years, Tommy held several different Ranger designations, led teams through Zeo and Turbo, and later returned as a mentor and Black Dino Ranger in Dino Thunder. Tommy's arc from a brainwashed villain to the ultimate veteran field leader cemented him as the undisputed face of the entire Power Rangers franchise.
The Green Ranger usually plays a unique role in Power Rangers teams, often assigned to powerful wildcards who balance out the core squad. After Tommy's inaugural run with the Dragon Shield, several standout heroes brought distinct personality to the green uniform. Adam Park became a reliable powerhouse during Zeo, and Trip provided alien intellect as the Green Time Force Ranger. Bridge Carson brought his quirky brilliance to S.P.D., and Ziggy Grover delivered unexpected heart and comedic relief in RPM. Although Green started out as the perpetual "sixth ranger", the role quickly evolved into a fundamental member of every Power Ranger squad.
Two decades after his debut, Power Rangers' most overlooked Green Ranger comes back to redeem himself.
26 Years Later, Green Power Ranger Joel Rawlings Returns
Power Rangers Unlimited #4; Written By Kenny Porter & Joey Esposito; Art By Federico Sorresa & Raúl Angulo
BOOM! Studios' Power Rangers Unlimited #4 presents an apocalyptic reality where Mariner Bay has been decimated and the Lightspeed Aquabase lies in ruin. As the last surviving member of his world, Joel Rawlings, the Green Lightspeed Ranger, enters the fray hardened by tragedy and stripped of his once-lighthearted "Sky Cowboy" persona, but still carrying his signature hat. Fueled by a burning desire to avenge his fallen teammates, his city, and his future where water has become more valuable than gold, Joel makes a harrowing final stand to protect what little remains of his reality.
Answering Joel's call is Trini Kwan and her Unlimited Team, who assemble a crew of high-octane gearheads specifically chosen to survive the automotive wasteland. In Power Rangers Unlimited #4, Joel Rawlings enters the battle alongside veteran hero TJ Johnson a.k.a. Red Turbo Ranger and Lucas Kendall a.k.a. Time Force Blue Ranger, as well as Summer Landsdown, the RPM Yellow Ranger. Together, they face off in a brutal race against a menacing new villain known as the "mystery driver," the Black Turbo Ranger, who weaponizes a colossal Black Turbozord truck that tears through the ruins of Mariner Bay.
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue Never Got The Love It Deserved
Power Rangers Lighstpeed Rescue Proposed Bold Ideas
Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue turned superhero antics away from high school students and toward a fully sanctioned, taxpayer-funded government rescue squad. Firefighters, paramedics, and test pilots have a double life as monster-fighting Power Rangers, stationed inside the unique headquarters Mariner Bay Aquabase. They also include Ryan Mitchell aka the Titanium Ranger, who holds the milestone of being the franchise's very first completely American-exclusive Ranger. Their villains, led by the demon Queen Bansheera, bring an occult horror aesthetic that breaks away from the franchise's traditional alien invaders.
Despite its innovative premise and stellar execution, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue never achieved the widespread cultural status of seasons like Mighty Morphin or In Space, largely because it aired during a period of evolving television blocks and heavy competition from anime imports. Lightspeed Rescue also suffered from a drastic tonal change following the cosmic space opera Lost Galaxy, opting for an episodic format that left less room for lengthy character arcs. Still, viewed in retrospect, these exact traits make Lightspeed Rescue worth a second look and another change to have a bigger impact on the wider Power Rangers mythos in titles like Boom! Studios' Power Rangers Unlimited comic.
Which Green Power Ranger is your favorite?
Power Rangers Unlimited #4 is now available from Boom! Studios
- Created by
- Haim Saban, Shuki Levy, Shotaro Ishinomori
- TV Show(s)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers In Space, Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers Wild Force, Power Rangers Ninja Storm, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers S.P.D., Power Rangers Mystic Force, Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, Power Rangers Jungle Fury, Power Rangers RPM, Power Rangers Samurai, Power Rangers Megaforce, Power Rangers Dino Charge, Power Rangers Ninja Steel, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury
- First Film
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie
- Cast
- Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G., Bryan Cranston, Bill Hader, Elizabeth Banks, David Yost, Amy Jo Johnson
- Video Game(s)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Saban's Power Rangers Megaforce, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind
- Latest Film
- Power Rangers
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