Summary
Warning: Spoilers for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1!The final - and surprisingly badass - final fate of one of the originalPower Rangersfinally unfolds.Billy Cranston, the first Blue Ranger, has been a staple of the franchise ever since the pilot episode ofMighty Morphin Power Rangers, and has endured to this day, having becomea mentor to the latest generationof Power Rangers. Mentorship was a natural fit for Billy - but not his final legacy.
The Blue Ranger’s final legacy is as the problem solver of the Morphin Grid, as revealed inMighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour#1 by Melissa Flores, Simona Di Gianfelice, Raúl Angulo, Jose Enrique Fernandez, and Ed Dukeshire. The recent events of BOOM! Studios' comic book continuation series saw Billy reach his darkest depths ever, but in the distant future, he seeks atonement by repairing the Morphin Grid from the inside.
This glimpse of Billy’s growth as a character is as symbolic and definitive as the evolution of the role of the Blue Ranger itself in the larger scope of the franchise.
Billy Cranston Spends His Future Fixing the Morphin Grid
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour#1
As the “Darkest Hour” first fell upon the Rangers, Grace Sterling (the secret original Red Rangerof the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers team that pre-dates the ’90s team) used her dying words to give Billy his most important mission: investigate and repair a Shattering within the Morphin Grid. She argues that aBlue Ranger’s core job is to solve problems, and Billy takes it to heart that he must solve the franchise’s biggest problem. Granted, he goes to questionable lengths to achieve this goal in ways thatnearly loses Zordon’s trust in him.
Even when Dark Specter is defeated, Billy determines that the Grid is still splintered, but he’s ready to heal it. Many years later,Billy’s sporting a new, badass look, with an updated Morpher. As an adult, his hair up top and on his face has grown significantly, and he’s still wearing his Blue Ranger outfit (now equipped with combat boots) underneath a cloak. He’s also sporting a nasty scar on his face. As he writes a diary entry to Zordon, Billy promises that he will repair the Grid completely, even if it takes his whole life.
Billy’s Comic Mission Mirrors His TV Mission
There Must Always Be Power Rangers
As a mentor, Billy’s goal in his latest TV adventures is to ensure the next generation of Power Rangers is ready for any evil that the future holds. As the comics franchise reaches its finale, Billy’s goal remains the same.By protecting the Morphin Grid, Billy is actively protecting the future - particularly, the future of Rangerhood. It’s not the future many readers would expect forBilly Cranston, but it’s perfect for someone who has spent his time in thePower Rangersfranchise being so dedicated to the cause of being a hero, almost obsessively so.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour#1is on sale from 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.
