Command Center (Mighty Morphin)

The Power Chamber, and, before-hand, the Command Center, were the fictional headquarters for the Power Rangers in the television series Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and its sequels up to Power Rangers: Turbo.

Initially, the base was called the Command Center, and used in the first series. At the beginning of Power Rangers: Zeo, storylines and a new scene design led to the location being renamed the Power Chamber, though beyond superficial differences there was little to no change in the building's function. It appeared also, as the Command Center, in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, though it had been thoroughly redesigned. Only the external shot of the building remained consistent for all incarnations of the structure.

Use of the location continued until 1997, and the culmination of Power Rangers: Turbo.

History
According to the series and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Zordon had set up the building called the Command Center on Earth millennia ago, as an outpost to be used in his fight against evil. Zordon himself was trapped in a "plasma tube", appearing just as a ethereal head in a column of light, and the day-to-day maintenance of the facility fell to his robotic companion, Alpha 5.

The building was located in a mountainous region, nestled between the twin peaks of a mountain, in the area that would later be called California. It was located near to the fictional city of Angel Grove, the setting for much of the action in the first five years of the show's run. Its location was supposed to be a closely-guarded secret.

Command Center
The Command Center was introduced in the pilot episode of the show, Day of the Dumpster. The five original teens were teleported to the Command Center by Zordon and Alpha 5 to receive their powers, becoming Power Rangers. The Command Center thenceforth served as an "official" meeting point for the Rangers, and they would frequently gather there to learn about new threats before leaving to tackle them. Often they would "Look to the Viewing Globe", a large crystal ball-like object that could display pictures of events occurring in the city, most often of attacking monsters.

Zordon and Alpha 5 used the Command Center to construct new weapons for the Rangers, as well fix the zords when they were damaged.

The inside of the Command Center resembled a large, low, circular podium, on which people could walk, with computer consoles arranged around its edge. On one side was Zordon's plasma tube, and the Viewing Globe was opposite. Beyond the ring of computers were no walls, but rather a blackness, dotted with lights, resembling the night sky. There were no obvious doors leading into or out of the main room (most travel to and from the Command Center was by teleportation), but occasionally computer-generated doors were added to access secret locations.

The Movie
In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, the Command Center was featured with a brand new design. In this, the main room was a brightly-lit oval chamber with a large set of sliding double-doors at one end, opposite Zordon's plasma tube (similarly redesigned). The computer terminals were still present, but spaced more appropriately around the room, leaving space for coloured glass columns of indescernable purpose. The Viewing Globe was still present, located to one side.

Power Chamber
In 1996, two evil villains, Rito Revolto and Goldar attempt to blow up the Command Center by placing a bomb outside. Master Vile predicted blowing up the Command Center would start a chain reaction which would disintegrate the "Morphin Grid" forever, robbing any Ranger teams from Morphing in traditional methods. This plan was foiled by Alpha 5, who defused the bomb. However, Lord Zedd succeeded, via a time paradox, to destroy the Rangers' Power Coins. Needing a new power sources, the Rangers went through time to reassemble the Zeo Crystal. ("Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" episodes "Alien Rangers of Aquitar, Part II", "Water You Thinking").

A short time later, Rito and Goldar were able to teleport into the Command Center from a forgotten series of passageways running underneath the facility. The villians were able to plant an implosion device, take the Zeo Crystal, and leave. The Rangers teleported out to safety, but their mentor Zordon and companion Alpha 5 seemed destroyed in the blast. ("Hogday Afternoon, Part II".)

Wandering up to the ruins of the Command Center, the Rangers discover the Zeo Crystal. It created a hole in the ground which swallowed up the Rangers and took them to the hidden passages. Following the noise of Alpha's voice, the Rangers were lead to a vortex. Meanwhile above ground, the exterior of the Command Center rebuilds itself. Walking through the vortex, the Rangers return to their base of operations, but this is a more futuristic version, the second generation of strategic command outposts. Zordon, still very much alive, announces the facility is known as the Power Chamber ("Power Rangers: Zeo" episode "A Zeo Beginning, Parts I and II").

Design
The Power Chamber has an unusual shape. It is almost circular, but the back wall curves inwards. The rear wall had windows, with the old Ranger costumes and weapons behind them. Above this was a rotating alarm panel. At the front of the Chamber was a plasma tube where Zordon, and later Dimitria, could communicate through. In front of Zordon was a computer bank, and another one to one side. Also in the Chamber were two double doors at each side, a bio-bed, a viewing globe built into the wall, and two displays on the wall. One of these was a map of Earth, another a diagram of the Chamber.

Scene Change
A new Power Chamber set was introduced for Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, and was also used in the Power Rangers: Turbo series. This was a significant change from the original Power Chamber set as seen in episodes of Power Rangers: Zeo. Among other things, the tubes along the back wall containing the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers suits were changed to colored tubes of light. No explanation was made in the movie or the television show for the significant change to the set.