Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue

Power Rangers: Lightspeed Rescue (often abbreviated as PRLR) was the eighth incarnation of the Power Rangers TV series, based on the Super Sentai series Kyukyu Sentai GoGo-V. It was the first incarnation of Power Rangers to have the Rangers' identities be known to public from the onset, as opposed to previous incarnations where a Ranger's identity was to be kept secret, revealed only in extreme circumstances, and the series is unique in the fact that it was the first where the Rangers' powers, Zords and weapons were man-made and had no mystical origin whatsoever (both of these traits would be repeated in Power Rangers: S.P.D. and Power Rangers: RPM). Lightspeed Rescue also had, for the first time, a Power Ranger with no Super Sentai counterpart in the Titanium Lightspeed Ranger, as there was no 6th Ranger at all in GoGo V. It is the last Saban Entertainment-produced Power Rangers series to feature the main villain from its Super Sentai counterpart, until the preimere of Power Rangers Samurai. The next series to feature the main villain from its Super Sentai counterpart would be the Disney-produced Power Rangers Mystic Force, which premiered six years later.

Synopsis
Lightspeed Rescue takes place in the fictitious city of Mariner Bay, California, which was built on an ancient demon burial ground. When the demons threaten to rise again, a government organization called Lightspeed, headed by one Captain Mitchell recruits four civilians and his own daughter to defend the city. Each of the four civilians chosen had a special area of expertise: Carter Grayson, the Red Lightspeed Ranger, was a fire fighter in the local fire department; Chad Lee, the Blue Lightspeed Ranger, worked as a lifeguard and marine animal trainer at a local marine amusement park; Joel Rawlings, the Green Lightspeed Ranger, was a stunt pilot; Kelsey Winslow, the Yellow Lightspeed Ranger, was an extreme sports athlete; and Dana Mitchell, the Pink Lightspeed Ranger, was a nurse and practiced medical arts. The five Power Rangers were aided by a team of scientists and engineers led by Miss Angela Fairweather, and operated out of the Lightspeed Aquabase, an underwater military compound that also served to deter the hydrophobic demons from attacking the base directly.

The five Rangers would be joined by Captain Mitchell's (long thought to be dead) son, Ryan Mitchell. Together, the six Rangers would prevail against the demon forces time after time, culminating in a final showdown where, in the Power Rangers tradition, much of the weapons and other equipment that was used by the Power Rangers over the series was destroyed.

In addition, Lightspeed Rescue featured a cameo reappearance of characters from Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy, when the villainess Trakeena comes to Earth to destroy it and the Lightspeed Rangers team up with the Galaxy Rangers

Rangers
Note: Each Ranger number corresponds with their respective Zord number

Allies

 * Aquabase Staff
 * Captain Mitchell
 * Angela Fairweather
 * Neptune
 * Marina
 * Galaxy Rangers

Villains

 * Queen Bansheera
 * Prince Olympius/Impus
 * Jinxer
 * Diabolico
 * Vypra
 * Loki
 * Troika Monsters
 * Trika (fused form of Demonite, Thunderon, and Falkar)
 * Demonite
 * Thunderon
 * Falkar
 * Batlings

Guest Villains
 * Trakeena
 * Triskull
 * Ghouls

List of Lightspeed Monsters

Zords

 * Lightspeed Rescuezords (not to be confused w/t the Rescuezords of Power Rangers Turbo)
 * Pyro Rescue 1 (Carter/Red)
 * Aqua Rescue 2 (Chad/Blue)
 * Aero Rescue 3 (Joel/Green)
 * Haz Rescue 4 (Kelsey/Yellow)
 * Med Rescue 5 (Dana/Pink)
 * Lightspeed Megazord (combination of the Lightspeed Rescuezords)
 * Rail Rescues/Supertrain
 * Rail Rescue 1 (Carter/Red)
 * Rail Rescue 2 (Chad/Blue)
 * Rail Rescue 3 (Joel/Green)
 * Rail Rescue 4 (Kelsey/Yellow)
 * Rail Rescue 5 (Dana/Pink)
 * Supertrain Megazord (combination of the Rail Rescues)
 * Max Solarzord (Ryan/Titanium)
 * Lightspeed Solarzord (combination of Lightspeed Megazord & Max Solarzord)
 * Omegazords
 * Omegazord 1 (Carter/Red)
 * Omegazord 2 (Chad/Blue)
 * Omegazord 3 (Joel/Green)
 * Omegazord 4 (Kelsey/Yellow)
 * Omegazord 5 (Dana/Pink)
 * Omega Crawler/Omega Megazord (combination of Omegazords)
 * Lifeforce Megazord

VHS

 * Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue (VHS)
 * Operation Lightspeed
 * Lightspeed Teamwork
 * Trial By Fire
 * Power Rangers in 3D
 * Trakeena's Revenge, Part 1 & 2
 * Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue: Titanium Ranger Curse of the Cobra
 * From Deep in the Shadows
 * Truth Discovered
 * Ryan's Destiny
 * Curse of the Cobra
 * Strength of the Sun
 * The Cobra Strike
 * Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue: The Queen's Wrath
 * Wrath of the Queen
 * Rise of the Super Demons
 * The Fate of Lightspeed, Part 1 & 2
 * Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue: Neptune's Daughter
 * Ocean Blue
 * The Fifth Crystal
 * Neptune's Daughter

DVD

 * The Best of the Power Rangers: The Ultimate Rangers
 * Trakeena's Revenge, Part 1 & 2

Production/Reception
Lightspeed Rescue was the first Power Ranger season to be truly independent of previous seasons and unlike its predecessor (Lost Galaxy, which is often described as a "in between" season because of its characters connections to the "Zordon Era"), did not include any familiar staying characters such as a unit from the Lexion Alpha line, Bulk, Skull or NASADA, with the exception of its Team Up episode with the Galaxy Rangers.

Fan reception of Lightspeed Rescue was initially one of sheer derision, however, cases made by some of its more passionate fans, coupled with former critics becoming more respectable of it through repeated viewings, have helped to redeem the season's reputation. Several fans and critics of the season also agree that The Fate of Lightspeed is one of Power Rangers's most gripping finales.

Trivia

 * See Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue/Trivia