 This article is about a base in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, and Turbo.
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The Command Center, and later, the Power Chamber, was the headquarters for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the Zeo Rangers, and the Turbo Rangers. It also served as the home of Zordon and Alpha 5. It possessed highly sophisticated computers that were capable of incredible feats of science fictions, including teleportation, scanning and contacting other temporal dimensions, and identifying the names of new monsters mere seconds after they have been created.
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, though even that was tweaked in the two theatrical movies. The building still stands today in Burbank, California.
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 an 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 in Welcome to Venus Island
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 henceforth 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 (actually Super Sentai footage not shown otherwise) 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 Center and the Zords were linked, with the destruction of the Thunder Megazord and White Tigerzord during the first confrontation with Rito Revolto triggering an explosive feedback that damaged the Command Center as well.
The inside of the Command Center resembled a large, low, circular podium, on which people could walk, with computer consoles arranged around its edge; one console had a rotating light within a pink-orange crystal that served as an alarm; it would go off whenever any evil activity surfaced. It also had a very distinctive descending wail (in Alpha's Magical Christmas, however, the wail ascended instead). 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 Command Center could only be entered at will by those who possessed a power coin; as a result, while Zordon and Alpha could allow visitors such as Rocky, Aisha and Adam to enter the Center before they were Rangers, Lord Zedd had to explicitly ask for the shield to be lowered to let him in after he had captured Kimberly and Ninjor to issue his demands (Changing of the Zords), while Tommy was able to attack the Command Center directly after he first became the Green Ranger under Rita's influence. While the Center was linked to Zordon, with the building often being depicted as losing power when Zordon was completely cut off by external forces, it retained some power during the time when he was trapped in another dimension after the Green Ranger attacked the Center.
The Command Center also has a hidden chamber which Zordon and Alpha 5 used to turn Tommy into the White Ranger. 
TV STORY-White Light
When the other five Rangers were corrupted by the Hate Master, Billy was able to remotely cut off power to the Command Center that rendered it unable to contact Zordon or recharge, but Aisha- the only Ranger unaffected by the Hate Master's spell- was able to teleport back to Angel Grove by using Alpha as a temporary power source for the teleporter, leaving him to work on a means of freeing the other Rangers from Hate Master's influence, although he only acquired the power to do so once Aisha was able to talk her teammates partially back to normal so that she could turn off Billy's jammer. TV STORY-Stop the Hate Master
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 energy tube (similarly redesigned). The computer terminals were still present, but spaced differently around the room, leaving space for coloured glass columns of indiscernible purpose. The Viewing Globe was still present, located to one side. More info is listed on the Command Center (movie) page.
In the Series 2 episode "Wild West Rangers", the exterior of the Command Center was slightly altered, with the side of the building resembling the Wild West-era style.
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 source, the Rangers went through time to reassemble the Zeo Crystal. TV STORY-Water You Thinking? to TV STORY-Hogday Afternoon, Part II
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 villains were able to plant an implosion device, take the Zeo Crystal, and leave. The Rangers teleported out to safety (although not before Billy was caught in a small explosion that charged his body with negative proton energy, something that would have reprocussions later), but their mentor Zordon and companion Alpha 5 seemed destroyed in the blast. TV STORY-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. TV STORY-A Zeo Beginning
Alpha 5 is shown coming out of one door of the Power Chamber (his bedroom, apparently) wearing pajamas and a nightcap while holding his teddy bear, suggesting there are quite a few rooms in the Chamber. TV STORY-Inner Spirit
Design[]
The Power Chamber has an unusual shape. It is almost circular, but the back wall curves inwards. 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. A rotating alarm (with the same wail as the old Command Center alarm) is above the displays on the wall next to Zordon's tube. Along the back wall were several glass display cases, each containing the Mighty Morphin suits, and the center case containing their Power Weapons. There is also a rotating alarm panel above the center case display.
Scene Change[]
The Power Chamber redesigned as shown in Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie
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. The rotating alarm was changed to a trapezoid shape. No explanation was made in the movie or the television show for the significant change to the set.
Off to one side of this Chamber through one of the double doors was access to the Hidden Chamber. This resembled the design of the old Command Center without the console ring, with the columns of light to one side of a plasma tube for Zordon, and other columns of lights and a tube for Dimitria. In this Chamber, Tommy, Kat, Tanya and Adam transferred their powers to TJ, Cassie, Ashley and Carlos respectively. TV STORY-Passing the Torch
Notable events[]
King Mondo apparently knew of the location of the Power Chamber, although his successor Divatox did not. TV STORY-The Shooting Star
When Mean Screen was sent to Angel Grove, he infected the Power Chamber that infected the Zeozords and made them useless. Only the Defender Wheel wasn't affected, since Alpha isolated it from the grid, until a counter virus from Raymond got rid of it. TV STORY-Mean Screen (episode)
King Mondo activated a nuclear non-reflective protective shield around the Chamber so that the Gold Ranger, who was teleporting to the Chamber at the time, would smash into the field mid-transit and be destroyed. The Gold Ranger had to be redirected until Billy could find a way to lower the shield. TV STORY-Revelations of Gold
When the Earth's temperature was rising rapidly by Mondo's Defoliator monster, there was a danger that the Chamber's heat shield would fail. TV STORY-There's No Business Like Snow Business
The Power Chamber momentarily lost power when Main Drain was draining power around Angel Grove to energise himself. TV STORY-Inner Spirit
When Earth became frozen in time, there were no ill-effects inside the Chamber. When Angel Grove began vanishing, the Rangers teleported to the Power Chamber, to find it not there. In actuality, the Power Chamber had been transported to a hidden dimension where it could not been seen by the Rangers. TV STORY-A Brief Mystery of Time
Whilst the Super Zeo Megazord and Red Battlezord battled the Mechaterpillar, Quadrafighters and Cogs attacked the Zord hangar. This forced Billy to lock down the Zeo Megazord and Warrior Wheel, protecting them but also rendering them useless to the Rangers and nearly led to their defeats. TV STORY-Another Song and Dance
Destruction[]
At the end of Turbo, Rygog and Elgar found the Power Chamber by tracking the Rangers' teleportation beams after their fight with Goldgoyle. Having discovered its location, and having defeated both of the Rangers' Megazords, Divatox's forces attacked the Power Chamber en masse. Hordes of Piranhatrons raced up to the Chamber, having teleported into the area undetected. The Rangers tried to hold them away from the Chamber, but were forced back inside.
Once there, the Piranhatrons used a battering ram to break open the main doors, while others scaled the walls and smashed in through the roof. Though the Rangers and Alpha 6 fought bravely, they were overwhelmed by the Piranhatrons, and Elgar managed to destroy Zordon and Dimitria's plasma tube to ensure that they wouldn't be able to come back before he planted explosive charges. When the charges were detonated, the building was completely destroyed by the explosion, leaving only a pile of rock and rubble. Before Divatox could claim victory and find the Rangers among the rubble, she was recalled to the Cimmerian Planet by Dark Specter, prompting the four new teens to pursue her into space and abandon the former Command Center location forever. Most people tend to think the destruction of the Power Chamber led to the Turbo Powers dissipating. But as the viewers can see in that episode, the Rangers didn't demorph until long after the PC exploded. They actually lost their powers just after Eltar, which was stated by Justin to be the true source of the Turbo Energies, fell to Dark Specter's forces. TV STORY-Chase Into Space
Legacy[]
Loose Plot Threads[]
Since the explosion, it's currently unknown what became of the rubble surrounding the Command Center or the objects stored there, such as the Sword of Light and the Sword of Power.
It was suggested that the Zeo Crystal was also stored in the Power Chamber following the Rangers change into their Turbo Powers. This proved to be false as the Zeo Rangers still had the crystal and their powers, as Tommy was able to morph into the Red Zeo Ranger in "Forever Red" and the other Zeo Rangers participated in the "Legendary Battle". Tommy also later had his Zeo Sub Crystal integrated into his Master Morpher.
Footage of the explosion that destroyed the Power Chamber was recycled from the destruction of the Command Center at the end of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Once & Always[]
Billy Cranston designed Cranston Tech after the exterior of the Command Center; even modeling a secret basement level after a mix of the Command Center and Power Chamber.
Behind the Scenes[]
The Brandeis-Bardin Campus retreat building
The exterior of the Command Center is the Brandeis-Bardin Campus retreat building of the American Jewish University. The site itself is heavily landscaped so for establishing shots of the Command Center in the first season the building was visually cropped along side the Vasquez Rocks formation in the Sierra Pelona Mountains to add a desolate looking mountainous terrain. From the second season, a scale model of the building was used for exterior shots which continued right up until the Power Chamber was destroyed at the end of Power Rangers Turbo. The actual building only appeared in four episodes; Day of the Dumpster, Alien Rangers of Aquitar Part II and both parts of Chase into Space.
Notes[]
prototype @BandoraPalace
- Bandai released a playset based off of the interior of the Command Center in 1994, referred to as the "Power Dome". The original prototype was a lot closer to the show's look than the final product. [1]
Appearances[]
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Season 1)
- Episode 1: Day of the Dumpster (first appearance)
- Episode 2: High Five
- Episode 3: Teamwork
- Episode 4: A Pressing Engagement
- Episode 6: Food Fight
- Episode 7: Big Sisters
- Episode 8: I, Eye Guy
- Episode 9: For Whom The Bell Trolls
- Episode 10: Happy Birthday, Zack
- Episode 12: Power Ranger Punks
- Episode 13: Peace, Love and Woe
- Episode 14: Foul Play in the Sky
- Episode 15: Dark Warrior
- Episode 16: Switching Places
- Episode 17: Green With Evil, Part I: Out Of Control
- Episode 18: Green With Evil, Part II: Jason's Battle
- Episode 19: Green With Evil, Part III: The Rescue
- Episode 20: Green With Evil, Part IV: Eclipsing Megazord
- Episode 21: Green With Evil, Part V: Breaking The Spell
- Episode 22: The Trouble with Shellshock
- Episode 23: Itsy Bitsy Spider
- Episode 24: The Spit Flower
- Episode 25: Life's a Masquerade
- Episode 26: Gung Ho!
- Episode 27: Wheel of Misfortune
- Episode 28: Island of Illusion, Part I
- Episode 29: Island of Illusion, Part II
- Episode 30: The Rockstar
- Episode 31: Calamity Kimberly
- Episode 32: A Star Is Born
- Episode 33: The Yolk's on You!
- Episode 34: The Green Candle, Part I
- Episode 35: The Green Candle, Part II
- Episode 36: Birds of a Feather
- Episode 37: Clean-Up Club
- Episode 38: A Bad Reflection on You
- Episode 39: Doomsday, Part I
- Episode 40: Doomsday, Part II
- Episode 41: Rita's Seed of Evil
- Episode 42: A Pig Surprise
- Episode 43: Something Fishy
- Episode 44: Lions & Blizzards
- Episode 45: Crystal of Nightmares
- Episode 46: To Flea or Not to Flee
- Episode 47: Reign of the Jellyfish
- Episode 48: Plague of the Mantis
- Episode 49: Return of an Old Friend, Part I
- Episode 50: Return of an Old Friend, Part II
- Episode 51: Grumble Bee
- Episode 52: Two Heads are Better than One
- Episode 53: Fowl Play
- Episode 54: Trick or Treat
- Episode 55: Second Chance
- Episode 56: On Fins and Needles
- Episode 57: Enter… The Lizzinator
- Episode 58: Football Season
- Episode 59: Mighty Morphin' Mutants
- Episode 60: An Oyster Stew
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Official Fan Club Video (archive footage)
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Season 2)
- Episode 1: The Mutiny, Part I
- Episode 2: The Mutiny, Part II
- Episode 3: The Mutiny, Part III
- Episode 4: The Wanna-Be Ranger
- Episode 5: Putty on the Brain
- Episode 6: Bloom of Doom
- Episode 7: The Green Dream
- Episode 8: The Power Stealer
- Episode 9: The Beetle Invasion
- Episode 10: Welcome to Venus Island
- Episode 11: The Song of Guitardo
- Episode 12: Green No More, Part I
- Episode 13: Green No More, Part II
- Episode 14: Missing Green
- Episode 15: Orchestral Maneuvers in the Park
- Episode 16: Beauty and the Beast
- Episode 17: White Light, Part I
- Episode 18: White Light, Part II
- Episode 19: Two for One
- Episode 20: Opposites Attract
- Episode 21: Zedd's Monster Mash
- Episode 22: The Ninja Encounter, Part I
- Episode 23: The Ninja Encounter, Part II
- Episode 24: The Ninja Encounter, Part III
- Episode 25: A Monster of Global Proportions
- Episode 26: Zedd Waves
- Episode 27: The Power Transfer, Part I
- Episode 28: The Power Transfer, Part II
- Episode 29: Goldar's Vice-Versa
- Episode 30: Mirror of Regret
- Episode 31: When is a Ranger Not a Ranger?
- Episode 32: Rocky Just Wants to Have Fun
- Episode 33: Lights, Camera, Action
- Episode 34: Where There's Smoke, There's Fire
- Episode 35: Scavenger Hunt
- Episode 36: The Great Bookala Escape
- Episode 37: Forever Friends
- Episode 38: A Reel Fish Story
- Episode 39: Rangers Back in Time, Part I
- Episode 40: Rangers Back in Time, Part II
- Episode 41: The Wedding, Part I
- Episode 42: The Wedding, Part II
- Episode 43: The Wedding, Part III
- Episode 44: Return of the Green Ranger, Part I
- Episode 45: Return of the Green Ranger, Part II
- Episode 46: Return of the Green Ranger, Part III
- Episode 47: Best Man for the Job
- Episode 48: Storybook Rangers, Part I
- Episode 49: Storybook Rangers, Part II
- Episode 50: Wild West Rangers, Part I
- Episode 51: Wild West Rangers, Part II
- Episode 52: Blue Ranger Gone Bad
- Special: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Live
- Special: Alpha's Magical Christmas
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Season 3)
- Episode 1: A Friend in Need, Part I
- Episode 2: A Friend in Need, Part II
- Episode 3: A Friend in Need, Part III
- Episode 4: Ninja Quest, Part I
- Episode 5: Ninja Quest, Part II
- Episode 6: Ninja Quest, Part III
- Episode 7: Ninja Quest, Part IV
- Episode 8: A Brush with Destiny
- Episode 9: Passing the Lantern
- Episode 10: Wizard for a Day
- Episode 11: Fourth Down and Long
- Episode 12: Stop the Hate Master, Part I
- Episode 13: Stop the Hate Master, Part II
- Episode 14: Final Face-Off
- Episode 15: The Potion Notion
- Episode 16: I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger
- Episode 17: A Ranger Catastrophe, Part I
- Episode 18: A Ranger Catastrophe, Part II
- Episode 19: Changing of the Zords, Part I
- Episode 20: Changing of the Zords, Part II
- Episode 21: Changing of the Zords, Part III
- Episode 22: Follow that Cab!
- Episode 23: A Different Shade of Pink, Part I
- Episode 24: A Different Shade of Pink, Part II
- Episode 25: A Different Shade of Pink, Part III
- Episode 26: Rita's Pita
- Episode 27: Another Brick in the Wall
- Episode 28: A Chimp in Charge
- Episode 29: Master Vile and the Metallic Armor, Part I
- Episode 30: Master Vile and the Metallic Armor, Part II
- Episode 31: Master Vile and the Metallic Armor, Part III
- Episode 32: The Sound of Dischordia
- Episode 33: Rangers in Reverse
- Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers
- Episode 1: Alien Rangers of Aquitar, Part I
- Episode 2: Alien Rangers of Aquitar, Part II
- Episode 3: Climb Every Fountain
- Episode 4: The Alien Trap
- Episode 5: Attack of the 60' Bulk
- Episode 6: Water You Thinking?
- Episode 7: Along Came a Spider
- Episode 8: Sowing the Seas of Evil
- Episode 9: Hogday Afternoon, Part I
- Episode 10/Finale: Hogday Afternoon, Part II (final appearance and destruction of the Command Center's original design)
- Power Rangers Zeo
- Episode 1: A Zeo Beginning, Part I (wreckage and flashback; archive footage only)
- Episode 33: Revelations of Gold (mentioned only)
- Power Rangers Funniest Moments (archive footage only)
- Power Rangers: The Lost Episode (archive footage)
- Power Rangers Dino Thunder
- Episode 4: Legacy of Power (archive footage only)
- Episode 36: A Test of Trust (flashback; archive footage only)
- Power Rangers Dino Fury
- Season 1
- Episode 14: Old Foes (archive footage only)
- Season 1
- Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always (new design)
- Power Rangers Cosmic Fury
- Episode 8: Switching Sides
See Also[]
- Sakura Mansion - Super Sentai counterpart in Zyuranger. See comparison page.
- Nekomaru - Super Sentai counterpart in Kakuranger. See comparison page.
- Pegasus Corporation - Super Sentai counterpart in Carranger. See comparison page.
- Command Center (Megaforce)
References[]
Footnotes[]
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