 This article is about a/an comic book issue in the Power Rangers comic sub-franchise by Boom! Studios.
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Power Rangers: Drakkon New Dawn #2 is the second issue of a three issue comic miniseries published by Boom! Studios.
Synopsis[]
Still reeling from the shocking discovery held deep in the heart of Drakkon's prison tower, Deadlock, Kimberly unknowingly triggers Drakkon's final failsafe, sending a message deep into space that will ultimately put Kimberly face to face with an enemy even more powerful than Lord Drakkon himself. Will the Unknown Ranger she freed help her - or stand against her?[1]
Plot[]
The comic starts straight after the events of the previous comic with everyone standing around the Unknown Ranger while Finster 5 cuts open his restraining Power Suit. Scorpina brings up the fact that the mysterious signal sent into space in the previous issue went into deep space and a "mysterious meteor" has landed a mile away from dystopian Angel Grove. She then openly mocks the fact that, rather than investigating the strange meteor, they are sitting on their laurels gawking at Finster rescuing the mysterious Ranger. However, as Kimberly points out, they can't react to a potential threat since Adam was still scouting for any threats it may have transported.By going without any information could be a waste of time and effort at best but, at worse, it could mean the collective deaths of the entire New Power Coalition's leadership which would leave the World of the Coinless perfectly open to invasion. Scorpina immediately becomes extremely sarcastic by saying why bother trying to stop a potential invasion or monster when they could just sit and watch Finster 5. Kimberly rebuts this since they would just stop the attack in the usual fashion (i.e. annihilation) and the Unknown Ranger needs their help so they'll stay put until Adam returns. Before she can continue however, Finster finally pops the helmet off and Trini and Zack are shocked by the Unknown Ranger's identity: Jason Lee Scott, long thought dead since the attack on the Command Center.
As Zack and Trini go in for a massive hug, Jason finally remembers his past while bursting into tears as he remembers all that Drakkon did. As Zack comforts him, he realizes that he and Trini look much older which Trini reveals is because it's been about ten years since Drakkon's rise to power. Turning to Kimberly, he is very surprised that she isn't the Ranger Slayer anymore before finding out Drakkon was dead (since they didn't know that he went to the main comics universe) with him being relieved. However, at that very moment, Adam returns back from the meteor crash site with urgent news just to get decked by Jason for being a Ranger Sentry with his belief being that they are under attack. However, Kimberly restrains him and lets Jason knows it's a friend only for him to be horrified that she is pals with one of Drakkon's flunkies whilst also wondering why Scorpina is present with her answer being "they needed somewhere to live." She subsequently apologizes on behalf of and introduces Jason to Adam whilst simply saying he was "gone for a while" before Adam accepts it since he had been punched before by Scorpina during the events of the previous issue. After Kimberly inquires as to what he wanted, Adam reveals that the meteor was full of creatures which Scorpina takes gleeful satisfaction in knowing that she is right.
Adam then projects a massive red hologram of a mysterious figure before a massive energy beam with Jason realizing that this was Drakkon's fail-safe. However, he couldn't get very much footage since he was spotted and had to leg it although Scorpina reassures him that the best strategy in the case of superior numbers was run away and live to fight another day which he confusedly thanks her for. Scorpina recognizes that the figure (now identified as Eclipta) was signalling her master Dark Specter to come and destroy the Earth. Trini brings up the fact that Drakkon, being from Earth, shouldn't know about him if the other former Rangers didn't but Scorpina reveals that she told him. Sometime after the death of Zordon and assassination of Rita Repulsa, she and Drakkon had met up on the Moon Palace balcony with Scorpina being depressed. Despite actually being the Scorpina from the primary comics universe, Scorpina had come to consider this Rita a close friend and was sad that she supposedly met her end at the hands of the Power Rangers during the Command Center scene. Drakkon, despite being the one to actually kill Rita with his Dragon Dagger, commented on this not being the main comics Rita but nonetheless being a "fine woman." Scorpina reveals that Rita taught her all she knows but she is trapped in a universe where Rita is dead and she has no way of returning to her own universe. Drakkon sympathises with her as she was trapped in an unfamiliar world and alone since Rita was long dead. Scorpina reassures him that she was used to being alone by now and starts crying before Drakkon offered friendship although he didn't think that he could replace Rita. However, by working together, they could honor Rita's memory and remake the entire universe for the better in her ideals. Scorpina accepts but Drakkon gives a demented grin and wished to be educated on the United Alliance of Evil.
Jason reveals that Drakkon told him about the fail-safe and its ramifications whilst he was being held captive whilst also questioning Kimberly's company since her supposed friend doomed the world. Luckily, Scorpina didn't tell Drakkon HOW to contact Dark Specter thus he must have found a way to contact Eclipta by himself. Zack brings up that Eclipta was a glorified monster of the day and they could destroy her but Scorpina reminds him that she is just the vanguard of the indomitable Dark Specter. She has come just to prod their defences before contacting her master to enslave the human race and the Quantrons were far too much for their Ranger Sentries. Deciding that going up against the Quantrons would be suicide, she decides to flee (presumably from the Earth entirely) but Adam stops her although she just shrugs him off because she had no loyalty to anyone but Drakkon and she didn't want to fight "a God's" messenger. Adam then tries to grab her hand but she brushes him off since she didn't care for the others whilst Adam argues that they couldn't just give up and peg it due to old rivalries since Dark Specter is so dangerous that leaving would be meaningless. Scorpina then yells at him that going up against Eclipta was an utterly stupid idea but Adam says that, with the Ranger Slayer Coin, they could create a massive Ranger Slayer army and get a battalion of Sentries by using the Power Defeuser. Angered by that idea, Jason takes down Adam and Scorpina threatens to slice his throat with a massive golden staff but he is disgusted at the idea of his dead friend Billy Cranston and his mentor Zordon being desecrated by the Ranger Sentries gaining Ranger powers. Zack tries to talk him down but he just questions why they have had their Power Coins sitting in the Diffuser for years, supplying the Ranger Sentries with power and they haven't just taken back their Coins in spite of being in the same building as them. Zack replies that this would strip the Sentries of their powers and spark a war but Jason just believes that they're scared because Drakkon "taught them to be." Kimberly tells him to calm down but the deranged Jason asks if she knows what Drakkon used the Defuser for and he flashes back since he knew why.
Inside The Deadlock's highest security cell, Drakkon offered him his Power Coin and "offers" to get it to him if he begs for it enough but Jason was smart enough to realize that this was a bluff. Drakkon, revealing his true nature, is peeved that Jason refuses his Coin just to irritate him and demands to know what the Coin means to Jason. Jason responded that it means good always defeats and that how one uses it matters more than just much power it contains but Drakkon just grinned evily and revealed that he is keeping it or rather, sharing it in an allusion to the soon-to-be-established Ranger Sentries. He realized that they were designed to grant access to the Morphin Grid for a single person to prevent any psychopath from getting amazing power with Jason rebutting that he was no better than the ones he claimed that he wished to vanquish. Drakkon simply viewed it as Zordon being a paranoid coward afraid of a complete monster getting this amazing power and thus it held him back from making a truly perfect world. Jason mistook this as meaning that Drakkon wanted to destroy them and thus eliminate any threats to him but Drakkon wanted to unleash their power on a massive scale since he believed that anything was possible if the power of fix or six Rangers was spread to hundreds or thousands of people.
Jason was then forced to watch for years as the Tyrannosaurus Ranger Sentries were forced to commit many atrocities in his Ranger suit which led to much anguish. However, this was also an example of Drakkon's demented genius since he knew that, the more times that one divides up the Power Coins' powers, the less power the individual users have and thus they would not have the power to overthrow Drakkon. He then reveals that, contrary to what most people believe, he did not kill Rita to prevent her from betraying her ideas of peace and liberty but instead because she was the only potential threat to him. The Ranger Sentries were "like a child with a gun" and had no qualms about crimes against humanity and brutality because who was going to stop them? After all, they had effectively replaced the police force as well as the army and Drakkon had either dissolved all other governments or made them puppets to control other countries. Jason wished to put things right so he escaped and easily knocked out the Tyrannosaurus Sentries due to his experience but Drakkon confronted and recaptured him before trapping him in the Unknown Ranger suit. It was at this point that he was put in the super ultra security cell Kimberly found him in in issue 1 but, even restrained in a new Ranger suit, he kept on trying to escape and used his enhanced strength to batter the reinforced door. He spent weeks on end doing this and fighting through the pain, being immensely surprised that none of the Sentries tried to stop him and he eventually broke through but soon found out that Drakkon wanted him to break out of the cell. He had Kimberly, at the time brainwashed as his Ranger Slayer, with him and broke Jason's spirit by threatening that he would have her kill herself on command should he ever manage to escape. Jason relented and was restrained in the massive wired contraption that Kimberly would eventually find him in.
Back to the present, Jason reveals that he only stayed captive to save her but Kimberly reminds him that everything was fine and she was safe what with Drakkon "dead." However, Jason gives her the ultimate question of whether she wanted the Rangers back (i.e. whether she would give up the Power Coins to their proper owners) or continue using the Ranger Sentries. Kim does want them back but she thinks it would be dangerous to de-power their entire standing army in an instant since it could both lead to the army being massacred by civilians and may lead to revolts and a counter revolution against the New Power Coalition. Jason however just dismisses this as her just trying to control the populas and outright states that, if she put her Power Coin in the Defuser, she had betrayed every belief of Zordon's and thus no longer a Power Rangers. In response, Kimberly argues that that is an outdated and naive view of things akin to when they were teenagers and that the Sentry army is a necessary evil if they don't want the world to metaphorically implode in on itself. As they argue, Adam takes Scorpina to one side and apologizes about Rita only to be called an idiot to his surprise although the reasoning it that the world is seemingly about to end and he is worried about personal feelings. Scorpina brings up the fact that she was brought to this world by Drakkon and this Rita was a very stupid simulacra of her friend and a reminder of how she would never see her old universe again. Serving Drakkon gave her the power and authority that she wanted since she was pretty much his second in command and commander in chief of the Ranger Sentries. Adam apologizes to be nice but Scorpina becomes very confused and energy slashes a statue into pieces before collapsing in tears and he comforts her but she is confused at his sympathy because other villains don't tend to comfort their fellow villains and just tell them to get over it. In spite of this, she does not want him to stop because she considered him a good friend. Recovering quickly, Zack suggests getting their Power Coins back but Scorpina holds her giant bladed scepter to his neck and demands that they fight as they are under threat of her own death. Trini doesn't care about her life but questions her motive and Scorpina, not wanting to reveal that Adam evidently changed her mind, simply says that she can't get revenge on the thought-dead Drakkon but could spite him but foiling his ultimate revenge. Kimberly finally breaks up the bickering leaders since she has decided that Jason is right because Kimberly needs her Power Morpher if they want to stop Eclipta and by extension her master. Jason is impressed at her willingness to strip away some power of the Ranger Sentries but the other Power Coins remain in the Defuser and Kimberly orders Scorpina to ready her army whilst ordering Zack and Trini to gather The Coinless. Zack tries to change her mind but Jason stops him because Jason knows she has made up her mind and arguing about it would just be wasted time that they can't spare. Kimberly then asks for his help but he refuses to help because he thinks of her as a fascist similar to Drakkon, just more reasonable and less insane. Scorpina is happy to see him go but Adam tries to convince him anyway just to have Kimberly stop him since they were low on time and has the others assemble their army.
In the countryside outside of Angel Grove, Kimberly and the other leaders lie atop a hill as they watch Eclipta standing before a giant green energy beam. She comments on the fact that, despite their victory over Rita and her Spirit Sentries, the Coinless and Ranger Sentries are barely keeping together and are only allied due to the "enemy of my enemy" idea. Kim then gives the order that they attack Eclipta and kill her since then she can't call since Trini seems distant, Kimberly asks what's up and she responds that she is thinking about Jason and what he said about their Coins with Scorpina telling Adam not to die in the battle. Kimberly puts her helmet on and orders everyone to attack on her command but Eclipta notices them and sends goes on the attack with her Quantrons, joining battle. The Sentry Blasters easily obliterate the Quantrons but, as noted by Kimberly, Eclipta is shot twice in the chest is unfazed and then has them hold off the Coalition whilst she contacts Dark Specter. Zack notices that she is charging up the transmitter and tells Kimberly but there is an army of Quantrons in the way but Scorpina easily closes the gap by slicing apart the Quantrons in her way with Kimberly following swiftly.
Eclipta is a little surprised, Kimberly quipping that she is a little busy and asking if she can "reschedule for another day" but Eclipta's response is a big energy beam that Kimberly has to duck. She then flips onto her back and shoots Eclipta in the forehead with her Slayer Bow but she is unfazed and now angry before picking her up and ripping the arrow out. Although Kimberly tries to remind her that size isn't everything, Eclipta just stabs her in the shoulder with her own arrow and throws her into the ground hard enough to throw up a cloud of dust. Eclipta then gleefully notices Zack and Trini who are horrified by Kimberly's defeat with Eclipta rejoicing because she likes an audience but Adam plans a surprise attack only for Scorpina to be reluctant to cover him. Unfortunately, he jumps at Eclipta anyway whilst she insults the Coinless armor as bland whilst they try a high and low attack to zero effect before she kicks down Zack and smacks down Trini whilst mocking their weakness in comparison to her. She then insults their pathetic attempts since she is "worried" that would be no one for her master to enslave only to be blindsided by Scorpina as she smacks Eclipta with her staff and cockily says she's a "big fan." Somewhat impressed by Scorpina's warrior attire, she attempts to fry her with a energy beam but she jumps over it whilst trying to avenge Kimberly's apparent death. Jokingly, Kimberly yells up she's not dead just to get cut off because it ruined the moment as she blocks Eclipta's blade arm. However, she is immediately headbutted as the galactic supervillainess mocks the fact the villainess now considers herself a hero. However, Scorpina points out Adam is a hero as he jumps at Eclipta and prepares to impale her with his sword but his powers suddenly fade away as the entire Ranger Sentry army becomes powerless as well. Taking her opportunity with Scorpina shocked by his lack of armor, Eclipta slams Adam to the ground and rips into his chest which kills him instantly. With their entire army now powerless, Kimberly orders a full retreat but Scorpina tries to get Adam to join them only for Trini to tell her that he's dead and force her to flee. Eclipta lets them go, asking if this was their best and promising that they'd better run since their new master will soon be on his way.
The Coalition's leaders return to Lord Drakkon's palace only to find Angel Grove ripping itself apart and attacking the de-powered Ranger Sentries for all the atrocities committed against them in the past. Kimberly tells Trini to calm them since she would be more trusted than a former assassin of Drakkon's whilst she confronts Finster 5 who is being attacked by random thugs who ignore how hypocritical this is when Drakkon did basically the same thing. Luckily, Kimberly saves him and he reveals that Jason forced him to take the Coins out of the Defuser whilst Scorpina grieves and laments Adam's death. Skull is attacked by a random citizen for hurting his sister and she hears full well the atrocities committed by her soldiers along with the accusation that they were all either psychopaths or boot lickers. Having apparently gone a bit nuts, she says she'll "talk to you later" Adam, she forces the punk to back off with her scepter whilst Zack and Trini round up the surviving Sentries who are in shock over their sudden lost powers and blame the Coinless for taking the chance to eliminate the threat whilst Trini tries to calm a Coinless member who doesn't appreciate the bad mouthing. The issue then ends with a voice calling out how ironic the former Black and Yellow Power Rangers being able to save the world is but that it doesn't have to be that way. The final page shows Jason morphed as the Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger proclaiming that it's time to bring back the Power Rangers.
To be continued...
Covers[]
Errors[]
- Kimberly didn't manage to recognize Jason's voice throughout the entirety of his backstory in the previous episode.
- When Trini questions how Drakkon would know of Dark Specter and Eclipta, her black hair is colored red.
- This isn't supposed to be a reflection of the red hologram since not only is her hair less red in the previous long shot of the group but her hair is also clearly colored red.
Notes[]
- When talking about Zordon's supposed hypocrisy in limiting the use of the Power Coins, Drakkon makes reference to "teenagers with attitude" being a phrase Zordon liked to use.
References[]
Footnotes[]
