Invasion of the Body Switcher

This article is about a/an episode in Power Rangers in Space, the last installment in the Zordon Era.

Invasion of the Body Switcher

Power Rangers In Space, Episode 6x19

Air Date(s)

September 26, 1998

Production Information

Written by

Jackie Marchand

Directed by

Judd Lynn

Episode Guide

Previous	Next
True Blue to the Rescue	Survival of the Silver

Invasion of the Body Switcher is the nineteenth episode of Power Rangers in Space.

Synopsis[]

Capturing Ashley on her birthday, Astronema uses the Body Switcher's special powers to take on the form of the Yellow Ranger. She infiltrates the Astro Megaship and captures each of the Power Rangers, except for Andros. Ashley tricks the monster and Elgar after transforming into Astronema, which aids in her escape so she can save her friends before it's too late.

Plot[]

The Rangers celebrate Ashley's birthday in the park and Andros tells her that back on his home planet (KO-35), they don't celebrate birthdays. She begins to tell him that he doesn't need to worry about it, but he surprises her with a silver necklace and she loves it.

Meanwhile on the Dark Fortress, Dark Specter points out that the Rangers are getting closer to finding Zordon. Astronema assures him that she will stop them leading Dark Specter to make a vague threat if she fails him. Astronema comes up with a plan to infiltrate the Astro Megaship; she summons the Body Switcher who has the ability to change appearances. Astronema tells the monster that she wants him to turn her into a Power Ranger and he gives her the likeness of Ashley Hammond (the Yellow Ranger). After testing her voice, Astronema and Ecliptor go to Earth to set her plan into motion.

As Ashley and Cassie are walking through a park, Ashley is voicing her confusion about Andros’ romantic interest in her to Cassie. While Cassie is distracted, Ashley is captured by Quantrons and the disguised Astronema takes her place. Ecliptor begins toying with the real Ashley but she manages to briefly escape and scream for Cassie successfully getting her attention but Ecliptor immediately catches her again. As Cassie moves to investigate the noise she just heard, Astronema (as Ashley) quickly distracts her by summoning Quantrons and faking an attack, allowing Ecliptor to teleport out with the real Ashley. Cassie engages the Quantrons while Astronema (as Ashley) unenthusiastically attempts to appear as though she is also fighting. One of the minions punches the disguised Astronema too hard and she retaliates, sending it flying. Cassie thwarts her attackers and Astronema (as Ashley) waves the Quantrons away, dismissing them. Cassie and Astronema (as Ashley) go back to the Megaship.

Back on the Astro Megaship, Astronema (as Ashley) searches for the engine room. D.E.C.A. informs her that the engine room is located on Megadeck 6. She zaps D.E.C.A.’s camera and proceeds to capture Cassie and Carlos.

In an unspecified location, Ashley is tied to a tree watching as Body Switcher brags to her about his powers. She tricks him into giving her the likeness of Astronema just before Elgar enters the area. Before Body Switcher can explain what he did, Ashley (as Astronema) tricks Elgar into believing she is actually Astronema and he releases her. Ashley (as Astronema) escapes before Body Switcher can tell Elgar what happened.

Continuing with her plan on the Astro Megaship, Astronema (as Ashley) bumps into Alpha 6 who, believing her to be the real Ashley, gives her a music box as a birthday present and leaves. Briefly admiring the gift, she laments that “no one’s ever been truly nice to [her] before.” She comes to her senses and throws away the music box. On the bridge, Andros and T.J. attempt to contact the other rangers to no avail. T.J. sets out to investigate and spots the damaged camera. Hearing T.J. rounding the corner, Astronema as Ashley hides an unconscious Carlos in a cargo hold. As Carlos comes to, he makes a noise that is heard by T.J. and he goes to investigate. As T.J. checks on Carlos, Astronema as Ashley captures both of them.

She then makes her way to the bridge prompting Andros to ask if she’s seen the others. She coyly alludes to the whereabouts of the other Rangers. She then tries to attack him from behind but he unexpectedly gets up to go search for the others. She stops him by making one of the monitors show a fake monster attack on Earth. Although, D.E.C.A. does not sense an attack, the two morph and head for Earth despite not having any of the other Rangers present.

Down on the surface, Andros points out that everything seems peaceful and while his back is turned, the morphed Astronema tries to shoot him with her Astro Blaster, but is stopped by the real Ashley (as Astronema) who tries to convince him that the Yellow Ranger is actually Astronema. The false Yellow Ranger begins to attack the false Astronema while Andros remains hesitant.

The other Rangers are found tied upside down somewhere on the ship and are rescued by Alpha 6. Back on Earth, Ashley (as Astronema) proves her identity to Andros by asking Astronema (as Ashley) what Andros gave her for her birthday, thus stumping her. Exposed, Astronema attacks Andros with the Astro Blaster but he dodges her blast and shoots her, knocking her back. As she rolls on the ground, her Morpher falls off, reverting back to her true form and Andros quickly grabs the Morpher. While the two Astronemas fight, Ecliptor and Body Switcher have trouble telling them apart. The rest of the Rangers arrive on the scene and Andros manages to cleverly distinguish between the two Astronemas. Enraged, Astronema tells them that she would never want to be a Power Ranger and sends the Body Switcher to destroy them and teleports back to the Dark Fortress. Ashley Morphs.

When Astronema returns to the bridge of the Dark Fortress, Elgar apprehends her, still believing that she is Ashley in disguise but Ecliptor stops him. She orders the Satellasers to be fired, making Body Switcher grow. The Rangers Summon the Mega Voyager and use the Astro Megazord Saber to fight the monster before destroying him with Mega V3’s missile mode.

Astronema storms off after the monster's defeat and Elgar tells a Quantron that he liked Ashley disguised as Astronema better and Astronema zaps him.

On the Astro Megaship, Ashley removes her helmet revealing that she's herself again. Afterwards, Andros goes to a hidden room with a mysterious cryogenic capsule with a body inside.

Cast[]

Christopher Khayman Lee as Andros (Red Space Ranger)
Roger Velasco as Carlos Vallerte (Black Space Ranger)
Selwyn Ward as T.J. Johnson (Blue Space Ranger)
Tracy Lynn Cruz as Ashley Hammond (Yellow Space Ranger)
Patricia Ja Lee as Cassie Chan (Pink Space Ranger)
Paul Schrier as Farkas "Bulk" Bulkmeier (credit only)
Jason Narvy as Eugene "Skull" Skullovitch (credit only)
Donene Kistler as Alpha 6
Wendee Lee as Alpha 6 (voice)
Julie Maddalena as D.E.C.A. (voice)
Melody Perkins as Astronema
Danny Stallcup as Ecliptor
Walter Lang as Ecliptor (voice)
Kenny Graceson as Elgar
Derek Stephen Prince as Elgar (voice)
Ezra Weisz as Body Switcher (voice)

Zords[]

Errors[]

When Elgar is shocked at Astronema changing into Ashley his eyes are slightly wonky and his faces moves very strangely.
Despite the fact that Ashley (as Astronema) was wearing black gloves, a bare hand pressed the 3-3-5 combination when morphing.
Cassie assumed that Ashley had returned to normal after Body Switcher was destroyed, however, it was obvious that she had returned to normal upon morphing due to her voice reverting back to normal at that point.

Notes[]

All of the other monsters that Body Switcher transforms into are recycled ones from Big Bad Beetleborgs. (Rocket Man, Cataclaws, LottaMuggs, Unctuous, FireCat [first form]).
- Ironically Ezra Weisz voiced LottaMuggs in Beetleborgs.
Alpha 6's birthday present to "Ashley" is a music box.
Astronema's line "I wouldn't wanna be a Power Ranger anyway!" is quite ironic since she later becomes one in the next season.
- Not just that, but she later still states that she loves being a Power Ranger in Super Megaforce.
This is the second episode in the entire Power Rangers series in which the title was a reference to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, the first was Zeo's "Invasion of the Ranger Snatchers".
When asked what her birthday wish is and tells them she won't, Cassie says "I bet I can guess" and she and Ashley look at Andros. Meaning Cassie knows Ashley loves Andros.
After getting the music box from Alpha, Astronema (in her Ashley disguise) says that nobody else has been truly nice to her before.
Carlos and Ashley's lines respectively, "So, what'd you wish for?" "Duh. You know I can't tell you or it won't come true." are recycled lines from the Power Rangers Turbo episode "Beware the Third Wish".
The necklace Andros gives Ashley looks similar to the Virtualizers in VR Troopers.
The end of this episode reveals for the first time the secret camera where Andros maintains a cryogenic tube containing Zhane (although the latter does not yet appear). This will drive the events of the next episode.