This article is about an episode in Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. |
Mean Wheels Mantis is the twenty-sixth episode of Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. The episode introduces the Red Capsular Cycle (an upgrade for the Red Ranger's Astro Cycle).
Synopsis[]
Maya tries to teach Leo how to understand the Galactabeasts. The Motor Mantis Monster challenges the male Rangers to a motorcycle race because he has captured the Pink and Yellow Rangers. Leo gets help in the race from the Lion Galactabeast and wins the race with his Red Capsular Cycle. The Rangers call on the Galaxy Megazord to defeat the Mantis.
Plot[]
Leo finds Maya in the forest talking to Wolf Galactabeast and is amazed how she is able to understand what he is talking about. Maya convinces Leo to also try a communication and advises to listen with the heart but in spite of the effort, Leo can not understand the language of the animals like Maya.
Meanwhile, Deviot introduces the Motor Mantis to Trakeena, a monster who has a real obsession with speed and motorcycle racing being defined by Deviot as disloyal and dishonest. Deviot's remark about the monster's qualities is noted by Kegler who ironically compares the monster's attitudes with Deviot's own which causes him to push him. Trakeena meets Deviot's request and sends Motor Mantis to Terra Venture.
Motor Mantis begins to attack the colony by firing his bike and causing much destruction wherever he goes. Kendrix and Maya are the first to come and confront the monster, but they alone can not control it. Shortly after Motor Mantis transforms the Pink and Yellow Rangers into two golden trophies while the other Rangers arrive in their Astro Cycles and witness the transformations.
The monster challenges Leo, Damon and Kai in exchange for the trophies, he boasts for having the fastest bike in the galaxy and proposes to the Rangers to race a motorcycle with him around the vault of the colony. If the Rangers win at the end of the race, Motor Mantis promises to return the trophies and reverse the spell on their friends. At first Leo rejects the challenge, however when Motor Mantis takes off on his bike with the trophies he, Kai and Damon are forced to participate anyway and chase after Motor Mantis on their Astro Cycles.
During the chase, Mantis uses dirty tricks to stop the Rangers, first he attacks Kai by activating an invisible line of electricity between two trees knocking down the Blue Ranger when he contacts, then Mantis fires lasers against a cliff causing an avalanche of rocks that fall on the track forming obstacles that end up overthrowing Damon but not before he manages to hit the Motor Mantis bike with a shot of his Astro Cycle.
Leo is the only Ranger left in the race and is able to overtake the monster briefly, however before he can approach the finish line, Motor Mantis fires the lasers on his bike scoring a direct hit on the Red Astro Cycle. Motor Mantis then takes a big leap with his bike reaching the finish line and winning the race while Leo's damaged Astro Cycle splutters to a stop just short of the end.
Leo accuses Motor Mantis of having cheated during the race but the monster doesn't care and declares that the trophies are his and Leo is just a bad loser. Motor Mantis leaves with his prizes, as Leo feels deep guilt over his failure to win.
Damon and Kai evaluate the damage to the Astro Cycles; while the blue and green cycles are going to be off the road for a while, the red cycle could be repaired by the morning if Damon works on it through the night but even then it won't be up to full capacity. Leo tells Damon to do whatever he can to get his cycle running, desperate to get Maya and Kendrix back despite knowing Motor Mantis is still too powerful to beat.
While is thoughtful about the situation he faces, Leo hears the roar of Lion Galactabeast and goes to meet him in the forest, he recalls Maya's earlier directions on how to listen to the beasts with his heart to understand his language, Leo understands when Lion Galactabeast informs that his Astro Cycle has extra powers and thanks his friend for his help.
Leo removes his newly repaired Astro Cycle from the workshop while Kai and Damon are asleep and returns to the city, where he challenges Motor Mantis by proposing to him a new race aiming to recover the trophies. Although the monster sees no advantage in competing again with Leo once already defeated him in the previous race, Leo raises the stakes by promising to hand over his Quasar Saber to Mantis if he loses. Motor Mantis cannot resist this wager, knowing Trakeena will be very happy if he delivers a Quasar Saber to her, so he accepts the challenge.
As in the previous race, Motor Mantis cheats all the way up to the point of jumping off the bike and jumping on Leo's back trying to force him to fall off his Astro Cycle. Leo manages to stay focused on his goal despite all the monster's foul play, he hears the voices of Kendrix and Maya in his mind and remembers the moments when they were transformed into trophies as well as his communication with the Lion Galactabeast this does with that he transforms his Astro Cycle into the faster and more powerful Red Capsular Cycle.
The incredible speed of the Red Capsular Cycle surpasses that of Motor Mantis and Leo wins the race, he claims the trophies as a result of the victory but Motor Mantis refuses to revert them back, so Leo activates the Red Capsular Cycle's Fireball Mode and destroys Motor Mantis, making Kendrix and Maya back to normal while Leo reclaims his saber. Damon and Kai arrive soon after and are amazed at the new upgrade of Leo's Astro Cycle.
Before Leo gets a chance to talk about his new combat gear, Motor Mantis gets giant, which forces the Rangers to invoke their Galactabeasts that turn into the Galaxy Megazord and defeat Motor Mantis with the Condor Galactazord's Missile.
Afterward, Leo tells Maya about how was able talk to the Lion Galactabeast before he has a bike race with Damon and Kai.
Cast[]
- Danny Slavin as Leo Corbett (Red Galaxy Ranger)
- Reggie Rolle as Damon Henderson (Green Galaxy Ranger)
- Archie Kao as Kai Chen (Blue Galaxy Ranger)
- Cerina Vincent as Maya (Yellow Galaxy Ranger)
- Valerie Vernon as Kendrix Morgan (Pink Galaxy Ranger)
- Amy Miller as Trakeena
- Richard Cansino as Villamax (voice)
- David Lodge as Kegler (voice)
- Bob Papenbrook as Deviot (voice)
- Michael McConnohie as Motor Mantis (voice)
Zords[]
Errors[]
- During the second race, Leo remembered Maya and Kendrix turning into trophies, even though he wasn't there to witness it.
- Despite Kendrix being with them, the Wildcat wasn't shown arriving with the other Galactabeasts nor was Kendrix shown jumping on to it.
Notes[]
- Russell Lawrence (Mike) does not appear in this episode.
- During the first race, the trophies were guarded by Stingwingers at the finish line. But during the rematch, the trophies and Quasar Saber were left unprotected. Not even the Stingwingers are there to guard them.
- Kendrix only appears unmorphed from the back and at a distance.
- The plot of this episode would later be used for the Power Rangers Ninja Steel episode "Ace and the Race."
- The small statues on the Yellow and Pink trophies are the Lost Galaxy Yellow and Pink figures painted in gold.
- This marks the first appearance of the Red Capsular Cycle.
See Also[]
- Chapter 9: Secret Kitten - Super Sentai counterpart in Gingaman. See comparison page. (Megazord fight footage)
- Chapter 32: The Mobile Horse of Friendship - Super Sentai counterpart in Gingaman. See comparison page. (Red Capulsar Cycle footage & debut)