EXCLUSIVE: New Power Rangers Sentry Designs Revealed

03/14/2017 10:14 am EDT

Things have been rather chaotic for Tommy and Billy, who find themselves stranded in Lord Drakkon's dark universe and in the midst of a long-running war. Upon first landing there they encountered the Mastodon sentries, who are all armed with the powers of the Black Ranger. In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #13, fans learn that they're not the only ones under Drakkon's command.

ComicBook.com recently had the chance to speak to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers writer Kyle Higgins, who gave fans the lowdown on these new Ranger sentries that make their debut in issue #13. It's not exactly like they've had it easy with an evil Tommy chasing after them, but things are going to get worse before they get better.

When asked about the concept, Higgins said "Well, when I'm building an alternate timeline story, one of my favorite things to do is to invert and subvert iconography. The easiest inversion is to turn the Rangers into bad guys... which felt like really low-hanging fruit. Instead, I wanted to try something different... which is how I came to the idea of splitting the powers up amongst soldiers, essentially creating an army of Ranger Sentries."

The Mastadon sentries will be getting some help in issue #13 with the debut of the Sabertooth, Tyrannosaur, and Pterodactyl versions. Higgins worked with Jamal Campbell on creating those looks and tried to convey "Specificity. We wanted each design to feel really unique, taking advantage of the style, weapons, etc. that are specific to each Ranger the Sentries are based on." That also applied to their weapons, including giving the typically bow carrying Pink Ranger with a sniper rifle. "Those were all Saban and [cover artist] Jamal Campbell. Kim with the sniper rifle was also their idea. I love the concept—it's a great way to do a militarized take on the Pink Ranger's most iconic weapon."

While they possess the skills and powers of a typical Ranger, there is one big difference between the sentries and the original Rangers, and that is thanks to the original battle that took place on Drakkon's world. When asked if the sentries can call on Zords, Higgins said "They're not, no. The Zords are all mostly destroyed... as we saw in issues 11 and 12."

Higgins also addressed one particular absence in the new sentry lineup, that of a blue sentry. When asked if fans would eventually see one, he said "That's an excellent question. All I'll say is, there's a reason why there AREN'T Triceratops Sentries in our story to this point..."

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #13 hits on Wednesday, March 15th. You can view an exclusive preview of the new sentry designs in the gallery. The description can be found below.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #13, change synopsis to read: The remaining Power Rangers storm the Command Center in hopes of taking back their home from Rita and her forces. But is it already too late for Zordon and Alpha 5?

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