Shattered Grid: 10 Best Moments From The Power Rangers 2018 Annual

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Annual was chock-full of Shattered Grid goodness, and we’ are checking out some of our favorites in the big time issue.

Spoilers incoming for The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual #1, so if you haven’t read it yet you can check out our other Shattered Grid coverage here.

There was a little bit of everything in the Power Rangers Annual, and if you’ve been following Shattered Grid you definitely don’t want to miss it. Every story here has something to offer the greater overall storyline, plus when it comes down to it, you don’t really need much in the way of excuses to check out classic Power Ranger teams like In Space, RPM, S.P.D. Zeo and newcomers Ninja Steel taking on Lord Drakkon.

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual #1 is written by Kyle Higgins, Anthony Burch, Caleb Goellner, Adam Cesare, Becca Barnes, and Alwyn Dale. It’s drawn by Marcus To, Dylan Burnett, Patrick Mulholland, Hyeonjin Kim, and Simone Di Meo. Colors are by Matt Herms, Jeremy Lawson, Raul Angulo, and Joana Lafuente, and letters are by Ed Dukeshire. The official description is included below.

“Featuring fan-favorite teams from across the Power Rangers universe – Dino Charge, RPM, TimeForce, Ninja Steel, Dino Thunder – the entire fabric of reality is under threat as Drakkon invades!”

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2018 Annual #1 is in comic stores now.

Hit the next slide to see some of our favorite moments!

Wrapping Up A Zeo Thread

Fans always wondered how Jason got his original Morpher back during the show, and they finally got an answer to that question in the annual.

On Jason’s last day with the team (having recently given up the Gold Zeo Ranger powers) they hold a party for him, presenting him with a present. That present ends up being his original Morpher, which Rocky reveals he held onto after they got the Zeo powers.

They present it to Jason after Billy fixes it up, though Rocky and Alpha-5 remind him they only fixed it on the outside, and he should probably avoid using it.

That said, he would use it eventually in Forever Red (regarding the show), and now fans know how he had it in the first place.

A Zeo Death

Unfortunately, things don’t’ stay pleasant for long, as Tommy checks out of the party early and heads back to his room, where it is revealed the real Tommy is shackled in a chair.

It turns out Lord Drakkon took Tommy’s place before the party and has been talking to all the Rangers and Jason ever since. Drakkon reveals here that he had planned on killing the other Rangers, but was swayed not to after speaking to them and seeing how much they admired Tommy.

That isn’t enough to stop him from killing Tommy though, slashing his throat with Saba and killing him.

Crazily enough that wouldn’t be the last death by issue’s end.

Drakkon Attacks The S.P.D.

It doesn’t take long for Drakkon to use his newfound powers to take on other Ranger teams, including the S.P.D.

First kudos should go to Patrick Mulholland and Raul Angulo, who captured the S.P.D. team in all their stylish glory. When the Rangers morph into a grand “S.P.D. Emergency”, you’re transported right back to the show, and yes, that even includes the Shadow Ranger himself, Cruger.

Drakkon doesn’t disappoint either, bringing his new Samurai Sentries and Zeo Sentries along for the ride.

The S.P.D. Beats Drakkon

You might assume that Drakkon just rolls through whoever he gets in front of him, but that is delightfully not the case.

One of the coolest parts of the annual is subverting expectations and shows this isn’t a cakewalk for Drakkon. The SPD gets hit hard, but they are able to rebound and pull together to stand up to Drakkon’s army. They even pull out the impressive R.I.C. 3.0 to change the tide, and their victory is pretty impressive.

The RPM Rangers

Speaking of other Power Rangers teams, the RPM Rangers don’t fail to impress either.

Dylan Burnett and Jeremy Lawson bring a different but perfect in tone visual style to the world of RPM, and every fan is going to want that first “Get In Gear!!!” rallying call page for their wall.

It doesn’t hurt that this storyline also heavily features the new Samurai sentries, which give the RPM Rangers an unexpected challenge.

Again though, the RPM Rangers hold their own, and Writer Anthony Burch manages to sidestep weakening Drakkon by showing how a general will learn from his mistakes.

Dr. K Vs Drakkon

Don’t ever let someone say that Dr. K can’t take care of herself.

Drakkon sends his army to attack the other Rangers and their headquarters while Drakkon himself goes to talk to Dr. K. A possible alliance is what he covets, but Dr. K isn’t having it.

The best part is when Drakkon says it isn’t really a question, which prompts Dr. K to pull a blaster out of her locker and blow his head off. It turns out to be a Venjix Android he was speaking through, but the message she was sending remains clear.

Drakkon’s Andros Diss

In Space fans love Andros, but they are aware he struggled with certain parts of being a leader, and Drakkon makes sure to point that out.

Lord Drakkon and his Sabertooth and Samurai Sentries get aboard the Astro Megaship and are able to take control of D.E.C.A. (for the most part anyway). They use D.E.C.A. to monitor the rest of the team, who find themselves in conflict with each other, especially Andros and TJ.

Andros tells him what to go and fix, and TJ leaves in a huff. Ashley reminds Andros humans have feelings, but Andros feels that TJ is just mad because he’s not the Red Ranger anymore.

After watching this exchange, Drakkon says This is Leadership? Pathetic.”

Tell us how you really feel why don’t ya…

Alpha 5’s Demise

We said there was another death coming later on, and now we’re finally here.

Later in the In Space story, Drakkon makes his presence known on the ship, telling all the Rangers to stay in their quarters and hand over their Morphers. Andros wastes no time in Morphing, and that’s when Drakkon decides to show them he isn’t playing around.

To make an example Drakkon grabs Alpha 5’s head and slams it into the control console. He then continues to press on Alpha 5’s helmet, causing it to crumble in on itself as the glass falls from the visor. With one last “Rangers”, Drakkon completely crumples it as the Rangers try and scramble.

RIP Alpha 5…

Drakkon Loses To Ninja Steel

One of the most pleasant surprises is Adam Cesare, Hyeonjin Kim, and Joana LaFuente’s Ninja Steel story, and again, it shows you never can expect what’s coming.

Why do you ask? Well because the Ninja Steel Rangers prove more than formidable for Drakkon’s blend of Sabertooth and Mastodon Sentries, and that is without their Red Ranger.

Seeing them use their Ninja Power Stars in tandem to take him down is a fantastic sight for any fan of the current show, and we can’t wait to see them in a rematch.

Ninja Steel Power?

While Drakkon might have taken a loss against the Ninja Steel Rangers, he didn’t leave completely emptyhanded.

In the last panel, it is revealed that Brody’s actions have unexpectedly helped Drakkon. Drakkon wanted his Ninja Power Star, but in an effort to keep it from him (and create more Rangers) Brody slashed it to pieces. It succeeded in keeping the full Star from Drakkon, but he did manage to pick up a piece of it before he left.

He gives it to Finster-5 and tells him to melt it down for him because he has an idea. So, will it be used to create a Ninja Steel Sentry? Or maybe a weapon of some kind or even extra armor for his army? Who knows, but we definitely want to see where this goes.