Warning: contains a preview of Mighty Morphin #9!
The new Green Ranger is enjoying the perks of being a public hero in the pages of Mighty Morphin, published by Boom! Studios. After all, nearly every other Ranger in the history of the franchise has had to deal with the burden of balancing their personal lives with their superhero activities. This doesn’t seem to be a problem, however, for the newest Green Ranger, Matthew Cook.
Much like his predecessor Tommy Oliver, the new Green Ranger has been cloaked in mystery. In fact, previously his identity was unknown by the Rangers or their mentor Zordon. When the villainous Lord Zedd trapped the citizens of Angel Grove within an energy bubble, the mysterious Green Ranger revealed himself as high school student Matthew Cook to the frightened inhabitants in order to improve morale.
Now, a preview of Mighty Morphin #9 shared by GamesRadar shows Matt’s move has paid off and comes with some perks. The story depicts several members of the Ranger team in class. Now that things are back to normal, the students are expected to complete extra homework to make up for missed class – except for Matthew Cook, that is. The Green Ranger is able to duck out of class early, and even given extra time to complete his assignment. When Adam protests, the teacher calmly explains she can’t make exceptions for everyone – unless he can prove he’s also a Power Ranger, something Adam is briefly tempted to do for extra credit.
While the scene plays out mostly for laughs, it comes with possible complications for the rest of the Power Rangers. Matthew’s special treatment could brew resentment from the other warriors, especially given that he seems to be a local celebrity. Since he was given the Dragon Coin by Grace Sterling, Matthew wasn’t chosen by Zordon. While the new Green Ranger has acted bravely in the past, he’s also struggled with insecurity, and it’s possible he won’t have the emotional maturity to handle the newfound responsibilities which come with the perks of fame. This could lead to more conflict with Zordon’s Power Rangers, or even possibly lead Matthew down the road of temptation if the fame truly goes to his head. That seems all the more likely as the rest of the preview dives back through time, examining the divisions that would eventually destroy Zordon’s original team.
Overall, Mighty Morphin looks to be charting a bold new future for the beloved team, which must now deal with a Green Ranger neither chosen by or operating under the direction of Zordon, and who is far freer than the other empowered teens to balance the demands of his life against his duty to fight evil. Releasing July 14 – and coming from Ryan Parrott, Marco Renna, Walter Baiamonte, Ed Dukeshire, Katia Ranalli and Sara Antonellini – Mighty Morphin #9 is set to explore the Green Ranger‘s advantage in operating without a secret identity, and how working within a community that adores him might affect the young hero’s path.
Source: GamesRadar
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