Pulsecon 2021: Power Rangers Lightning Collection Reveals

 Friday Pulsecon revealed Power Rangers Lighting Collection figures and other items, here are some:

Lord Zedd Helmet

Wave 11 has Lunar Wolf Ranger (Merrick), Red Dino Fury Ranger (Zayto), Cog (With Blue Ranger weapons) and Pink Dino Charge Ranger (Shelby). This completes the main six Dino Charge Rangers and starts Wild Force and Dino Fury. Some are Walmart exclusives.

Also Piranthishead, Hasbro Pulse exclusive.

Blue In Space Ranger and Galaxy Glider, making TJ available both in the set with Psycho Silver and this set. If you'd ask me, I'd rather had had Red Ranger.

Later on, don't know when Dino Megazord Lighting Collection collectible coming soon.

Props and Concepts from Tokusatsu used in Power Rangers

 I have covered a couple of these topics before but here they are complied with some new ones. I will not include monsters that were reused later because there are too many to mention. 

Aura Changer/Manga Morpher

The Aura Changer, the morpher from Dairanger (1993) was changed to the Manga Morpher for Power Rangers Lost Galaxy (1998). They changed the colors and name of Dairanger changed to silver. The toy had the name of Lost Galaxy while the show just had it silver. They changed the knots on the extending item to silver.

Gorma Emperor/Master Org

The costume for the main villain Gorma Emperor from Daitanger (1993) was used for Master Org in Power Rangers Wild Force (2002).

Nanami/Kira

Nanami (Hurricanger 2002) was a singer, this trait was not moved to her counterpart Tori in Ninja Storm (2003) but given to Kira in Dino Thunder (2004). This was probably done because back then they usually got a few episodes in advance. They probably were already locked in character traits in Ninja Storm, that later after Hurricanger ended, producers liked that concept for Dino Thunder.

Rije/Mora and Rijewel/Morgana

In Abaranger (2003), the villain Rie was child-like became the woman Rijewel. The Dino Thunder series didn't have this concept. This concept was used for Mora/Morgana in Power Rangers SPD (2005). Morgana did get the battle suit from Succubus from Dekaranger (2004) so it was a composite character. This was probably done because back then they usually got a few episodes in advance. They probably were already locked in for villains for Dino Thunder and were not aware that concept would happen. Later after Abaranger ended, producers liked that concept for SPD.

Abarepink / Orange Ranger
In Abaranger (2003), Abarepink was a friend of the gang dressed as a fan-made pink ranger. This concept was not used in Dino Thunder. In SPD (2005), Boom made his fan made Orange Ranger costume. 

Thunder Stinger

B-Fighter (1995)/Beetleborgs (1996)'s Thunder Stinger becomes an unnamed weapon for Dr. K in RPM (2009). 

Baron Nero/Cosmo Royale

Toqger (2014)'s Baron Nero was used for Cosmo Royale in Ninja Steel (2017). They changed the face.

Jirayu and Gavan/Skyfire and Chaku

Jirayu (1993) appeared in Ninninger (2015) and Gavan (1982) appeared in Go-Busters (2012). Then when Ninninger was adapted as Ninja Steel (2017), Jirayu became Skyfire. Then when Go-Busters was adapted as Beast Morphers (2019), Gavan became Chaku.

Power Rangers: Non-Color Teammate Names (2019)

I did the Super Sentai version, here are the Power Rangers. I'm not counting Ninjor or Blue Senturion or any Ranger-like Allies that are like them.

Phantom Ranger

The first Sixth Ranger to not have a color in his/her name. In Super Sentai, his counterpart VRV Master was not a Ranger, no mecha (zord) nor personal weapon. 

Magna Defender

Magna Defender, himself, is considered a Rnager-like Ally but when Mike became him, the show and toyline treated him as a Sixth Ranger. 

Titanium Ranger

Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It is a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength. He is basically a Silver Ranger. Boom Comics considers him this as he was included in the Silver Ranger cover they did a year ago.

Quantum Ranger

 Quantum distinctly is not a color. It is considered they picked this name not to be confused for Red. His Japanese counterpart as called Time Fire.

Lunar Wolf Ranger
While in Super Sentai, he was Gao Silver with the color in his name, Wild Force decided to call him "Lunar Wolf" instead of a color. My guess they did this because Quantum Ranger had a non-color name and wanted to keep that motif. 

Kat Ranger/Shadow Ranger/Omega Ranger

Shadow Ranger is hard to definiate if he's black or blue or what. So understandable they called him 'Shadow.' Omega Ranger, surprisingly, was not called 'White' but probably 'Omega' being that Omega means "the last." Omega Ranger's original name was DekaBreak. Kat Ranger is just named that because she is Kat, a feline. Her counterpart was Swan-inspired. My guess they did all this was because Dekaranger didn't use color names for their non-core Rangers.

Nova Ranger

"Nova" is a space thing, she was probably called that because it sounded cool. Her counterpart was "DekaBright."

Solaris Knight/Wolf Warrior

Even though treated as a Sixth Ranger both by Power Rangers and Super Sentai, fans don't consider him a 'Ranger' because of his name 'Knight.' Fans consider him a Ranger-like ally. I consider him a Ranger regardless. His counterpart was MagiShine. Wolf Warrior's Japanese counterpart was Wolzard Fire. He is considered a Ranger-like Ally. 

Mercury Ranger

His counterpart was Bouken Silver so he had a color name, but this guy was probably named Mercury because it was considered cool. My guess is because the last season the sixth rangers didn't have color names.

Robo Knight

After Operation Overdrive, all rangers went by colors or animals (in Jungle Fury). The only one during Saban era to not have a color name was Robo Knight, stylized after Gosei Knight. 

Graphite Ranger

"Graphite" is not a color. It is a crystalline allotropic form of carbon. In Japan, he was Kyoryu Gray. With all the unique color names like Aqua Ranger and Purple Ranger, Graphite Ranger is the only one that isn't a color. Gray Ranger doesn't sound as catchy either. He is also considered a Silver Ranger in Boom Comics. 

NY Toy Fair 2019 Hasbro Power Rangers Toy

UPDATED 2/16/19 5PM EST
Pics from https://twitter.com/MaddieMichalik and https://twitter.com/ToyBook and https://twitter.com/thattoygirl and  https://twitter.com/RangerCommandPH

Spotted from Dino Charge: Red, Green, Silver, Gold, Grumm, T-Rex Super Red

From Dino Thunder: Zeltrax, Yellow, Blue, White, Dragozord, Triassic

From Wild Force: Yellow, Black, Blue, Silver

From MMPR: Rita, Tigerzord, Ninjor (Samurai Mode)

Toys look awesome but some headscratchers:

Why is Black Wild Force Ranger with the JUNGLE FURY Rhino Steel Megazord?

Why is Roxie (Escape) yellow and not purple?

Why Yellow Dino Thunder Ranger looks male? 

Power Rangers Ultimate Visual History Review

I know this is a few weeks late but I was busy with work and Rangerstop, here is my review. Written by Jody Revenson and Ramin Zahed, for Insight Editions which have done "Ultimate Visual Historys" for Ninja Turtles and Back to the Future and Revenson has done Harry Potter volumes. It has a touching foreword by Amy Jo Johnson. It is a behind the scenes book from the inception of Power Rangers (Saban in a hotel room) to the series humble beginnings to the juggernaut it became to getting a bit more mature (In Space to Time Force) to being acquired by Disney (Ninja Storm to RPM) to Saban Brands (Samurai to Super Ninja Steel) to now (Beast Morphers). Even a diehard fan such as myself didn't know Saban sang all Sentai songs from Goranger to Jetman, Alpha 5 being based on 50's robot toys and named after an obscure French film Alpha 60 and the literal taping of random hardware to become a new invention for Billy.

The book is thorough in explaining the plot of each season, the characters, villains, zords and the producers and writers. It shows stunning visuals, some we already know and some never before seen such as concept drawings for various things from command center, juice bar, Ninjetti table, Wild Force Animarium and Samurai wardrobe. It is inconsistent in its content of pictures, say, compared to the Super Sentai encyclopedia books as the content is not consistent (for example, Megaforce villains get a two pages but Super Megaforce villains do not). I am not being nitpicky but it gets a little glaring for someone that has ADHD or OCD which I believe (going to conventions) which is probably half of the fandom. (not a criticism but an observation)

The book is guilty of indulging a lot in the earlier seasons and movies than the later seasons but probably for the reader, who probably is guessed to be over twenty years old and probably not as intrigued to have 14 pages on Megaforce. The 2017 movie gets 14 pages. Each Saban Brands season gets 12 pages except Dino Charge gets 10. Disney seasons gets 8 pages except SPD and Operation Overdrive that get 6 each. Each Saban Entertainment season gets from 6 pages to 10. Migthy Motphin, because its 3 seasons and the movie, it gets 58. Zeo and Turbo series gets 6 pages each, Turbo movie, Lost Galaxy, and Wild Force gets 10, Space gets 12 and Lightspeed and Time Force gets 8. It probably had to do with what they had to explain and the amounts of photos. 

I found intriguing reasoning of the writers such as a lower episode count in Mystic Force made producers and writers happy they could use less of the sentai footage and focus on their own. With MMPR season 1, they had to use ALL the footage. Then in other seasons that had so little budget they had no choice but to use mostly footage. Supposedly the less original footage they had to make the more high quality they could had done with it. But unfortunately with Megaforce, it looks like who is in charge is what dictates what 'high quality' is. In the case of RPM, the book claims Disney says it was just the scheduling why they fired Eddie Guzelian but Ari Boyland at Rangerstop 2016 claims it was because Guzelian didn't use all the monster suits they were ordered.

The book doesn't make the usual mistakes other Saban Brands publications do with misnaming things and only trusting fan information. They do quote and site a lot of fan websites (even mine) but mostly with interviews with actors. They used two of my interviews, one with Davi Santos and another with Ryan Carter. Unfortunately I did see one mistake. They have little pamphlets inside and one covered toys and one claimed you had to scan Power Cards" that came with the Ranger Keys which is incorrect. The cards came in the first season of Power Rangers Megaforce and the keys in Super Megaforce. All in all, a great book but if you can't cough up $50, its understandable. With most books it can just collect dust. But for me, this is a book I'll be revisiting.