After 32 Years, Power Rangers Breaks a Franchise Rule We Thought Was Set in Stone

The role of the Blue Ranger has been forever changed by the newest Power Rangers series. Dating back to the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the Blue Ranger has always served a specific role on the team. Beyond being the second-in-command, the Blue Ranger is the Problem Solver of the Power Rangers, with a focus on tech and science-focused solutions.

Power Rangers Prime #6 by Melissa Flores and Jo Mi-Gyeong presents the Blue Ranger in an entirely new light. Marko “Mark” Zhao has been captured by the VR Troopers, the Power Rangers’ antagonists. During his interrogation, Mark attacks the VR Trooper leader, Ryan Steele. Mark eventually succumbs to a taser from behind, but proves to be an incredibly tough combatant, enough so that Ryan has to admit, “the kid’s a fighter.”

In a surprise development, Mark proves himself to be the Power Rangers’ brawler: a rare role for a Blue Ranger.

Power Rangers Prime Changes Blue Rangers as Fans Know Them

Power Rangers Prime #6 by Melissa Flores, Jo Mi-Gyeong, Ellie Wright and Ed Dukeshire

Readers still have more to learn about this new roster of Power Rangers, but the Blue Ranger’s background has been explored more thoroughly than most. Digging into his origin story, the series reveals that Mark is an immigrant from the planet Aquitar, much like the franchise’s most underrated team, the Alien Rangers. His background as an Aquitian is associated with poverty, leading to bullying. It’s safe to assume that his origin story and how he’s treated has put Mark in situations where he needs to fight regularly, even before becoming a Power Ranger.

This puts into perspective why he was not only such a great fighter before picking up a Morpher, but why he displayed such bravery throughout the series. The first scene of the series sees him actively hiding a wounded fugitive Red Ranger from police officers. Later, he’s seen defending his friend, Orion, from a similar bullying attempt and, in this issue, he’s quick to strike first against the VR Trooper, nearly knocking the latter out in the process. The fact that he nearly left a trained super-soldier unconscious and earned their respect is impressive… it’s just an incredibly surprising series of events for a hero often seen as the team’s tech support.

Mark’s Fighting Ability Distinguishes Him from Other Blue Rangers

Past Blue Rangers Have Not Been Renowned for Fighting Ability

The original Blue Ranger from the first Power Rangers season, Billy Cranston, set the precedent for what a Blue Ranger is. His character is a stereotypical nerd, albeit one who’s heroic and a huge asset to the team. As a result, he became the team’s home base inventor, most notably creating the team’s communicators and the franchise’s greatest weapon, the Benevolator. Both the television show and the comic books frame Billy as capable of solving any problem for the Power Rangers, a trait that would remain consistent among future Blue Rangers.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #112 (from Melissa Flores, Hendry Prasetya, Matt Herms and Ed Dukeshire) made this explicit, with Grace Sterling telling Billy, “You are the blue. And that means you’re the problem solver. You always have been…” However, this issue was only making canon what had been apparent to fans for decades.

There are exceptions, of course, particularly in Rangers like TJ (Turbo and In Space) and Rocky (Mighty Morphin and Zeo) who started off as Red in one season, then Blue in another. Obviously, they’re not going to carry the same Blue Ranger traits if they didn’t originate in that role. However, those who did debut as Blue Rangers fall into similar categories and archetypes as Billy. Ethan James from Dino Thunder, Kai Chen from Lost Galaxy, and Max Cooper from Wild Force are just some examples of super-geniuses who happened to be Blue Power Rangers as well. However, Marko “Mark” Zhao is breaking the mold.

Are There Any Other Combat-Focused Blue Rangers?

How Does Marko Compare to Other Blue Rangers?

It’s always been rare to see a Blue Ranger have an ounce of ferocity, let alone be defined by it. While most Power Rangers aren’t exactly pacifists, they don’t normally display the same eagerness to scrap or skill in fighting that Marko does. However, there is precident, especially thanks to the comics. The comic series Power Rangers introduces Kiya Kyatyl, the Blue Omega Ranger with a violent streak hot enough to betray her friends as a turncoat, no longer trusting the Power Rangers after learning there’s an alternate reality where Tommy Oliver becomes Lord Drakkon.

Kiya’s time as the Blue Omega Ranger eventually came to an end, and she was replaced by an even more ferocious Ranger in Yale of Saard. Yale is a feline-esque teammate who is the former runt of his litter, growing up fighting as much as Marko did. Just like with Marko, it quickly turned Yale into one of the best Blue Rangers of the franchise and one of the best fighters to join the team. Arguably, Marko isn’t so much starting a trend as he is continuing one started by Kiya and Yale in their respective runs as Omega Blue Rangers.

Could Marko Create a New Trend for Blue Rangers?

Popularizing the Fighter Aspect of Blue Rangers

Marko being portrayed as a fighting specialist completely transcends what a Blue Ranger is normally capable of being, and potentially warps what future Blue Rangers could be in the future for the better. Blue Rangers have never been considered weak, but when most of them prefer to keep their heads in the books and beakers rather than on the battlefield, it’s made audiences greatly underestimate them. This has also affected how Blue Rangers are depicted in spin-off media, like the comics.

For example, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #10 by Kyle Higgins and Jonathan Lam features a story in which Billy is trying to overcome his stage fright when it comes to fighting. He had never been in a fight before becoming the Earth’s protector, and so he couldn’t stop freezing in his earliest adventures with the Power Rangers. Such a portrayal largely stems from Billy being a bookworm, but it is also one that hurts widespread perception of Billy and other Blue Rangers. The misconception is that Blue Rangers like Billy are meek at heart, and the weak link when it comes to combat. However, Marko makes it clear that no longer has to be true.

Power Rangers Prime Is Ensuring Fans Stop Underestimating Blue Rangers

Marko’s Time as the Blue Prime Ranger is Just the Beginning

Anyone familiar with his history in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series knows that Billy Cranston is far from meek. The same sentiment can be applied to Mark, and his proven ability as a fighter could be the key to legitimizing him and other Blue Rangers. Following in the footsteps of Kiya and Yale, Marko is well on the way to becoming the team badass. The resurrection of this Omega Ranger trend reveals two things. One is that the comics have made it easier to morph how Rangers are viewed alongside their colors.

Two is that creators are becoming more willing to showcase Blue Rangers as scrappier brawler. With multiple Blue Rangers adopting the same new traits, BOOM! Studios is effectively changing how Blue Rangers have come to be defined in franchise lore. The publishing company isn’t completely erasing past characteristics, but instead proving that Blue Rangers can be so much more than a nerd stereotype. In the grander scheme of Power Rangers, Blue Rangers can still be nerdy tech wizards and Problem Solvers… but they can also kick serious butt.

Power Rangers Prime #6 is available now from BOOM! Studios.