Vs. 20 Years of Morphine... err Morphin Time! - Comic-Con 2012

The pitfalls of too much "morphine time"!

(Been swamped at work, so a few of my posts will still be detailing Comic-con 2012)

Alpha! Bring me five teenagers with attitude! This was the line that began the revolution which would quickly become a staple in many a childhood in the last 20 years. Power Rangers. Yeah, that's right! If you were initially under the impression that this was a post dealing with the downside of morphine addiction, well you were wrong, and right to some degree. It really depends on your perspective in viewing numerous iterations of teens coming together to battle giant monsters while outfitted in distinctly colored costumes. By that description alone, it sure sounds like a group of teens have been hooked to the morphine drip one too many times. Whichever way you look at it, Power Rangers is a TV franchise that has stood the test of time.

If you want in on some of this.... then make your choice Morphine... the only choice!

The Mighty Morphin and Zeo series, in particular, are very nostalgic for me. It was a 90s TV series, and as most children series back then, it featured teenagers from different backgrounds. There was the alpha male jock in red, the geeky brainy guy in blue, and the popular 'valley girl' type in the most effeminate color, pink. If you want to get more obvious and veer a bit towards the ridiculous, you had a female Asian in... yellow and a black dude.... you guessed it, in black. Gotta love the 90s and their penchant for stereotype prejudices. Who cares... I was a kid, and these matters of racial undertones could not deter me for some good ol' Super Sentai ripoff action. I just couldn't get enough of the series, I was *ahem* hooked. Whether it was giant floating meth head Zordon just floating around, sexbot Alpha sounding constantly confused, or Rita, Lord Zedd and their NARC crew (Gold...aaaaarrrr!) opposing Team Addiction, I just kept coming back for more.

To escalate the already apparent cool factor of the series, the Green Ranger was brought into the mix. This guy was the epitome of Ranger awesomeness. Everything about his suit and arsenal just yelled out pimp; pimpin dagger, pimpin shield/chest plate, pimpin mothereffing Dragonzord! Not to mention, as the series progressed he experimented with cocaine lost his Green Ranger power and became even more badass, the White Ranger. As children, we were always taught that drug abusers always end up as the losers. When Tommy lost his powers, this was at first taken as a sign that the narcotics within his body had taken it's toll.... only for him to take it to a whole new level and become The White Ranger and eventual big dog of the group. Since day one, this douche has been trolling on Red Ranger Jason for the position of leadership. Just goes to show in some cases, assholes do prevail (and probably because he knew where to score the best stuff). Oh, and he gets the girl too.

Cute

Yes, I had a major crush on Pink Ranger Kimberly back in the day. Clearly, the side effects of drug abuse did not tarnish the beauty that coined the phrase "Morphenomenal!", just her brain cells.

Cuter

All angles

20 years and counting, Morphin time has never been stronger as each generation is introduced to it's numbing effects. Power Rangers Wild Force, Ninja Storm, Jungle Fury, Lost in Stoned, Operation Overdose, Jersey Whores, you name it, and Power Rangers will spawn it. Keep the good times rolling!

All puns aside, this was a series that contributed to my childhood. To end on a more serious note and in tribute to a successful franchise, I'll be ending this post with the epicness that is 'Forever Red.'  No, this 10th anniversary episode title is not an indication of marijuana or any other drug paraphernalia abuse.... or... is it?