The Day Power Rangers Went Public: A Look Back at the Historic Revelation

The Historic Revelation

The Power Rangers first revealed their identity to the world in 1998, forever changing the Power Rangers TV show. One of Zordon’s rules the Power Rangers had to follow was to never reveal their identities to others. In classic superhero fashion, the Rangers could put the lives of loved ones in danger should they ever reveal themselves to the public. Although villains like Rita and Zedd did know who the Rangers were, the friends and families of the Rangers did not.

The In Space Power Rangers morphing in Countdown to Destruction

The idea of morphing into a superhero has always been one of the most interesting things about the Super Sentai shows and their respective Power Rangers adaptations. Throughout the Power Rangers chronology, the concept of secret identities was more important to some teams than to others. However, the first time the Power Rangers of Earth ditched their secret identity happened not too long after the end of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

A custom image featuring Jason in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the Dino Charge Blue, the Mighty Morphin Red, and the Dino Charge Red Rangers

Power Rangers in Space concluded with a two-part episode, “Countdown to Destruction,” in which Earth and several other planets were attacked at the same time by Astronema and the Alliance of Evil. After destroying Dark Specter, Astronema was now the leader of the biggest army the galaxy had ever seen. Every single Power Rangers villain up until that point, from Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd to Divatox, was part of the Alliance of Evil – and so were their minions. “Countdown to Destruction” was meant to be a finale to Power Rangers, especially because the future of the franchise was still unclear.

The core Power Rangers SPD Rangers, the Lightspeed Yellow Ranger, and the core RPM Rangers

Impact of the Revelation

Androds, the Red Ranger, was searching for Zordon and his sister, Astronema. The rest of the Rangers, however, were on Earth, trying to protect people from the attacks. Astronema eventually landed on Earth and ordered the Power Rangers to reveal themselves and surrender, otherwise, she would continue to destroy the planet. While some of Angel Grove’s citizens, including Bulk and Skull, stood up against Astronema by saying they were Power Rangers, the true Rangers decided to intervene. Ashley, Carlos, Zane, TJ, and Cassie showed up on the top of a building and announced themselves as the Power Rangers, becoming the first team in the franchise to reveal their identities.

A custom image featuring Power Rangers Ninja Storm's Crimson Ranger, Lightspeed Rescue's Titanium Ranger, and Mighty Morphin's Green Ranger

Up until Power Rangers in Space’s finale, no Power Rangers team from Earth had ever revealed their civilian identities to the world. It must be noted that, from Mighty Morphin to the first half of Turbo, every group of Rangers was still somewhat connected to the first generation of heroes picked by Zordon. The Mighty Morphin Rangers became the Zeo ones; the Zeo characters shifted into Turbo, and the Turbo Rangers eventually exited the team and were replaced by brand-new characters. This second generation of Turbo Rangers would then meet Red Ranger Andros to become the In Space Rangers.

Jen Scotts morphing in Power Rangers Time Force

In other words, characters like Jason, Kimberly, and Tommy were no longer active Power Rangers by the time “Countdown to Destruction” happened. Still, the In Space team included four Rangers who used to live in Angel Grove. As a result, when the Rangers revealed their identities, characters like Bulk and Skull were surprised to see that their school friends were superheroes. Bulk and Skull likely realized that their other friends from school who used to hang out with the current Rangers, such as Tommy and Adam, were Power Rangers as well. This exemplifies why the Angel Grove Power Rangers going public was the perfect conclusion to the Zordon Era.

Carter Grayson in Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue

Evolution of Secret Identities

Power Rangers in Space’s finale is one of the most important episodes in the franchise, not only because the Power Rangers of Earth became public heroes for the first time, but because most of the storylines associated with the show came to an end. Zordon was dead, and each new season would now be a standalone series rather than a direct sequel to the story of Mighty Morphin. Therefore, each new Power Rangers show has treated the concept of secret identities differently. For example, the Lost Galaxy Rangers had secret identities within Terra Venture, whereas the Lightspeed Rescue Rangers were public heroes.

Zayto as the Ghost Red Ranger smiling in Power Rangers Dino Fury

Generally, Power Rangers who have “superheroes” as their official job description do not have a secret identity or at least do not care much about keeping their powers a secret. This includes sci-fi Power Rangers shows like Lightspeed Rescue, Time Force, and S.P.D. Other teams, however, continued to value the importance of secret identities, especially the ones formed by teenagers who needed to protect their friends or family. Seasons like Ninja Storm and Dino Thunder saw the Rangers struggling to balance their duties as superheroes with their civilian lives, which usually led to great stories. Both Dino Fury and Cosmic Fury, the two most recent Power Rangers seasons, included secret identities.