In Space

Power Rangers in Space (often abbreviated as "PRiS" or referred to as "...In Space") was a television show, the sixth season of Power Rangers. It was the first full season of Power Rangers to be handled by showrunners Judd Lynn and Jonathan Tzachor.

It was loosely based on, and involved footage from, the Japanese television show Denji Sentai Mega Ranger (or Electromagnetic Task Force MegaRanger), the twenty-first Super Sentai series. The show was a turning point in the history of the Power Rangers franchise, as the season brought about the end of six years worth of storylines and was the ending of the practice of having the Power Rangers be a continuous serial-style show with a regular cast that carried over from one season to the next. It is also one of the most popular seasons of "Power Rangers" in the franchise's history and is credited for saving the franchise from cancellation after the dismal "Power Rangers: Turbo" season.

Production
If Power Rangers: Turbo had been a struggle regarding constant changing in the show's cast and adapting humor-driven sentai footage to match a more serious themed storyline, PRiS would be an even bigger nightmare. With a reduced budget (due to the failures of Turbo) and rumors that the show would be cancelled if the ratings did not improve, the writers decided to go all out in terms of providing PRiS a intersteller finale which would draw the various storylines from the previous seasons to a close. The decision to make the series space-centric, came after seeing preliminary character designs for the MegaRangers and their respective Zords. The preliminary sketches showed the MegaRangers riding surfboards in outer space and Zords that went from spaceship to giant robot. But there was one small problem, due to the fact that Saban and Toei failed to communicate with each other regarding the plot for "MegaRanger". Saban assumed it would be an outer space-themed sentai series; in truth Toei had created a video-game/electronic gadget themed sentai series that never left earth.

Faced with an impossible task of reconciling the wants of the writers and the footage at hand, it was decided by Judd Lynn to go ahead with the "space war" storyline in spite of the problems with the "MegaRanger" footage. A great deal of the budget would be spent creating cheap green screen space footage for the Zords travelling in space as well as shooting new fight scenes with the "...In Space" Rangers which were tinted a different color for broadcast so as to create the appearance of the battles taking place on alien worlds.

Two team-up episodes were commissioned along the way bringing Blake Foster (Justin from "Power Rangers Turbo") and Johnny Yong Bosch (Adam, the Original Black Power Ranger and Green Zeo and Original Green Turbo Ranger) to the show to try and tie up loose ends. The Phantom Ranger, who's identity was never revealed in "Turbo", was also brought back for a multi-episode arc but plans to reveal his identity fell through due to budget problems forced Lynn to cut the episode where his identity was to be revealed.

Also, the show would be the first Power Rangers series to be completely serialized, in that the entire season one whole story with plots continuing from each epiosde. This series also featured plot devices and storylines never before seen in a Power Rangers series. The series is also highly regarded for being the first Power Rangers series to feature sympathetic and multi-dimensional villains in the form of Astronema and Ecliptor. Astronema was Red Space Ranger Andros' sister, Karone, who was kidnapped by the cruel Darkonda as a child and raised by the cyborg Ecliptor to be the evil Dark Spectre's harbringer of evil. When Astronema learns the truth about her identity, she is tortured and brainwashed into staying evil by Dark Spectre and Darkonda. Ecliptor, who sees himself as Astronema's father due to him raising her, gains a level of depth not seen by many villains on the show when he tries to defend his adopted daughter, only to be cruely tortured by the sadistic Darkonda, who forces a merger of the two into a singular entity that leaves Ecliptor broken both physically and mentally.

Synopsis
When the Power Rangers: Turbo lose both their Megazords, and have their Power Chamber destroyed by Divatox, they leave for space, in search of their old mentor, Zordon. They come across the new Red Ranger, Andros, who initially doesn't trust them, but after they help him in battle and help save his Astro Megaship, he awards them all new Astro Morphers, allowing them to transform into new Space Rangers. With the aid of new allies and old, such as the Silver Space Ranger, Zhane, and the Phantom Ranger, they face the monstrous Dark Specter, his herald of evil, Astronema, Astronema's loyal general and adopted father Ecliptor, and the homicidal "Psycho Rangers".

For the bulk of the series, the plot involves the Space Rangers trying to find Zordon, who's being prepared for death at the hands of Dark Spectre so that the monster could absorb his powers into his own. To keep the Rangers from doing this, Astronema and Ecliptor launch attacks on Earth to keep the Rangers busy saving the planet instead of traveling to alien worlds. This culminates in the eight episode "Psycho Ranger" arc when Astronema releases evil, insane robotic Rangers on Earth to hunt down and kill the Space Rangers. The arrival of the Psycho Rangers came on the heels of Andros discovering the truth about Astronema, that she was Karone, his sister. It takes time for her to come to grips with this, but she proves to the Rangers who she really is by turning against Dark Specter and re-joining his brother. The remaining Rangers realize they were wrong about her and accept her. This does not last, as the arrival of the sadistic Darkonda results in Astronema being re-brainwashed and Ecliptor being defiled when Darkonda (who has multiple lives) forcibly gives Ecliptor cybernetic implants to remove any trace of good within him.

In the final two parter of the series "Countdown to Destruction", everything comes full-circle when Dark Spectre attacks the Earth and all remaining strongholds of good in the universe while absorbing Zordon's life into his own at long last. The Space Rangers, the Alien Rangers, the Phantom Ranger, the Blue Senturion, the Gold Zeo Ranger, and the KO-35 rebels fight hard but they are outnumbered and outgunned. The Space Rangers, having lost two out of four Megazords, fight hard to defend Earth, but even with weapons such as the Battlizer, they are overwhelmed and forced to regroup. Darkonda decides he's done with being an underling and destroys Dark Specter with a weapon meant for Earth, but he is wiped out as well. Astronema is now the "Queen of Evil" now that Dark Specter is gone, and Andros, in a last-ditch effort, goes to the Dark Fortress to try to turn her back to good.

As the five remaining Space Rangers fight on Earth, Andros finds Zordon on the Fortress, no longer in danger of losing his power, and tells him to shatter his energy tube, allowing his energy to wipe out the forces of evil (those allied with Dark Specter. He would perish in the process. Before he can do so, Astronema attacks him, and Andros is unable to hurt her, and gets beaten badly in the process. She is about to kill her own brother, but Andros deflects her fire, back at her, killing her. Ecliptor comes in and sees what happened, and his caring for Astronema returns. The two of them fight, with Andros winning, but then the unthinkable happens. Andros shatters the tube, allowing Zordon's essence to expand throughout the universe. All of the known villians in the Power Rangers universe are obliterated, almost. Lord Zedd, Rita Repulsa, and Divatox are changed into human form, no longer evil.

The Dark Fortress touches down on Earth, and Andros, with his sister's lifeless body in his arms, emerges. As he cries for her, she comes back to life. The Rangers are overjoyed.

Evil has been defeated.

Rangers

 * Andros, the Red Space Ranger and leader of the team (played by Christopher Khayman Lee)
 * Theodore Jay Jarvis Johnson (T.J), the Blue Space Ranger and second-in-command (played by Selwyn Ward)
 * Carlos Vallertes, the Black Space Ranger (played by Roger Velasco)
 * Ashley Hammond, the Yellow Space Ranger (played by Tracy Lynn Cruz)
 * Cassie Chan, the Pink Space Ranger (played by Patricia Ja Lee)
 * Zhane, the Silver Space Ranger (played by Justin Nimmo)

Allies
(Note that his power is Dino and his zord is Thunder)
 * Adam Park (Black Dino Ranger)
 * Adelle Ferguson
 * Alpha 6
 * Aquitian Rangers
 * Blue Senturion
 * Bulk and Skull
 * Justin Stewart (Blue Turbo Ranger)
 * Karone
 * Phantom Ranger
 * Trey of Triforia (Gold Zeo Ranger)
 * Zordon

Villains
Villains from previous series also appeared. Information about these recurring villains can be found in the following articles:
 * Astronema
 * Dark Specter
 * Darkonda
 * Ecliptor
 * Psycho Rangers
 * Rita Repulsa
 * Lord Zedd
 * Goldar
 * Villains in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
 * Machine Empire
 * Villains in Power Rangers: Turbo

Arsenal

 * Astro Morpher - Morpher of the Space Rangers, developed on KO-35; utilized for morphing and communication.
 * Astro Power Weapons - Ranger special weapons; all weapons (except the Red Ranger's Spiral Saber) combine into Quadro Blaster.
 * Astro Blaster - Standard Ranger sidearm.
 * Battlizer - Special gauntlet worn by Red Ranger; It possesses 3 functions.
 * Delta Megazord controller
 * Energized Punches
 * Battlizer Armor - grants the Red Ranger an armored battlesuit that fires missiles and the power of flight.
 * Digimorpher - Morpher used by Silver Ranger.
 * Super Silverizer - Weapon of the Silver Ranger, serves as blaster and sword.
 * Galaxy Gliders - Surfboard-like transports used for both atmospheric and interstellar travel.
 * Silver Cycle - The Galaxy Glider of the Silver Ranger can also serve as a motorcycle.
 * Megatank - Armored transport used for interplanetary missions.
 * Galactic Rover - Dune buggy used by the Silver Ranger.

Zords

 * Astro Megashuttle
 * Astro Megaship
 * Astro Megazord (combination of Astro Megashuttle & Megaship)
 * Delta Megaship/Megazord
 * Astro-Delta Megazord (combination of Astro Megazord & Delta Megazord)
 * Mega Vehicles
 * Mega V1 (Robo Voyager) (Red/Andros)
 * Mega V2 (Shuttle Voyager) (Black/Carlos)
 * Mega V3 (Rocket Voyager) (Blue/T.J)
 * Mega V4 (Saucer Voyager) (Yellow/Ashley)
 * Mega V5 (Tank Voyager) (Pink/Cassie)
 * Mega Voyager (combination of Mega Vehicles)
 * Mega Winger (Silver/Zhane)
 * Winged Mega Voyager (Mega Voyager with the Mega Winger's wings attached)

Trivia

 * The final battle between Ecliptor and Andros is a homage to the ending of Super Sentai series Gosei Sentai Dairanger (which had it's Zord fight scenes culled for use in the second season of Power Rangers), in which the Ryuuranger (the Red Dairanger) duels with a villain one-on-one to the death, to resolve the season running conflict once and for all.
 * This was the last series to take place in Angel Grove, California.
 * This also was the last series to employ the built-in teleportation ability seen in all the previous seasons.
 * This was the first generation to feature individuals (Andros and Zhane) who were already rangers previous to the start of the series.  This would would be repeated in Power Rangers Wild Force. (Note: You cannot count the MMPR Rangers, the Zeo Rangers nor Turbo Rangers because in all those cases it was the same individuals who were simply getting power upgrades in their respective following series).
 * This series was the first to feature a Ranger with an individual power while in civilian form (Andros the Red Ranger was gifted with telekinesis). This trend would eventaully be repeated starting with Power Rangers: Ninja Storm on through Power Rangers S.P.D.
 * The Power Rangers in Space team were the first to guest star in a Power Rangers series other than their own (second if you count the Alien Rangers).
 * It was also the second series to feature rangers from the previous seasons, with Adam (the second MMPR Black Ranger) and Justin (the Blue Turbo Ranger) making appearances. Power Rangers Zeo was the first with the addition of Jason (the original MMPR Red Ranger) as the temporary Gold Ranger.
 * These Rangers met the version of the Ninja Turtles featured in Ninja Turtle: The Next Mutation.
 * This was the first series to feature a Power Ranger as a blood relative to a villain, as Andros and Astronema were siblings. This would be repeated in Power Rangers Ninja Storm with Cam the Green Samuari Ranger and Lothor, who would prove to be nephew and uncle.
 * It was the first series to feature a Red Ranger that receives Battlizer Armor.
 * This is the second series after Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Metallic Armor, where the Power Rangers would use equipment that did not exist in the Super Sentai version, such as the Battlizer Armor and Galactic Rover. This is also the first Power Rangers series that would start a trend of adding in non-Sentai equipment for Power Rangers, in order to help market the PR toys that are sold by Bandai. This tradition continues even to today.
 * The only series so far featuring Megazord combinations without the term "Zord", Mega Voyager and Mega Winger. Both Megazords are also the only ones to share names with their Sentai counterparts.