Prelude to a Storm

Prelude to a Storm is the premiere episode of Power Rangers: Ninja Storm.

Synopsis
When an exiled evil ninja master returns to Earth to take control, three misfit students from the Wind Ninja Academy are given Morphers to become Power Rangers and defend the planet.

Plot
After a busy day of extreme sports, Shane, Dustin, and Tori run late for their classes. The three teens reach a remote location in the woods, and sense danger. A group of ninjas comes out of nowhere and attacks them. The teens reveal their own ninja uniforms, and strike back. A few failed ninja moves later, the teens are beaten. Their Sensei appears, and berates them for their lack of commitment to the art. They enter a portal in the waterfall and emerge at the Wind Ninja Academy. The Sensei's son doesn't understand what he sees in those three. The Sensei senses danger approaching. The next day, an alarm lets Dustin know it's time to head to class. Shane and Tori follow. An evil force has descended upon the school - Lothor and his evil minions. He unleashes the Kelzacks on the ninja students. The teens are running late again, thanks to stopping and helping an elderly couple with car troubles. Lothor takes on the Sensei one on one. Choobo unleashes energy spheres which capture the ninja students. The teens arrive just in time to see the ninja academy sucked up into the sky. As Lothor gloats over his victory, he learns that three students have remained. He sends his forces down. They find Cameron trapped in the rubble. As Lothor's forces attack, they run for cover. He takes them to a secret hi-tech underground dojo. They find their Sensei, who has been temporarily transformed into a guinea pig in his battle with Lothor. Sensei instructs Cam to give the students the Wind Morphers. The three go outside to try out their new morphers on Lothor's army. Shane can't quite get the morphing call right, but Dustin does. With the call of "Ninja Storm, Ranger Form", the three are transformed into Power Rangers. Shane takes to the air and slashes away at the Kelzacks. Tori walks on water and blasts some Kelzacks from a distance. Dustin hits the ground and blasts some Kelzacks off their feet. They use their power weapons against the monster, and combine them into the Storm Striker. The monster is destroyed. The Rangers celebrate, and can't believe what just happened. Back at the dojo, the Sensei tells the Rangers that their battle has only begun.

Cast

 * Pua Magasiva as Shane Clarke (Red Wind Ranger)
 * Glen McMillan as Dustin Brooks (Yellow Wind Ranger)
 * Sally Martin as Tori Hanson (Blue Wind Ranger)
 * Jason Chan as Cameron Watanabe
 * Grant McFarland as Sensei Kanoi Watanabe
 * Megan Nicol as Kelly Halloway
 * Grant McFarland as Lothor
 * Peter Rowley as Zurgane (voice)
 * Bruce Hopkins as Choobo (voice)
 * Katrina Devine as Marah
 * Katrina Browne as Kapri

Trivia

 * First Power Rangers series to be wholly produced by Disney and filmed in New Zealand.
 * Douglas Sloan and Ann Knapp Austen return to Power Rangers for this season and Dino Thunder for the first time since the end of the first half of Turbo.
 * First ever female Blue Ranger.
 * First appearance of the Wind Power Weapons.
 * There are hints in this episode that the Power Rangers were fictional previously, when Dustin talks about them, Tori tells him to "lay off the comic books", and when the trio are presented with the Wind Morphers, Dustin says that he knew that Power Rangers were real. However, the concept that the Power Rangers from previous series were fictional was scrapped.
 * This makes for the second time that the Power Rangers were refered to as comic book characters with the first time being Shell Shocked by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.