Wednesday, September 20, 2017

The Hexagon Biter #1

A few months back I talked about a story concept written by one of Power Ranger's veteran screenwriters. The story titled "Project Hexagon" would have reshaped "Power Rangers: Ninja Storm" into a show about Rangers-in-training working for Tommy Oliver's Power Rangers Organization. Basically, "Project Hexagon" was an attempt to make Power Rangers more like Marvel's SHIELD and Civil War. All that being said I've been dying to explore the new story possibilities regarding a more organized and conjoined Power Rangers universe. As such, today we'll be talking about three seasons of Power Rangers that would have been very different if this Project was used. Welcome to the first of three "Hexagon Biter" portions!

Ninja Storm
The actual show was based on a hidden ninja school where three extreme teens were chosen to be the Ninja Storm Power Rangers, good timing too as an evil ninja lord had returned from exile. This show would be the heaviest changed by Project Hexagon. Instead of a ninja school, Shane, Dustin, and Tori attend Project Hexagon's "Ranger Academy". Similar to the ninja school it is hidden in a forest and the rangers are taught in the way of ninjutsu, mainly because Hexagon already has so many powerhouse ranger teams like Zeo Rangers and Lightspeed Rescue Rangers they could use a more covert operations unit. Also, their sensei is Ninjor-the character from Mighty Morphin' who gave the original Power Rangers ninja powers. Shane, Dustin, and Tori are top of the class and chosen to become the Ninja Rangers, a small-unit designed for report missions. As for villains? Well, like in  Amit Bhaumik's "Project Hexagon" story went, the villains would be various factions left over from old shows. Scorpina and Lokar from Mighty Morphin', Prince Gasket and Princess Archerina from Zeo, to name a few. And maybe the ninja guy from before. The show would feature other Rangers in new positions like the Pink Ranger from Lightspeed Rescue as the medical director and The Rangers from In Space and Lost Galaxy as the away-teams. Project Hexagon is staffed by Rangers and government officials alike, even time-traveling Rangers just in case. Soon enough, two mysterious Rangers would appear and oppose the government Power Rangers. Amit's plan was to have these two be Jason Lee Scott/Mighty Morphin' Red Ranger's rebel Rangers, but my version would have these two brothers be the "dirty" Ninja Storm Rangers. While Tommy's Ninja Rangers were colorful heroes, these Dark Ninja Rangers were basically PG assassins selected by the government. Realizing their powers were being used nefariously, these two rebel against Project Hexagon. Ultimately, the two dark Rangers must work with the others to fight that ninja lord and maybe some other Rangers are brainwashed. Tommy could step in as The Green Ninja Ranger to help out too. But that's my skeleton of an idea for Ninja Storm, being the fist series it'd be much bigger.

Dino Thunder
With order comes challenge. In Dino Thunder, Tommy Oliver led a new team of Power Rangers against Mesogog the evil dinosaur scientist or something. In my version, Jason-the first Red Ranger-sees the way Hexagon uses it's Rangers and decides he can't sit around anymore. Jason believes the Power Rangers shouldn't be used by the government to turn the tide of nations or keep a safety blanket around the world. Using the remains of his Morpher and Power Coins and recruiting a few like-minded Rangers, maybe even Bulk and Skull, he creates his own rebellion called Dino Thunder. He gathers three teenagers with attitude to be his Rangers, relying on their good hearts and not their skills. He teaches them the same way he taught fighting classes back in the day, and the three use his remaining dinosaur powers to become Power Rangers. Meanwhile, a remainder of that dino-power is used by Scorpina to create Mesogog, a brilliant monster who overthrows her and takes control of Rita and Zedd's forces. Later down the line, Jason can recreate the Gold Ranger powers from Zeo to create his own Black Ranger powers, Mesogog can create his own evil Ranger and Jason will have to walk down memory lane to recruit this evil White Ranger. Jason and his team will clash with Project Hexagon and the true battle of Ranger factions will begin.

S.P.D.
SPD took place in the future, where aliens were common and the Power Rangers were police. We're sticking to that premise with a few differences. SPD gives us another look at what Hexagon could become. If Hexagon is the present, and Time Force is the future, SPD is the far future. How else could SPD Blue Ranger's dad be wearing a Time Force suit? Hell, make SPD Blue Ranger the grandson of Time Force's Red Ranger. Another difference would be that the SPD team we follow isn't the second best, but only one of many SPD units. You know how every city has a police department? Well, now every city has an SPD unit with five color-coated Rangers. Yet again you can establish more government-ordered military Rangers too. Aliens are treated the way immigrants are and maybe get some flack seeing as how some of Earth's greatest threats came from space. I'm pretty sure the Green SPD Ranger had telekinesis or something so maybe he's the same race as Andros from In Space. Maybe one of them is part machine like The Machine Empire, just play with your cast and your universe. More than anything, this show would present a future successful for Hexagon, but not for everyone else. People are safe, but lack the freedom to change the world. Just as Jason feared.

More to come in the future, but I hope you enjoyed by changes to the Power Rangers universe!
Thanks for reading!

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