Warning: Spoilers for Power Rangers Prime #4!Now may be the perfect time for the Power Rangers to find a new leader. Dating back to the start of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the teenagers with attitude were led by the guidance of an Eltarian wizard, Zordon. As a coach and mentor - and sometimes more when the opportunity presented itself - Zordon was just as heroic as his Rangers. However, that was the past, and for the future, it's time for change.

The future of the franchise calls for Rita Repulsa to lead the team, as first hinted in Power Rangers Prime #3 by Melissa Flores, Michael Yg, Fabi Marques, and Ed Dukeshire, and continued in the following issue. In #3, Rita first forms an unlikely alliance with a new team of Rangers by imbuing them with their powers.

The Power Rangers franchise has always framed Rita Repulsa as the Rangers' classic antagonist, but a new era of Rangerhood is intrinsically linked her to their lore and creation. Her new connection to Ranger lore primes her for a position to become their leader and, most importantly, finally reform.

It's Time for Rita Repulsa to Lead the Power Rangers

Power Rangers Form an Alliance with Rita Repulsa in the Comics

By remodeling the history of the Power Rangers for an entirely new universe, Power Rangers Prime offers readers a version of Rita Repulsa unlike ever seen before. In iconic monsters can turn on her.

As the villainous space witch gathers her strength and navigates unfamiliar territory, she recruits an even more unlikely ally - the Red Samurai Ranger - get her powers back. After a collision, the two parties agree to a temporary team-up to fend off the VR Troopers.

Where Is the Original Power Rangers Leader, Zordon?

The Rangers Don't Need Him with Rita Repulsa Around

Despite the planet being overrun by an Eltarian government, this universe's equivalent hasn't appeared anywhere in sight nor in mention. Interestingly enough, though, Prime does showcase the iconic Command Center where Zordon and Alpha 5 resided in the original iteration of the franchise. Before arriving at the museum, Rita and Bulk arrive at the Command Center so that she can take its power for herself. But Rita soon discovers that whatever powerful temple that the Command Center used to be has long gone, and in its place is a luxury retreat.

The creative team has no qualms about dismantling everything fans know about Power Rangers in favor of producing something entirely new.

To express her displeasure, Rita burns the newly rebranded Command Your Center Luxury Retreat to the ground. Had her magic not been so glitchy, she would have successfully killed those inside. The last recognizable remnant of Zordon is destroyed, suggesting that the creative team has no qualms about dismantling everything fans know about Power Rangers in favor of producing something entirely new. Furthermore, while Zordon's connection to the Morphin Grid proved essential to giving the Rangers their powers, Rita Repulsa was born connected to the Grid, further proving that neither Zordon nor his tools are needed anymore.

Rita Repulsa Doesn't Need to Be a Power Rangers Villain Anymore

The Eltarians and the VR Troopers Are Power Rangers Prime's Primary Antagonists

If the Power Rangers do not need Zordon to gain their powers, it follows that they no longer need Rita Repulsa as a foe. Thus far, the Prime series' main antagonists have been the Eltarians, who colonized the planet to save it from the Beast Brigade. In doing so, their police force, the VR Troopers, who show their true colors in Power Rangers Prime #4.

One of the VR Troopers is Ryan Steele, boyfriend of Yellow Ranger Prime's Valentina. After Valentina tells Ryan that her friend, Jun, is housing the fugitive Shiba, Ryan promises the Yellow Ranger that he'll talk things through before doing anything rash. It turns out he lied, as he immediately starts firing upon Shiba and Rita on sight with intent to kill (or at the very least capture). The VR Troopers are an extension of the Eltarians' pure villainy. Prime already has two antagonists in that sense, so Rita doesn't need to be a tertiary villain on the Rangers' enemies list.

Is Rita Repulsa Even a Villain in This Power Rangers Universe?

She's Not Quite a Hero, But She's Far from a Villain

Rita Repulsa's alignment in Power Rangers Prime is complicated to say the least. As someone who has attempted to kill people in the first four issues of the series, carved a path of destruction wherever she went, and has ongoing intentions of world domination, Rita is far from a hero. However, she's not exactly a villain either. Again, by comparison, the people of Eltar and the VR Troopers are far more egregious in their villainy compared to what Rita has done, which says a lot. By the same sword, Rita Repulsa has some, albeit minor, positive qualities to her character.

ittedly, Rita is adamant about the importance of choice. Before taking on Bulk as her loyal subject, she gives Bulk a choice as a prize for saving her life. Similarly, when outnumbered by the VR Troopers, Rita and Shiba need her new friends' help, but Rita makes a point to say that she will not force the powers of the Power Rangers onto them. "What makes a Ranger powerful ... is their power of choice," she announces. A true villain wouldn't give her opponents or even her allies a choice in any matter. The Rita Repulsa of the '90s certainly wouldn't.

Will Rita Repulsa Finally Receive Redemption as a Power Rangers Leader?

Rita Repulsa's Redemption Arc Has Been Several Years in the Making

Rita Repulsa may be putting her villain days behind her, but she still has a long way to go before becoming a full-blown hero. The franchise has a precedent for the franchise's greatest weapon, Rita became a genuine force of good. As a result, she resurfaced in Power Ranger Mystic Force almost a decade later as the Mystic Mother, proving that her redemption had remained permanent.

Rita is likely to continue working closely with the Rangers moving forward...

In addition, the previous BOOM! Rangerverse canon saw the original Mighty Morphin version of Rita have a change of heart as she teamed with the Rangers to battle Dark Specter. Prime could see Rita Repulsa have a similar change of heart. Rita is likely to continue working closely with the Rangers moving forward, since her magic is powering their powers, and just as they learn how to hone their powers from her, she could learn morality from them. Time will tell as Power Rangers Prime continues, but it's likely that the former villain will finally become a true hero.

Power Rangers Prime #4 is available now from BOOM! Studios.