30 Years Later, Power Rangers Is Finally Bringing Back One Of Its Most Iconic Villains

Published Nov 15, 2026, 4:38 PM EST Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows. Three decades after one of Power Rangers' best series, a forgotten antagonistic force returns for a rematch. The Power Rangers franchise has introduced an unforgettable gallery of iconic villains whose larger-than-life designs left a mark on Saturday morning television for generations. Lord Zedd's exposed brain and booming voice instantly set the tone in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers alongside the theatrical Rita Repulsa and the cowardly Goldar. In later eras, In Space's Astronema, Time Force's Ransik, Dino Thunder's Mesogog, and RPM's Venjix expanded the Power Rangers' rogues gallery with very different twists and gimmicks. The sheer number of Power Rangers villains introduced throughout the years has left several antagonists underused. For instance, Scorpina vanished mysteriously from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers despite matching the Rangers blade-for-blade. Over in Jungle Fury, Jarrod’s internal struggle while possessed by the ancient dragon spirit Dai Shi and offered great character drama that ultimately flew under the radar, and Dino Thunder's Zeltrax showcased a compelling personal grudge against Tommy Oliver that deserved a deeper payoff. Three decades after the franchise's peak in popularity, overlooked Power Rangers heroes and villains alike are finally getting a second chance to shine, courtesy of BOOM! Studios' Power Rangers Unlimited. Power Rangers' Machine Empire Returns Power Rangers Unlimited #6; Written By Kenny Porter & Joey Esposito; Art By Alessio Zonno & Raúl Angulo In BOOM! Studios’ upcoming Power Rangers Unlimited #6, the Machine Empire makes a chilling return from the ashes following their defeat at the hands of the Zeo Rangers years earlier. The automated facilities are now churning out fresh battalions of Cogs and heavy weaponry for the Power Rangers franchise's new main antagonist, the Black Turbo Ranger. As teased by Power Rangers Unlimited #6's solicitation, when the Phantom Ranger sends out a distress signal, Trini Kwan and Minh cut their long-awaited reunion short to infiltrate the reactivated complexes and cross paths with both the Red Omega Ranger and an ancient warrior corrupted by the Black Turbo Ranger's dark influence. The Machine Empire was introduced in 1996’s Power Rangers Zeo, where King Mondo, Queen Machina, Prince Sprocket, and their mechanical legions forced Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd to flee the moon. The empire later fell to Zordon's energy wave, though its remnants eventually resurfaced. In BOOM!’s continuity, the empire previously appeared in major storylines like Shattered Grid and the Unlimited Power era. Now, Power Rangers Unlimited #6 brings the Machine Empire back under the control of a rogue Ranger alongside Louie Kaboom, the volatile robot created by Rita and Zedd during Zeo, which offers another sign of how the Black Turbo Ranger is weaponizing every corner of Ranger history. Power Rangers Unlimited Raises The Stakes Ahead Of Its Second Half Issue #7 Is The Last One With Confirmed Plot Details Power Rangers Unlimited #7 leads the franchise's biggest crossover into exciting new territory with a Wild West-inspired showdown at the Onyx Corral in an adventure that brings together a fan-favorite squad of sharpshooters across Ranger eras. Lost Galaxy Red, Lightspeed Pink Space Silver, Dino Charge Black, and White Tiger Wild Force in a mission centered on acquiring a vital cache of Power Rangers data. Like previous issues have done for a variety of Power Rangers series, Power Rangers Unlimited #7 puts the spotlight back on beloved and overlooked series outside the usual Mighty Morphin focus. BOOM! Studios leaves anticipation sky-high for what awaits in Power Rangers Unlimited's issues #8 through #12, which have yet to receive official solicitations. Although official information hasn't been revealed, the second half of the series will likely continue to rotate squads made of solo members from underexplored teams, such as Time Force, S.P.D., RPM, Ninja Storm, and Mystic Force, as each mission recovers another piece of the puzzle needed to stop the Black Turbo Ranger. Of course, the mystery behind the Black Turbo Ranger's true identity will also be revealed at some point in these upcoming issues. Which Power Ranger is your favorite? Power Rangers Unlimited #6 is available December 16 from BOOM! Studios Created by Haim Saban, Shuki Levy, Shotaro Ishinomori TV Show(s) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo, Power Rangers Turbo, Power Rangers In Space, Power Rangers Lost Galaxy, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, Power Rangers Time Force, Power Rangers Wild Force, Power Rangers Ninja Storm, Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers S.P.D., Power Rangers Mystic Force, Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, Power Rangers Jungle Fury, Power Rangers RPM, Power Rangers Samurai, Power Rangers Megaforce, Power Rangers Dino Charge, Power Rangers Ninja Steel, Power Rangers Beast Morphers, Power Rangers Dino Fury, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury First Film Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie Video Game(s) Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, Saban's Power Rangers Megaforce, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind Latest Film Power Rangers First TV Show Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers