One of the Power Rangers’ most classic villains has been given new life in the comics, and she is more bloodthirsty and ruthless than ever before.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Power Rangers Unlimited: Heir to Darkness #1 by L.L. McKinney, Simone Ragazzoni, Igor Monti, Sabrina Del Grosso, Ed Dukeshire, and Scott Newman, on sale now.
The Power Rangers are no strangers to maniacal, menacing villains, most often of the monstrous variety. While giant aliens and oversized Kaiju might be par for the course, there are still plenty of more human enemies for the heroes to face off against, and few of them have had the staying power of Astronema. The Princess of Evil has been a fan favorite ever since her introduction to the franchise over two decades ago, but only recently has she been given new life in the pages of BOOM! Studios comic book reimagining of the franchise.
And not only is Astronema back in action; she is bloodier than ever, and looking to shed as much of it as she can so long as it is spilled from the Power Rangers themselves.
Power Rangers Unlimited: Heir to Darkness sheds new light on Astronema’s early days, as she was trained by Ecliptor in the hopes of becoming Dark Specter’s next lieutenant, just as it showcases just how much more fierce this version of the character is compared to her previous incarnations. When the book opens, Astronema is standing over the body of an unknown Red Ranger as she pulls her dagger from their chest and wipes their blood from her face. It’s an unusually gruesome sight to behold that sets the tone for everything else to come. While Astronema’s inner monologue chides herself for the mess she has made, she hears a Ranger behind her still holding on for dear life, which she is happy to take from them.
Astronema does her best to instill fear into her victim, but this Pink Ranger looks straight past her attacker to another survivor who may just have a chance to escape. The Pink Ranger croaks out a plea to run, something that Astronema finds endearing in its futility before realizing that this Ranger wasn’t talking about themselves. The Princess of Evil turns just in time to blast another escaping Ranger in the back, but she is caught off guard in her attempt at killing them by the Pink Ranger she has just left unattended. This is not the outcome that Astronema had hoped for, but she is more than happy to adjust her plans accordingly.
The Green Ranger is able to escape with their life, though Astronema’s concern over having lost a target is assauged by the fact that they are already so grievously wounded. Confident that the escapee won’t survive long in the wilderness of this alien world, Astronema turns her attention once again to the Pink Ranger before her. The Ranger asks Astronema why she is doing this, as she surely knows there is no chance of her winning this war. Shockingly, that seems to be something that Astronema is well aware of, though she doesn’t seem to care one bit. Astronema tells the Ranger that winning is not the point for her. Instead, she simply wants to kill as many Power Rangers as possible.
It’s a devastating revelation even if it does line up perfectly with everything we already know about the longtime Power Rangers nemesis. She might not be the first to hunt down and massacre Power Rangers, but she is easily the cruelest in her endeavors. It’s still to be seen just how far Astronema is willing to go when it comes to eradicating her foes, though if this opening chapter of Heir to Darkness is any indication, there is no line that she is not willing to cross.
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