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28 Years Ago Today, Power Rangers Delivered An All-Time Crossover (And We Want Another One ASAP)
The Power Rangers have teamed up with some truly iconic heroes over the years, including the Justice League, Street Fighter, Usagi Yojimbo, and even Godzilla. None of those crossovers have taken place on television, but there is one exception, as 28 years ago today, the Power Rangers franchise delivered an all-time crossover with an iconic franchise, and we need another TV team-up as soon as possible.
On February 27th, 1998, Power Rangers In Space delivered its fourth episode titled Shell Shocked, which was aptly named given that it was a crossover between the Power Rangers and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles that showed up for this crossover were the ones from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, including Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Venus. If you’re curious about the team-up, you can actually watch the entire episode in the video below.
No One Expected Power Rangers In Space To Cross Over With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Power Rangers and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have delivered several amazing crossovers in the comics since 1998, but the pairing of Power Rangers In Space and The Next Mutation was the first to showcase how great the two franchises were together.
While The Next Mutation is not one of the most beloved Turtles projects, this was still a fun crossover to see play out onscreen. This wasn’t the first Power Rangers crossover, either, as Mighty Morphin had previously crossed over with Masked Rider. Another interesting note is that this confirms the Power Rangers are comic book characters, as the Turtles mention this initially after dismissing the notion that the Rangers are actually real.
In the episode, Astronema seeks out the Turtles and then places them under her control so she can send them to befriend the In Space Rangers and ultimately take them down. The plan actually works, too, as they manage to befriend the Rangers and sabotage the Megaship and D.E.C.A. Ultimately, the Turtles are able to shake off that control, and they join forces with the Rangers against Astronema’s army of Quantrons. They even pair in teams in the final fight, with pairings that include TJ and Donatello, Ashley and Raphael, Carlos and Venus, Cassie and Michelangelo, and Andros and Leonardo.
Granted, some aspects of this haven’t aged all that well, especially when it comes to the Turtles, but it’s still a classic part of Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles history, and after seeing what the comics have done, we still need another crossover at some point down the line. With the Power Rangers reboot coming up and a live-action Turtles reportedly in development, perhaps there’s a chance that crossover actually becomes a reality, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
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