Summary
Warning: Spoilers for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour #1!The Darkest Houris truly here for thePower Rangersas they face the biggest battle in franchise history. Last August marked the official start of “The Darkest Hour,” a storyline that, ahead of the issue’s release, was teased as ayear-long event that would changePower Rangersforever. Little did readers know that it would bethe finalPower Rangersarc for BOOM! Studios.
PerAIPT Comics, on July 30, 2025,Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour#1 by Melissa Flores, Simona Di Gianfelice, and Raúl Angulo will mark the end of that year-long arc, and the end of the eight-year BOOM! Studios series. Check out the cover art and variants from Björn Barends, Goñi Montes, Santa Fung (House of Slaughter), Trevor Hairsine with Jordan Boyd, and Mateus Manhanini for a limited BOOM! Studios Direct Reserve exclusive variant:
BOOM! has also released a preview of the conclusive issue to come, showcasinga final battle to end all battles, and end all ofPower Rangers.
The Darkest Hour Nears Its End
BOOM! Studios’Power RangersFranchise to End
“The Darkest Hour” depicts how Dark Specter,the Thanos of thePower Rangersfranchise, officially comes into power with help from Rita Repulsa.After acquiring a corporealbody that used to belong to Zordon, Dark Specter embarks on entrapping multiple Rangers across all timelines to form an unstoppableDark Zombie Ranger Army, using Rita’s spells to turn them. He’s since turned on Rita, forcing her to join the Rangers andteasing a Mystic Mother turn, but the war will rage on for one final battle with the universe on the line.
The preview reveals Zordon in his time warp (or perhaps his VesselthatDark Specter is possessing?) being consumed by Dark Specter’s essence, a staredown between his army, and Chloe Ashford ofthe Hyperforce Power Rangersactivating her Pink Battilizer. One of the more interesting panels isLord Zedd in his Zordfacing off with the Space Skull, which fans of the show will recognize as belonging to Master Vile. That’s interesting because,as seen inMighty Morphin Power Rangers#104, Rita Repulsa killed her father, Master Vile,moments beforeadopting the name Mistress Vile.
Where Does this Rank Against Past Power Rangers Battles?
Hands Down, the Biggest in Franchise History
Both thePower RangersTV series and the comics have seen some massive battles take place.However, this one at the conclusion of"The Darkest Hour" may truly be the biggest in franchise history, as the stakes couldn’t be higher. This is a battle that stretches across multiple timelines, eras, heroes, and villains from the franchise’s history, and is unlike anything fans have seen before. It can only be compared to the battle at the heart ofthe “Shattered Grid” storyline. Even then,“The Darkest Hour"has included thedeath of Lord Drakkon- the antagonist of “Shatter Grid” - revealing just how high the stakes are. Anything can happen, and not all thePower Rangersmay survive.
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Darkest Hour#1goes on sale on July 31 from BOOM! Studios.
Power Rangers
Power Rangersis a long-running multimedia franchise that debuted in 1993 with the TV seriesMighty Morphin Power Rangers. Created by Haim Saban and adapted from the JapaneseSuper Sentaiseries,Power Rangersbecame a cultural phenomenon by combining action-packed footage fromSuper Sentaiwith new scenes featuring American actors. The franchise follows teams of young heroes who transform into Power Rangers to battle various villains, using martial arts, special powers, and giant mechas called Zords. Over the decades, the franchise has expanded into multiple TV series, films, comics, video games, and merchandise, becoming one of the most successful children’s franchises in the world.
