Whether you know it as the Dino Megazord or just "The Megazord," the Original Megazord introduced the children of the '90s to the beauty of dinosaur robots that turn into even bigger robots back in 1993's Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Though each generation of Power Rangers introduces a new Megazord with a specific motif, the original the Dino Megazord will always hold a special place in fans' hearts.
Whether it's the guitar solo that accompanies its Japanese Spider-Man inspired transformation sequence, its modular tank, dragon and dragon-tank modes, or its dope action figure, the first Megazord may just be the greatest giant robot of all time. Now, we'll be digging into every aspect of this Cretaceous Kaiju-killer, detailing its abilities, combat styles and alternate incarnations.
MIGHTY MORPHIN' MEGAZORD
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers was created by splicing together footage of out of costume scenes with in-costume fight scenes and giant robot fights from the long running Japanese series Super Sentai. Bearing design influences from Voltron, the Original Megazord hails from 1992's Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger or "Dinosaur Team Beast Ranger," the 16th incarnation of Super Sentai.
While most episodes of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers ends with the Rangers combining their forces to create the Megazord, the giant humanoid robot is actually a squadron of five dinosaur robots known as the Dinozords.
On their own, the Dinozords aren't really effective. While Jason's Red Tyrannosaurus Megazord could sometimes fight a giant monster on its own, all of the other Zords were essentially used as dino-cars, despite their impressive capabilities.
Incidentally, in BOOM! Studios' Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comics, the Pink Pterodactyl Dinozord could detach itself from the Megazord to provide air support. Despite being the smallest of the Zords, the Pink Pterodactyl bears talons powerful enough to hijack the Batmobile, which Kimberly demonstrates during 2017's Justice League/Power Rangers by Tom Taylor and Stephen Byrne.
THE MEGAZORD'S TANK MODE AND BATTLE MODE
For the opening salvo in giant monster battles, the Megazord starts in Tank Mode. Essentially halfway from fully transforming, Tank Mode sacrifices maneuverability for long range ordinance, outfitted with twin high-caliber cannons, four pairs of eye-lasers and a Robo-T-Rex head.
When Tank Mode inevitably falls, the Megazord then enters the second phase of its transformation sequence: the bipedal Battle Mode.
Controlled by synchronized posing and voice-commands, the Megazord's Battle Mode typically ends most giant monster slap-fights with the Power Sword. Descending from the heavens, this gigantic sword turns the sky into a blood red sahde before obliterating foes with a single, lightening-laced strike wielded by an amalgam thunder-lizard mecha.
Additionally, there's the totally ineffectual Mastodon Shield, which is often ineffective and used precisely twice during the entire series.
THE DRAGONZORD AND TITANUS
Just when you thought that a five-in-one dinosaur mecha wasn't cool enough, the Green Ranger's Dragonzord came along. Just like the Red Tyrannosaurus, The Dragonzord could not only operate on its own accord as a drill-tailed Mecha Godzilla, but also provide synergized support in two separate modes.
For Dragonzord Fighting Mode, the Megazord swaps out its T-Rex torso for Tommy's Dragonzord, summoning a lance that spews lightning. Alternately there's the Mega Dragonzord, wherein the top half of the Dragonzord hangs over the Megazord's shoulders, providing bonus damage with an additional set of gun-arms.
If the combination dinosaur-dragon giant mecha couldn't get the job done, then the Rangers would call in the big guns: Titanus. Emerging from a swamp, this pale brontosaurus would transform into a triple-barreled tank, which provided the Megazord with a mobile gun platform.
If that's not enough firepower for the Power Rangers, the Megazord can dock into Titanus to produce the Ultrazord, bearing a truly ridiculous amount of firepower. On the occasions when the show's monster of the week necessitated playing the three transformation sequences required to form the Ultrazord, the Power Rangers were in some serious trouble
Despite its numerous modes, the Megazord falls to the major Power Rangers villain Lord Zedd during "The Mutiny, Part III" from the second season of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.Wielding a snake turned into a staff, Zedd obliterates the Dinozords with a single orbital lightning strike, dragging the Dinozords into the fire of the Earth's molten core. After that, Zordon did upgrade the remnants of the Dinozords to form the Thunderzords. This kicked off a long tradition of the Zords being destroyed and replaced by upgraded robots.
POWER RANGERS (2017)
During the climax of the 2017 Power Rangers reboot film, the Rangers pilot the Dinozords to stop Rita Repulsa and the golden gargoyle golem Goldar from finding a Krispy Kreme donut shop.
While the film made each individual Dino Car is a veritable threat on its own with heavy machine guns, they still combined to form the Megazord after their initial attacks against Goldar prove fruitless.
Whereas the original was controlled with synchronized posing, the 2017 Megazord instead has each individual Ranger controlling a limb, not unlike Voltron. Instead of rocking one overpowered Power Sword and a frivolous Mastodon Shield, this Megazord duel-wields pink pterodactyl swords.
Like almost everything else about the Power Rangers, the Dino-Megazord has, in all of its forms, the kind of toyetic design that's the basis of the Power Rangers action figure empire for generations.