PUMPKIN RAPPER - MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS

Oui, un monstre citrouille rappeur, comme quoi le rap a aussi influencé les monstres légumineux ! 

When "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" became a surprised hit in its debut year of 1993, Saban Entertainment realized that more episodes were very much in order. However, the Japanese series it was based and built around its effects footage, "Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger", had all but been used up.

 So Saban hired its Japanese originators, Toei Productions, to film new fight scenes and original monsters for the American series. This phase of production has since been dubbed 'Zyu2' by fans, and featured largely animal and plant based adversaries, over "Zyuranger's" classical mythology and literary monsters motif.

 The Pumpkin Rapper (voiced by Michael Sorich) is one such creation, who somewhat bridges the gap between the aforementioned motifs, and first appeared in episode 54, "Trick Or Treat" (May 3rd, 1994).

 Pumpkin Rapper was sent down to Earth, while the Rangers were attending the bizarre Halloween-theme game show of the episode's title (seriously, how can you keep up that kind of show year round?). Thus forcing them to forfeit the program, to answer their super heroic duties.

 Within a fog covered, rotting pumpkin patch, Pumpkin Rapper and his own brand of pumpkin-headed Putty Patrollers (the evil foot soldiers for season one), attempted to first suffocate the Rangers with head-hugging pumpkins. And when that trap failed, the villains just fought them outright. Tommy the Green Ranger arrives to lend a hand against Pumpkin Rapper, who is ultimately finished off with the heroes' Power Blaster (a large laser firing cannon type weapon).

In episode 81, "Zedd's Monster Mash" (October 28th, 1994), Pumpkin Rapper was resurrected by the tomb-stone based monster Doomstone. And with several other returning villains, tried to destroy a captured Tommy in Lord Zedd's graveyard-like Haunted Forest. The other rangers arrive to free Tommy from this monster filled death trap, from which Pumpkin Rapper grows giant size to battle their robotic Thunder Zords.

 Unfortunately, by this time in the series' second season, Saban heavily altered their remaining 'Zyu2' footage with the giant robots from the otherwise unrelated, Japanese follow-up "Gosei Sentai Dairanger". Resulting in some poorly edited fight scenes where Pumpkin Rapper isn't even in the same frame as the unrelated opponents, and obviously, without any true physical contact between the two fighters. Eventually the 'off-camera' Thunder Zords destroys the Pumpkin Rapper in gigantic combat.

 And yes, true to his name, the Pumpkin Rapper only spoke in rapping rhymes and songs...Yes, only in Power Rangers, ladies and gentlemen!

Pumpkin monster, pics, text and art sent by Raf C Gonzalez, visit his deviant art page, thanks !