Power Rangers - ASTRONEMA (V2)!

Power Ranger Lightning Collection - In Space Ecliptor & Astronema - Hasbro 2022

Astronema is one of those characters that everyone seems to love but that I have never seen on screen. My first exposure to her was her blue-haired figure from two years ago. I taught myself a little about her at the time, and this time around I learned a little more. Karone was a young girl from Planet KO-35. She and her brother Andros (future Red Ranger) dreamed of being Power Rangers, but Karona was kidnapped and raised by Ecliptor to be evil. As an adult, she became Astronema, a major Antagonist in the In Space and Lost Galaxy seasons. At one point her brainwashing became undone and she became the second Galaxy Ranger Pink. Only to adopt the Astronema identity again to infiltrate the bad guys. I'm not sure which iteration of Astronema this lavender-haired figure represents, but she is known for sporting a wide variety of hair colors and styles. I wonder if this will be the last... I could so with at least one more for a punky trifecta.  Let's check out Astronema (v2) below!

Power Rangers - ASTRONEMA!

Power Ranger Lightning Collection - Red Ranger & Astronema - Hasbro 2020

I felt very defeated when the Power Rangers license shifted from Bandai to Hasbro. I had invested a lot of energy and excitement in the Legacy line and starting over with the Lightning Collection just seemed depressing. However, I must say that Hasbro's efforts to give us the weird and quirky villains from the Power Rangers franchise has been very encouraging. In all the years of the Legacy Collection we saw very few villains, but with Hasbro we've seen a steady inclusion of bad guys. Astronema is known as the Princess of Evil and is the prime antagonist in Power Rangers In Space. She also appeared in several other series and has been portrayed by a number of actors (mainly Melody Perkins), and is notable for numerous outlandish hairstyles. I never watched In Space or Lost Galaxy, but in recent reading I learned that Astronema becomes the Pink Galaxy Ranger and is the sister of In Space Red Ranger. Now I find her immensely more interesting. Let's check out Astronema below!

Power Rangers - LOST GALAXY PINK!

Power Rangers Lightning Collection - Lost Galaxy Pink Ranger - Hasbro 2023

Power Rangers Lost Galaxy is the seventh season in the Power Ranger franchise from 1999 (based on the 22nd Super Sentai series, Seijuu Sentai Gingaman). The series is notable for having the first sentient Zords in the franchise. Each Ranger is paired with a Galactabeast from an unnamed wild planet that the Rangers rescued from captivity. The Pink Ranger's Galactabeast is a large pink alien wildcat whose design I love. This series is also notable for having the first Ranger "death." The first Pink Ranger (Kendrix Morgan) was killed while saving her fellow Rangers. The actor, Valerie Vernon, had to leave the show to be treated for leukemia. The treatment was a success and she returned for the finale. This figure represents the first Galaxy Pink, Kendrix. The second Galaxy Pink was Karone, the brainwashed villain Astronema (for which we've seen two figures so far). I don't know why this toy, of all toys, doesn't contain a second head representing Karone. Let's check out Galaxy Pink below!

Power Rangers in Space - PINK RANGER!

Power Rangers Lightning Collection - In Space Pink Ranger - Hasbro 2021 

Power Rangers: In Space was the sixth season of the American Power Rangers franchise from 1998 based on the 21st Super Sentai series, Denji Sentai Megaranger, from 1997. The series was notable to me for two things. Firstly, having a bizarre TMNT crossover episode (featuring the fifth turtle Venus de Milo!), and secondly, having a lot of very interesting female characters. The traditional Pink and Yellow Rangers were of course present, but more fascinating were the evil antics of Divatox, Rita Repulsa, and Queen Machina, the mysterious brainwashed Astronema and her constantly-changing hair, and of course her Psycho Rangers which have some of my favorite costumes in all of Super Sentai. As far as female action figure go, Power Rangers: In space has the most representation of any season. In fact, this Pink Ranger Cassie Chan marks the sixth In Space lady in my collection (seventh if you include Rita, which I do not). Now we just need Divatox. Let's check out In Space Pink below!