#the morphin grid

[illustrationsbychristina]

My ArtVsArtist2025! I’ve really gotten to branch out this year, and I’m looking forward to making more art in 2026!

[ajgrey9647]

Mental Scaffold

Part One:

‘Red is Red.’

It was the perfunctory response given by those no longer unsettled by the pet’s bizarre behaviors. The point of curiosity or anything like compassion had long since passed, and as Red’s aggression and emotional lability grew more volatile, he became less of a traumatized victim in the court of public opinion. 

A surface level explanation for deeply tragic psychic wounds.

When his lordship was in residence, Red managed to reel in most of his outlandish antics, being too busy guarding and pleasing the tyrant to indulge in dysregulation, spiteful fuckery, or other devious horseplay. Not that Drakkon’s proximity made the palace more peaceful or safe as he was of worse disposition than the loony mutt.

Rage-fueled outbursts were the most obvious of Red’s ill-conduct, even if the reasons weren’t readily apparent. Finster-5 missed the early days when the pet was largely silent and docile, seen and not heard, more outwardly contained instead of the egregiously theatrical caricature he gradually became.

The visual and auditory hallucinations started long before the poor conduct. Red heard the voice first, a singular, eloquent one, that supplied the occasional dry commentary or suggestion. It could be condescending at times, annoying, using vocabulary far too big for Red to understand.

“Smartass…” the frustrated canine grumbled, struggling to identify some mundane object that he was positive he knew but had lost the name for. “If you’re so wise, you can tell me what this fucking thing is!”

There was a beat of silence.

Then, simply…

‘I can’t.’

“Smug prick! You can! But you won’t because you like making me feel stupid!” Red seethed under his breath.

Those servants in the vicinity observed the abomination muttering in the corner and chose to feign unawareness of his presence. Red didn’t acknowledge them either, too busy tittering curses for some unfathomable reason.

‘Some words are load-bearing. Knowing which are, which might be, and which are mere casualties of architecture crafted under duress isn’t a simple thing,’ the mysterious speaker whispered kindly. ‘I take no pleasure in your misery.’

Red deemed them full of shit and demanded they go fuck themself.

He couldn’t understand why such simple labels should be missing. There was no difficulty in finding obscenities, threats, rude insults, or sexual innuendo. ‘Dirty words’ were always within Red’s reach.

There were occasions when the term he wanted, the one on the tip of his tongue that kept evaporating, was immediately replaced with a new one. It would slide into the empty slot and Red would feel a momentary sense of relief. 

‘Not what I was looking for but still correct.’

Red was busying himself digging through a box of scavenged items that Finster-5 had ordered be brought from the ruins of a city that once existed outside the perimeter wall. The master was out on a campaign against the Coinless ilk and the sniveling little scientist was nowhere in sight. 

The pet was bored and stalked the length of the corridor as the Sentries carried in their loot. Most gave him a wide berth as they did so. None was going to command Red to stay out of Finster-5’s newest acquisitions. 

“What’s that beast going to do with a bunch of damaged junk?” one muttered. “If he wanted to chew on anything, it isn’t as if he’d make it more useless.”

It didn’t matter that the items were dented, scorched, torn, or missing pieces. Red was curious as he delved into the mangled remnants of a time he could no longer remember. He recognized a few of them but most were mysterious relics. 

The pocket watch caught his attention the moment he uncovered it. Its gold casing was engraved with delicate scrollwork and somehow retained some of its shine beneath scraps of fabric and snapped wires. 

Red’s breath stuttered to a stop, his eyes widening in delight. Such a pretty little thing! He scooped it into gloved hands, watching the way the light reflected off the rounded sides. A broken chain dangled from the warped bow at the top.

‘I know what this is! I’ve seen one before!’

He’d known someone that possessed such an item… It wasn’t his master. The pet was sure of that but at that moment, it really didn’t matter. The point was that Red knew this lovely creation’s name.

‘Sinum custodibus.’

It came out in a whisper and it came out…wrong. 

Red tired again.

“Sinum custodibus…” he hissed more forcefully. 

The word sounded correct in his head yet twisted in his mouth, arriving vastly different when it reached his ears. Red could feel the first siren song of rage starting to ripen in his chest.

“Sinum custodibus!” he shrieked just as Finster-5 rounded the corner to his laboratory.

“Bad dog!” he chastised sternly, wagging a finger in Red’s flushed face. “I know I’ve told you before about touching things that aren’t yours!”

He snatched the time piece from the mutt’s palm.

“Beasts don’t wear pocket watches, you know. Those are for gentlemen!” the alien continued to scold. “Now you go find something else to amuse you before I give you a good smack!”

Red had given him the finger, but he did leave the weird smelling room with its strange metal equipment and glass jars. 

‘Pocket watch…’

That was the word he’d been hunting first. The other just slipped through the cracks in its place. 

Again he tried to ground out the odd name, slowly enunciating each part so that it matched what he knew it was supposed to sound like. Again, the sounds were stubbornly distorted.

‘You’re trying to use vetus lingua…the old tongue,’ the prim voice offered. ‘The one they couldn’t articulate properly as it wasn’t physiologically possible. It was their approximation that they began to refer to as Latin.’

“I don’t give a fuck!” Red snapped without warning, causing a trio of maids to startle and dash off as if the devil himself were set upon them. “It won’t cooperate!”

‘Because it can’t. Your vocal chords and throat structure won’t allow it.’

Of course, the pet refused to give it up and spent the remainder of the afternoon trying to force the term into submission. When he couldn’t, when a contingent of Sentries started to snicker and whisper amongst themselves, Red finally had enough and seemingly erupted into violence unprovoked. 

No one cared to find out how he’d gotten there.

The fox started visiting the palace grounds much later, when the weather was warmer. There was still color in the world; it hadn’t yet leeched away. Red noticed the richly hued fur before he recognized the animal itself, sitting as still as a statue near the parade grounds. 

The thick russet brush idly twitched as did the velvety ears when sounds from the Sentry drills clanged in the crisp air. Red watched it from the bedchamber window as Lord Drakkon prepared to address the aristocracy. He was mentally rehearsing his threatening speech when he noticed his captive in the mirror’s reflection, curled on the lounger and apparently with his head up his ass.

The tyrant whistled sharply, jarring Red from his study of the small fox.

“What are you doing daydreaming like a lazy fool?” Drakkon demanded irritably. “That look on your face isn’t you scanning for Coinless rebels!”

Immediately, Red slid to the emerald runner. He crawled beseechingly to his master’s boots, his stomach brushing the floor in submission.

“Forgive me, master. I just saw a…”

But the dictator silenced him with a swift kick to his ribs, knocking him to his back and gasping for breath.

“I don’t care. The only thing you should be focused on is me! I’m starting to think that you want that filth to invade! To take over! To execute me in the square!”

“No! No! Master, I’m sorry. Correct me, please. I’ve forgotten my place!”

Red groveled pathetically, the fox forgotten until later when it somehow entered the palace and made itself a den.

@augment-techs @skyland2703

[incorrectpowerrangersquotes]

My favourite Power Rangers podcast and friends of this blog The Morphin’ Grid have begun coverage of Operation Overdrive, the most season of Power Rangers ever. Check them out if you’re so inclined!

[thewilliamambervein]

Power Rangers inspire you to do good

Jack from The Morphin Grid

[morphingrid]

205 - You Haven't Heard The Last Of Us

Jake and Josh watch "Good As Gold" and thus ends Zeo. Not with a bang, but with a mystified "Yeah, okay. Sure?". Listen in for Jake and Josh's thoughts on unceremonious goodbyes, abandoned french detective plots, and Trey. Hopefully we never have to think about Trey again.

SHOW NOTES

What Was Kat Wearing?

Download The Episode: MP3 | iTunes | RSS

Support the show on Patreon! Or by buying a t-shirt!

Missed an episode? Find them here. Now available on Youtube!

Can’t get enough of us? Check out our Let’s Play channel or our Pokemon podcast!

Questions? Comments? Let us know at littleidiots.morphingrid [at] gmail [dot] com or on twitter @morphingrid. We’re on Facebook too. And you can subscribe or leave us a rating and review on iTunes or Stitcher!

Thanks for listening!

[morphingrid]

Bonus - Bird Boiz From The Front Dimension (W/ Matt Jay)

In today's bonus-sized bonus episode Jake and Josh are joined by Matt Jay Of The Super Sentai Brothers Podcast to talk about Jetman. It was the series before what became Mighty Morphin Power Rangers so they thought it would be fun to imagineer what Jetman would look like as a Power Rangers series. At least, that was goal. Did they make it there? You'll just have to listen to find out.

SHOW NOTES

Find Matt Jay on Twitter

The Super Sentai Brothers Podcast

Download The Episode: MP3 | iTunes | RSS

Support the show on Patreon! Or by buying a t-shirt!

Missed an episode? Find them here. Now available on Youtube!

Can’t get enough of us? Check out our Let’s Play channel or our Pokemon podcast!

Questions? Comments? Let us know at littleidiots.morphingrid [at] gmail [dot] com or on twitter @morphingrid. We’re on Facebook too. And you can subscribe or leave us a rating and review on iTunes or Stitcher!

Thanks for listening!

[morphingrid]

204 - Panic! At The Luau

Today on the Morphin Grid Jake and Josh watch "Hawaii Zeo". It's the curtain call for quite a few of our favorite characters and elements of Zeo. They also talk about ink removal, boys crying, and your best friend Tackle Boy.

SHOW NOTES

What Was Kat Wearing?

Download The Episode: MP3 | iTunes | RSS

Support the show on Patreon! Or by buying a t-shirt!

Missed an episode? Find them here. Now available on Youtube!

Can’t get enough of us? Check out our Let’s Play channel or our Pokemon podcast!

Questions? Comments? Let us know at littleidiots.morphingrid [at] gmail [dot] com or on twitter @morphingrid. We’re on Facebook too. And you can subscribe or leave us a rating and review on iTunes or Stitcher!

Thanks for listening!

[thena0315]

There are other Rangers that can qualify for a Master Morpher like Tommy. He wasn't the only one that was in multiple teams

Jason Lee Scott

Red - Mighty Morphin

Gold - Zeo

Katherine "Kat" Hillard

Pink - Mighty Morphin

Pink - Zeo

Pink - Turbo

Adam Park

Black - Mighty Morphin

Green - Zeo

Green - Turbo

Rocky DeSantos

Red - Mighty Morphin

Blue - Zeo

Tanya Sloan

Yellow - Zeo

Yellow - Turbo

Theodore Jay "T.J." Jarvis Johnson

Red - Turbo

Blue - In Space

Carlos Vallerte

Green - Turbo

Black - In Space

Ashley Hammond

Yellow - Turbo

Yellow - In Space

Cassie Chan

Pink - Turbo

Pink - In Space