December 1, 1974 is the eighth episode of Power Rangers EDF and the Destiny Wars. It is the debut of SNAKE Operatives, and Dr. Antoine Benzema.
Summary []
Calvin visits his commanding officer, and helps him out. But his grandson is doing suspicious things...
Featured Lineup: Red, Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green, Navy
Plot[]
December 1, 1974: The day of Operation: Snake Removal. Captain Calvin Roosevelt and his men are to lead of an invasion of SNAKE's main base in Hanoi, North Vietnam. The mission is supposed to be the final front in the war against the Rouge Empire SNAKE. For years, SNAKE has terrorized people in hopes of reaching their end goal: Complete control over all humanity. Lead by the Mysterious Crimson Cobra, they are a ruthless force to be reckoned with.
The US Military has had to devote forces to face them. This includes none other than Calvin Roosevelt. A fine soldier who has grown into an even finer leader. Flanked by his best friend Lieutenant Eddie Washington, SNAKE is no match for them.
That was, until December 1, 1974.
Caught by surprise due to a spy, Calvin, his outpost, and his forces are decimated. What few survivors remain are taken as pow's. Including Calvin himself. Over time, each man is experimented on, for something called Project Removal. The Crimson Cobra taunts each and every last soldier as they die from the effects. "Heh heh heh. American soldiers so weak! A little testing and its too hard!"
Calvin is next. He fidgets and fights, but eventually is resigned to his fate.
"NOOO!! NEVER!!!!!"
Calvin wakes up from this nightmare. Or a reliving of his past. Fact of the matter is, Calvin lost all his men on December 1, 1974. A Captain with no ship or shipmen, lost because of his failures. Even his best friend Eddie, gone....
Ayumi drives Calvin to his psychiatrist. He's been visiting one for a while to keep his flashbacks to a minimum.
"Thanks for always going with me Ayumi."
Ayumi, driving smiles back at him and cracks a joke about him.
He laughs, but is clearly distraught.
"What's wrong?" Ayumi inquires.
Calvin looks ahead. "I've been doing this for a while, but the visions just get worse and worse. It's all my fault"
Meanwhile, a couple of burgglers try to break into a resturant. An elderly man's sillouette is seen. He begins to speak to them as the shimmering moonlight beats on his back, obscuring him.
"Stealing is wrong young men." He says ominously.
"Huh?" One looks back at him. His partner drops his tool and looks at the old man. "Beat it gramps, before we scrap ya!" He barks.
"Then you leave me no choice." The old man holds up a Reactor and transforms into a mangled man of saws. He moves out of the moonlight, and is seen in full view. The burglers fall down in scared reaction.
"WHA- WHAT ARE YOU??!!" They ask
Saws reving, the beast approaches them. "My name, is Cut Man!"
Calvin and Ayumi sit in his Psychiatrists' office. He is making progress in coming to terms with his past. The Psychiatrist, is Dr. Antoine Benzema.
"All right Mr. Roosevelt, what has happened in the last week that is of note?"
Benzema is an interesting guy. He's a psychiatrist by trade, and a gifted mad scientist, but he never puts that to good use. He's also aloof, and living day-to-day. But he was a child prodigy, and because of it became a doctor young.
As the rangers continue the search for the Orb, Blster comes in with news reports. It's a super hero named Cut-Man, leaving innocent people hurt and on the front door steps of the police. The rangers move out.
The 6 don't have to search for long, because Cut Man arrives!
"You have left a destructive path in you wake in the name of heroism!" Cut Man declares.
"Huh. Hi pot, meet kettle!" Ryan jokes. The team morphs and begins to fight.
"I don't get it. We are not kettles, are we?" Raiden states, not aware of the joke. Will and Ryan begin the attack, but Cut Man's saws are strong. Will's fists and Ryan's Arm Cannon can't break it. Ayumi tries her electric batons, but it's to no effect Raiden uses his Inazuma, inputing his final attack, but Cut Man responds with a slash of his own. James fires a flurry of missiles, but Cut Man slices them up.
"None of our attacks are working!" James says panting as the team regroups.
"I'll hold him off, you guys ready that Arm Cannon. Maybe a charged shot will do the trick." Calvin attacks and fights Cut Man hand-to-hand.
"This fight style! It can't be!" Cut Man instantly flashes back to the year 1974. The Red Ranger phases into 1974 Captain Calvin Roosevelt. Cut Man himself transforms into his Private First Class state, young and cocky.
Calvin speaks after pinning the Private on the ground. "Good effort Myron. We're gonna need you for this mission upcoming. I'll put in a request for your services."
Myron smiles and salutes Calvin.
Cut Man returns. Ryan and the others have charged the Arm Cannon.
"READY ON YOU CAL!" Ryan yells. Calvin rolls out of the way, as the team fires.
"FIRE!"
But before the shot makes it all the way, Cut Man demorphs. Calvin is fast enough to react. He picks up his shield and blocks the shot, but is blown away into a frieght container. His flashbacks begin to haze up. He sees the doctors experimenting on him. On bears the name Dr. Zidane Benzema.
The old man, Myron, calls out to Calvin. "CAPTAIN ROOSEVELT!" The team rushes to him as he himself comes to. Ayumi props him up as he struggles to get up.
"Captain! You're alive!" Myron whispers in shock.
Calvin's face shows his confusion. But then the flashbacks show him the old face. "Private Leonard..." he says under his breath.
The two catch up. It's an interesting sight. Calvin is now the younger, greener, of the two. Myron reveals his story to the team.
"When I was assigned to your unit for the December 1, 1974 raid of SNAKE, they put me in charge of Communications. I was to relay messages. I remember it too clearly. I just got done talking to my brother, saying I'll be home for Christmas. I, I went for more batteries for the radios. And when I got, to the top... of the tower.... They, they were there."
"They?" Will asks.
"SNAKE. They put threatened me. Said I'd be set free only if I ran. In that moment, I remembered my brother, and I couldn't do it. I couldn't fight back. I left you all to be destroyed."
Ayumi turns to look to Calvin. He's focused on the story.
"The guilt eat at me for years. I was never the same. But only last week, I was given a second chance." He holds out the reactor. The team jumps at the sight. It's exactly like the other Reactors they've already seen.
"U.L.S.A.R is still alive huh..." Ryan thinks to himself.
"I got this in the mail, all that was said was that the power it had will solve my problems. So i thought this was my chance. This was it. It wasn't."
Myron turns around. His eyes turn red.
"And now that you're here..." U.L.S.A.R's voice rings through. He morphs.
"I'm back to finish unfinished business!"
The rangers fight Cut Man. The team is hesitant on destroying him because of Myron. U.L.S.A.R taunts them for it.
"All it takes for the Rangers to freeze is a little icy friendships. Interesting"
He ejects Leonard from his Metal form after not needing him any longer. And escapes.
They take Leonard back to the ship for med care. Calvin stays with him. The two discuss the day December 1, 1974, allowing Calvin some closure. But Leonard still feels guilty.
The next day, Cut Man attacks again. The rangers are about to deploy, but they hear reports of Myron at the ledge of the Ship. Somehow, he got out. Calvin sends the team to deal with Cut Man, while he'll deal with Myron.
The rangers fare poorly against Cut Man again. U.L.S.A.R has buffed his power, and now the rangers are in trouble.
Meanwhile, Calvin tries to get Myron to come back inside.
"I can't Captain! I betrayed you guys! All of you lost your lives because of me!" He is hysterical. Realizing he's gonna get nowhere, Calvin changes tone. "Then live your life out for me! If you die here, you'd be another one of my failures! I lost Eddie, my best friend. You are all that I have left! You escaped for a purpose! Let's find it out together! Please Myron! PLEASE!"
Myron finally realizes it.
The rangers are near defeat until Calvin rushes in. He morphs and saves the team. Using the sharper edge of his Shield, he destroys Cut Man and the beast grows.
"Lets combine with the MissileZord, and blast Cut Man away!" Calvin orders. They defeat him with the new combination.
Ayumi drives Calvin to his psychiatrist once more. He's feeling a lot better now than before.
Debuts[]
- Myron Leonard
- Dr. Antoine Benzema
Trivia[]
- Comics/Movie Counterpart: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
- Mission 9: An Old Evil (Story Counterpart)