 This article is about a/an episode in Power Rangers Universe.
|
|
WARNING. This episode contains scenes of bloodshed. Viewer discretion is advised!. |
Tannhäuser Gate is the twenty-ninth episode of Power Rangers Universe. This is the second episode in a three-episode arc centring on the culminating stages of His Magnificence's campaign to elect a third senator, and features the debut of the Star Battleforce Ultrazord.
Synopsis[]
In order to provide a significant distraction to the rangers, Z'Aezoth enlists Lord Stinker, a revered Arkeyan executioner, whose destructive power leads to several rangers being taken prisoner. In order to save them, Arthur and 263 must work together to settle their differences, as the senator candidates prepare to make their decisive move to achieve seniority among the Arkeyan Empire.
Plot[]
The "Make the Universe Great Again" movement is in full swing on the Destiny, as Bronzee and Florian are at one such event on the promenade. Wild Bill, Megan, Russell and Moose are checking another, as Arthur rushes to them, and has some good news - he's been doing further research on the bureau, and it does focus heavily on intelligence, thus confirming that the bureau has more intel then Star Battleforce when it comes to the Arkeyans' history. As Megan says that's commendable, Wild Bill insists they should welcome 263 in now, and form some alliance between the bureau and Star Battleforce - Arthur still says that hasn't changed his opinions on 263 though, stating that he doesn't consider him a member of the team just yet. Before they can debate the issue, the alarms sound, as Z'Aezoth has launched another strike on Earth, so Colonel Xiao has all rangers on board deploy. As this happens, at the same hotel on Earth, 263 is having a few calls with his bureau colleagues, moments before Ryan - who had detected Z'Aezoth's presence via scanner, along with Joi, inform them that Z'Aezoth is back. 263, however, has another mission for them - go to Planet Vis Urban in the Chrono Sector to find a mysterious Sector Key with temporal abilities, since G.A.B. intel has suggested that defeating His Magnificence in the past will immediately end the war in the present.
Z'Aezoth, accompanied by Lord Stinker - a high-ranking Arkeyan executioner who once fought on Daegobar with the senator, is completely overpowering the others as 263 arrives. Stinker wants the Star Battleforce Rangers to get in his belly so they can imprison them with the intention of sending them to Tannhäuser Gate - which none of the rangers can frankly understand. Arthur manages to trip on the stairs which allows him to escape Stinker’s tentacles which grabs the others into his body. 263 steps in front of Arthur and morphs, saying that Z'Aezoth and Stinker will have to go through him. Arthur morphs and protects 263 from Stinker’s attack. He confronts 263 about him actually not being immortal. Distracted, they are vulnerable to Stinker’s attack. But 263 pushes Arthur out of the way and absorbs the attack himself, forcing him to demorph. Z'Aezoth prepares to kill them for good, but much to their surprise, His Magnificence appears and tells them to fall back, as the Arkeyan overlord declares that they can finish him of whenever they like. Z'Aezoth and Stinker retreat. His Magnificence addresses 263 and knows what he and the bureau knows about the history of the Arkeyan species, before he leaves.
Inside Lord Stinker - which is dubbed Tannhäuser Gate - the other rangers are trapped in a dome-like area where it is continuously raining. Because of the background of the dome, Moose insists that this must be a reference to The Truman Show. Arthur and 263 make their way back to the Destiny, but 263 is eager to exact revenge on Z'Aezoth, because bureau agents like him despise him a lot. In response, Arthur tells him to get it together and that saving the others should be the priority. Colonel Xiao tells them comrades should not fight, especially at a time like this, but Arthur staunchly says he does not consider 263 as his comrade. 263 says he doesn’t need anyone who don't comply with his philosophy of defending him, and leaves. Arthur is incensed, but Colonel Xiao says maybe 263 just wants to save them on his own. He points out that his words and actions don’t always line up, like earlier when he saved 263 from Stinker’s attack. Colonel Xiao thinks 263 must be carrying some heavy burden. On Earth, Arthur finds 263 on a rooftop and tells him that they both want to save the galaxy, but 263, who is surprised by Arthur's change of heart, gives him a condition: if 263 were to be a shield for him, he has to know more about 263, and the G.A.B.'s relations with the Arkeyans, and the ongoing war.
263 begins by stating that true to his name, a lot of his background is "classified", but tells Arthur about his rogue campaign against the Arkeyans and of one his fellow agents from an investigative mission to Xibalba gone wrong - prior to when 263 obtained the Crimson Phoenix Armor and the Phoenix Saber & Shield; Agent Squibbles. 263 asked Squibbles to be his chief strategist, but Squibbles insisted on fighting at least to be 263’s shield whenever he’s in a pinch. When his comrades were falling one after the other, His Magnificence proceded to slaughter almost all the remaining agents. 263 was ready to give up, but Squibbles reminded him that he is his shield, and he should never give up. Squibbles steps forward and, as an act of defence, absorbed His Magnificence’s attack, seemingly dying as he saved 263. Arthur figures out that 263 does not want to sacrifice any more comrades, that’s why he fights alone. Just then, Colonel Xiao calls with the location of the others. Arthur takes out the Phoenix Sector Key, but 263 grabs it and says he should deal with this himself if he doesn’t want to be part of a team if he is likely to lose any comrades along the way. With that, 263 finds Z'Aezoth and Stinker, as well as Octiqua, who is on another campaign round, boasting that she is the third senator. He morphs and they battle, but 263 is quickly outmatched by all three and is forced to demorph. As all of this happens, Ryan and Joi arrive on Planet Vis Urban, and begin searching for the Sector Key 263 was talking about.
Before Z'Aezoth can deliver a finishing blow, Colonel Xiao and Arthur arrive. After Arthur vents further at him about courage, 263 remembers Squibble’s words and says he now knows the full importance of having a team, and declares that he will make a pact with the rangers, thus giving Arthur the confidence to recognise him as an official member of the group, agreeing to defend 263, but he will fight as well. Colonel Xiao finally gives 263 his full backing, and the agent is finally convinced. 263 hands Arthur the Phoenix Sector Key back and the three of them morph. Charging towards Z'Aezoth, Stinker and Octiqua, Arthur and 263 argue over who should be the fighting shield since it’s so fun. Colonel Xiao points out that they work pretty well in spite of everything. He steps forward and after a shot from Z'Aezoth says he will take on the senator while the two comrades save the others. Speaking of the others, the dome has begun to flood, and the others are on the verge of drowning. Arthur and 263 take on Stinker, moments before Arthur initiates a Lunar Boost and then delivers an Eclipse attack, teeing Stinker up for him and 263 to deal a Blazing Storm Slash to take care of Stinker. The others are released from Stinker, and as Arthur regroups with them, Moose spits a large fish out of his mouth, having sunk right through the water as the group was trapped - only for a few sea-sick puns to be made at him. At this moment, an executive order is signed, and Lord Stinker embiggens. Arthur and 263 summon their Voyagers, but Z'Aezoth also embiggens himself to help out, and Arthur and 263 are overwhelmed.
Suddenly, 263 and Arthur's Sector keys begin to resonate, moments as the others prepare to morph and summon their own voyagers, but but their Sector Keys instead fly off on their own, including Ryan and Joi’s. Arthur and 263's voyagers then automatically fly towards the Sector Keys, as Arthur pieces what's going on. Russell, who is detecting erratic readings on his coding, figures out that this may be proof that all 12 Sector Keys can combine, thus forming the ultimate voyager combination, much to the surprise of the others. After Russell and Colonel Xiao give Arthur and 263 the go-ahead, they initiate the sequence, and Arthur's voyager combines with the Phoenix Steel Fleet and the other 10 Sector Keys. The resulting combination exerts such power, and Z'Aezoth and Stinker, as well as some of the rangers, are in awe; "Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the Voyager Phoenix Pride Megazord!" 263 proclaims - but Russell says no, stating that name is far too much of a mouthful, and the resulting combination is more than a megazord - an ultrazord, in fact, and Megan even figures it out. She suggests the configuration's name as the Star Battleforce Ultrazord, which Arthur and 263 approve of.
Moose is one of many people puzzled as to why only Arthur and 263 are piloting the Ultrazord themselves as it's the combination of all of the zords, as Russell, having found more info out from the schematics, warns Arthur that the Ultrazord's functions are limited and therefore is not at full power, as all 12 rangers are not piloting it. The two of them decide to pilot it on their own and take on Z'Aezoth and Lord Stinker. They others continue to watch them on as they are able to get the upper hand on their Arkeyan opponents, and after a long battle, unleash an Ultimate Thruster Blast, as Z'Aezoth shoves Lord Stinker in front of him as a last-ditch act of defence. 263 mocks that fact that someone who use their comrades as a shield, as Arthur points out the obvious; Z'Aezoth escapes as Lord Stinker is destroyed for good. Back on the Destiny, a strategic alliance between Star Battleforce and the Galactic Affairs Bureau is officially ratified by Colonel Xiao and the Interstellar Alliance Council, and 263 is finally welcomed to the ranger series program as their twelfth member, finally winning the trust of the other rangers. Russell, however, is more put-upon, as he is forced to put all Sector Keys on charge, and reveals that the use of the Ultrazord drained large amounts of Planesium energy from the Sector Keys - more worse than the Voyager Pride Megazord, and warns the group to only use the Ultrazord "when absolutely necessary". Arthur is delighted they have more rangers on the team than anticipated, and more glad he's managed to make amends with 263 at last, as Megan wonders if Ryan and Joi know about this. On Vis Urban, after hours of searching, Ryan and Joi find something that could be integral in finding the mysterious Sector Key, unaware that Z'Aezoth is watching them from a cliff afar, knowing what they are searching for.
Cast[]
- N/A as Arthur Morgan (Star Battleforce Red)
- N/A as Megan Sawyer (Star Battleforce Green) (unmorphed only)
- N/A as Ryan Torres (Star Battleforce Yellow) (unmorphed only)
- N/A as Moose (Star Battleforce Black) (voice) (unmorphed only)
- N/A as Wild Bill (Star Battleforce Blue) (voice) (unmorphed only)
- N/A as Bronzee (Star Battleforce Gold) (voice) (unmorphed only)
- N/A as Florian Hebitsuvic (Star Battleforce Silver) (unmorphed only)
- N/A as Joi (Star Battleforce Pink) (unmorphed only)
- N/A as Dimitri Skorpirov (Star Battleforce Orange) (unmorphed only)
- N/A as Colonel Xiao Longbao (Star Battleforce Drago) (voice)
- N/A as Russell Cubowski (Star Battleforce Aqua) (unmorphed only)
- N/A as Agent 263 (Ranger Series Phoenix)
- N/A as His Magnificence (voice)
- Paul Harrop as Z'Aezoth (voice)
- N/A as Gazla (voice)
- N/A as Octiqua (voice)
- N/A as General Sawyer
Sector Keys[]
Notes[]
- The title is a reference to the line "I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate", part of the famous "Tears in Rain" monologue in the 1982 film Blade Runner.
- Arthur, Colonel Xiao and 263 are the only rangers to appear morphed in this episode.
See also[]
- Space.24: I Will Be A Shield to Fight! - Super Sentai counterpart in Kyuranger. (fight footage and story)
