[Den-O]

It's time for us to look at one truly unique figure in the S.H. Figuarts toyline. Recently released at San Diego Comic-Con 2014 is the Mighty Morphin Armored Black Ranger! For a little back story on this form read on, or you can skip down below to a full 60 image gallery of this gorgeous release!

Armored Black Ranger has a unique history in Power Rangers production. As the first season of Power Rangers was coming to an end around episode 40, Saban Entertainment wished to extend the series due to it's popularity. But they found they had run out of Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger footage to use. So Saban contracted Toei to produce enough footage for 25 more episodes of the series for adaptation and eventually 20-ish of these episodes were used. Known to the fandom as "Zyu2" this footage was made entirely by Toei but for the US Power Rangers audiences. A contextual Zyuranger story line was given for the footage during production but as it was never aired in Japan it wasn't entirely necessary. We know that Burai would have returned from the dead to help his fellow rangers, and that this form would have likely been called Armed Mammoth Ranger.

In the US this footage culminated in the final episode of season 1 for MMPR, An Oyster Stew. In order to protect Black Ranger from an acidic goo Green Ranger passed his Dragon Shield and it's protective power over to Zack. Resulting in this briefly seen but very awesome form. It's on screen for less than a minute but it made it's mark on franchise history as one of the most unique ranger forms ever. Shown exclusively in a US production but only ever seen in exclusively Japanese shot footage, this form is an oddity. And we love it all the more for it.

Now onto the figure!

Packaging
As with the 8 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers related releases that proceeded it, Armored Black Ranger comes packaged in a similarly themed Power Rangers 20th anniversary box. So there's not much new to say here aside from the new stock shots of the figure on the box as well as the SDCC logo.

Main Figure
Very befitting of it's status as an SDCC Exclusive, Armored Black Ranger is an incredibly easy repaint of a pre-existing figure. Ever more befitting is that it's a straight repaint of S.H. Figuarts Dragon/Green Ranger. Literally this is the Dragon/Green mold painted Black, with the Black/Mammoth helmet slapped on. This things oozes the essence of SDCC release. And it's perfect. It's the kind of figure that diehards and completionists would love to have or those that feel the core team is all they need will be happy to pass on.

The body is exactly the same as Green/Dragon Ranger & Armored Red/Armed Tyranno save for the new Mammoth themed head. It's the same sturdy well designed Zyuranger base body that we've gotten now multiple times in the US and Japan. If I had any complaints to levy against the figure it's the hips are ridiculously tight on mine. So tight in fact I fear breaking them. Funnily enough my SDCC Original Colors Vegeta I picked up at the same time as Armored Black, has ridiculously loose hips. The paint apps are also not as crisp as I feel an SDCC exclusive should be. Mune has some rather glaring paint over sprays. For the time and effort it took to purchase the figure, the QC is a bit lacking. Aside from these issues though the figure does look gorgeous.

Accessories
Included with Armroed Black Ranger is a smattering of various accessories, though not quite the selection I wish he had. This form literally appeared for less than a minute in the show. Long enough for Zack to stand up, do a flying punch at the Monster, then the scene cuts away. So no weapons were ever used in conjunction with this form. With that out of the way, here's what Armored Black Ranger comes with:

3 &1/2 - sets of alternate hands for various poses and to allow him to hold the included weapons.
1 - Blade Blaster in dagger mode
1 - Combined Ranger Slinger
1 - Power Axe in axe form.

While certainly not a terrible selection of accessories, I do wonder why the Power Axe in Cannon Mode wasn't included. Commonly people confuse the two forms as being 1 in the same. But the Cannon form has the butt of the axe molded in the proper position at the base of the barrel. While it also prepares the weapon for the Power Blaster/Howling Cannon combo, it's also the correct way to represent this individual weapon's second mode. I know you can display it as I have here like it's the Cannon mode, but the OCD in me will always remind me that it isn't. That version of the Power Axe/Moth Breaker only comes with the Japanese exclusive S.H. Figuarts Tiger Ranger or the US exclusive Yellow Ranger.

Being that this is an SDCC exclusive which was sold at a premium with a rather deep line to wait through to get it, I hoped it to have a few more goodies like the cannon mode Axe thrown in, possibly the non-combined version of the Thunder Slinger or the other modes of the Blade Blaster. As is the figure still includes enough to enjoy it immensely.

Final Thoughts
It's been a LONG journey to get to this point. When S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ranger & Tyranno Ranger were released as a part of Akibaranger Season 2 who'd have thought this line of figuarts would culminate in a US convention exclusive? And what a fitting way to end the line. What began as 2 Japanese releases that came with parts that spoofed MMPR for alternate combos ends with a form filmed in Japan, for American exclusive MMPR footage.

S.H. Figuarts Armored Black Ranger is very likely the final entry in the Zyuranger/MMPR line of releases and it really is a winner. It's exclusive nature made it a bit harder to obtain. Thankfully for those who missed out on it's SDCC releases Bluefin also had stock on hand for sale at the recently wrapped Power Morphicon 4.

Though it's probably the end of this series of releases I had a few ideas for things to help Bluefin/Tamashii continue it. I'm sure there are plenty of people like me who'd love to see Overdrive Defender Vest Black Ranger from the Once A Ranger crossover right? A shieldless Green/Dragon Ranger? Or even the "Green Samurai Ranger" combo that Hector David Jr. and Jason David Frank came up with while filming Power Rangers Super Megaforce's finale. To tide myself over to when/if such things ever get made, I made customs of each and decided to include them in this gallery for your viewing.

As an avid Sentai/Ranger collector I have been incredibly pleased with this entire line of releases. Though I tend to buy only the Japanese releases, this figure was something I absolutely had to have to complete my collection. And it truly does complete it, for now. Bring on those last couple of things Bandai, then I'll be good

And be sure to check out ALL of my previous Zyuranger/MMPR galleries below as well to round out our coverage of this wonderful line! Some of the older ones are admittedly not as good as the newer galleries. Perhaps one day I'll be able to redo some of the earliest galleries that need it.

S.H. Figuarts Tyranno Ranger Gallery AKA Mighty Morphin Red Ranger
S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ranger Gallery AKA Mighty Morphin Green Ranger
S.H. Figuarts Kiba Ranger Gallery AKA Mighty Morphin White Ranger
S.H. Figuarts Ptera Ranger Gallery AKA Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger
S.H. Figuarts Armed Tyranno Ranger Gallery AKA Armored Red Ranger
S.H. Figuarts Mamoth Ranger Gallery AKA Mighty Morphin Black Ranger
S.H. Figuarts Tricera Ranger Gallery AKA Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger
S.H. Figuarts Tiger Ranger Gallery
S.H. Figuarts Mighty Morphin Yellow Ranger (Female) Gallery