We open in the chemistry lab of Trini's brilliant scientist uncle Howard. He has amazingly managed to synthesise an invisibility potion which indeed works as expected on his cactus plant. Jason leads his karate class in a striking practice kata, and Billy wishes he had the same level of martial skill. Bulk and Skull mug him by turning him upside-down for arcade quarters and dump him in a garbage can, but they end up headbutting each other and Trini frees Billy. He regrets his always getting picked on, but Trini reminds him that Howard is soon to visit. Billy then vows to re-enrol in Jason's class.
Howard shows up with the invisibility potion, inspiring Rita to order Finster to build the Dark Warrior so she can claim the invention. But as Goldar, Squatt and Baboo fail to steal the formula at the lab, the Putty Patrol are sent to abduct Howard who is training Billy in kata at Angel Grove Park. Howard and Billy make a valiant attempt to hold them off, but the wise old man is overwhelmed by the numbers and dragged off. The Putties bring Howard to the Dark Warrior's cave and rig him up to a ton of TNT as a hostage. The timer is set; if he does not hand over the potion in an hour, the bomb will kill him. Billy warns the team of the kidnapping and the Warrior sends them a hostage note concealed in balloons. Nobody knows where the formula is, but Ernie finds it in an unmarked jar on the bar...
Zordon briefs the Rangers at the Command Centre and they go to rescue Howard, disarming the explosives just in time. They send him to safety and deploy the Megazord against a giant Dark Warrior. After a fierce battle, they cut him down with the Power Sword. Back at the Juice Bar, Billy successfully tests to yellow belt by Jason. However, he's hassled once again by Bulk and Skull, but Howard shows up with the recovered invisibility formula. Drinking it, he beats up the bullies and sends them cowering off as if Billy had done it purely with his own mental energies. Somehow turning visible again, Howard and the team laugh at another day's good work.
Tropes
- Adapted Out: In the Zyuranger episode, as this takes place after Dragonranger's introduction, King Brachion appears and gives Daizyujin some brief assistance against Dora Ninja. As MMPR placed this before the Green Ranger's debut, however, Titanus got removed from the fight, leaving it a solo battle between the Megazord and the Dark Warrior.
- Always Close: Billy disarms the bomb seconds before the timer runs out.
- Anger Born of Worry: Rita scolding Squatt and Baboo for drinking from an unlabeled bottle was out of concern for their wellbeing, and also a great lesson for kids watching.
- Badass in Distress: Howard is captured by the putties but puts up a really good fight at first. Even better than Jason or Trini usually do against Rita's putties.
- Behemoth Battle: Dino Megazord vs. the Dark Warrior.
- Informed Ability: Dark Warrior is stated to have lightning-fast reflexes and great strength, but that isn't often seen.
- Invisibility: Invented by Howard and serves as the MacGuffin for the villains. Confusingly, they wish to use it on the Rangers to make them disappear forever... but wouldn't that be an attribute which would help out the heroes more in combat? There must be drawbacks to invisibility.
- That's also not getting into the fact that Rita never considers using the formula for herself as cloaking technology, doubing as an Idiot Ball moment.
- Jerkass Ball: Bulk and Skull are officially bullies but rarely do the level of bullying usually seen with that trope, often veering into Class Clown territory (and are often considered friends of the Rangers of sorts, even in Season One). This is one of the few episodes where Bulk and Skull act like traditional bullies.
- Make My Monster Grow: Done by Rita tot he Dark Warrior.
- The Mentor: Howard is this to Billy, being both a respected scientist and a renowned grand champion martial artist. He offers to sharpen both Billy's mind and body.
- Monster of the Week: The Dark Warrior.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Trini, who usually is calm and is likely to just want to "teach a lesson" to the monster, displays some Tranquil Fury here when she says she wants to punch Dark Warrior's lights out, she didn't even use that language against Pineoctopus or Mantis.
- Pet the Dog: Downplayed, but in a sense, Rita's disciplining of Squatt and Baboo for drinking the formula is this, as harsh as it was for her to yell at them and whack them on the head with her staff for doing so, is clearly done out of concern for their wellbeing so they don't do it again.
- Took a Level in Badass: Fourteen episodes in, this stands out as Billy's first convincing moments in hand to hand against the Putties whilst unmorphed, including a nifty leg sweep. Due in no small part to Jason and Howard's teaching. He is rewarded for his progress by grading to yellow belt at the end of the episode.
- Too Dumb to Live: Squatt and Baboo aren't all-too bright, but even most children know enough not to drink from a strange bottle without a label. Fortunately for them, it only made them sick.
