Subject: "Scorpion Rain" and the state of the fandom(I) From: Gordon Dickinson gd7341@yahoo.com Date: Tue, Jun 12, 2001 8:11 AM Message-id: <3B2622FF.1911C1CA@yahoo.com> Hello, everyone. Maybe you've heard of me, maybe you haven't; it doesn't particularly matter. The things about to be discussed are important to any fandom regardless of who brings them up. However, I want to put this disclaimer first because it's important that you know exactly where I'm coming from. First of all, I'm Australian. I've lived here all my life. Second, I've been a Power Rangers fan since Season 1. Third, I've been reading this newsgroup on and off since mid-late 1996. I guess that makes me an "old schooler", of sorts. Sometimes I've followed it closely, sometimes less so(mostly to avoid US spoilers). During this time I have posted very rarely; usually it's only when, like now, I have something very important to say. Thus, the majority of my posts have been on the issue of censorship: something which I regard as a crime against the show. "Scorpion Rain", the topic I'm about to discuss at length, is something which I regard as a crime against the fandom itself - and an equally serious matter. Fourth, I've run a reference site(Power Rangers Transcripts) since 1999. Now, although I may be an "old school" fan, I'm in no way an "old school celebrity". I make no apology for that. However, I sense that this fact bothers some people, and it's been an uphill battle for any of form of recognition, let alone respect, right from the beginning. It seems that sites aren't judged by their content, but instead by the public profile of their owners. I've found this attitude extremely depressing. I work very hard on this site, I try my hardest not to offend anyone, and I don't boast about how wonderful I am. And yet ... acceptance eludes me. Quite frankly, motivation has been getting harder and harder to keep up in the face of this constant "freeze out". I don't think we have to look very far to find people who like to give themselves airs, who act like their views and friends are somehow more important than anyone else's; in short, they seem to believe that the rest of the fandom is incidental to them. This is a very common trait amongst "old school" fans in more than one fandom, and I sometimes feel as though my site has been made the victim of this elitist perspective. (Alternative explanations are welcome, of course, but after 2.5 years of pondering the subject, I don't think there are many I haven't already considered.) Further, I've come to believe that such a group is responsible for "Scorpion Rain", something which I have concluded is nothing but an elaborate and thoughtless(at best) or nasty-minded(at worst) hoax. Or to be more specific, I think it may have started out as a silly joke and later grew into something more serious. I'm stepping in to get to the bottom of this thing once and for all because people have genuinely had their feelings hurt over it(myself included). Once a hoax starts having that effect it ceases to be harmless and should be stopped immediately. Fifth, I'm very angry about this whole affair. Now before anyone starts playing the killjoy card, I want to point out that "Scorpion Rain"(at least in its initial stage) in and of itself is a relatively minor issue. However, the implications of the affair are much more serious, and indeed a reflection upon the fandom itself. Specifically, the matter of "Scorpion Rain" demonstrates: a. The rift between old school fans and newer fans. b. The perceived credibility of US fans vs the perceived incredibility of non-US fans, even on non-US issues. c. The perceived credibility of "online personalities" vs the perceived incredibility of the wider fandom. Sixth, I'm not trying to lump everyone together under one category. I hope no-one will take this post as US-bashing or "celebrity" bashing, because it's not intended in that light. I've encountered some wonderful people in this fandom, both old and new, "celebrity" and "non-celebrity", US and non- US. However, I DO want to challenge those -specific- US posters and those -specific- US "celebrities" who have abused positions of tenure to deceive the fandom and amuse themselves and their cronies at the expense of other, more deserving folk. *** This post is intended to further the ideals of an honourable and democratic fandom, where credibility is based upon reputation and sound character rather than "cult status", "old school tenure", or how much of an "online personality" someone is. A position of respect should ALWAYS be accompanied by responsibility. If a person abuses their position of respect{using their powers for personal gain, one might say}, that respect should be revoked. *** Okay, that's my background and those are my core beliefs. I want you to be aware of them and keep them in mind as I proceed with the following post. A couple of years ago, I was made aware of a supposedly Australia exclusive production, "Scorpion Rain", which allegedly bridged the gap between Zeo and Turbo. The production was supposed to have been very cheap, using Australian voice-overs and footage of the toys for Zord scenes. It was mentioned to me by someone who had seen the "wanted to buy" notice on Derik Smith(an "old schooler")'s site and thought that I might know something about it(being from Australia). Now, I'd never heard of the thing, but I said that I'd keep an eye out for it. After that it pretty much stayed at the back of my mind. In 2000, I discussed the matter with two other Australian posters, and our general consensus was that the matter of "Scorpion Rain" was very dubious(if it had been on, we would have seen it) and probably an urban legend. Newsgroup posts were made to this effect, and as might be expected, they caught my attention. They caught my attention largely because of the response they received: Australian posters were having their views dismissed in favour of US reports ... over an AUSTRALIAN ISSUE! Now, both myself and the posters involved found this attitude extremely galling - none of us had ever seen or heard of the production, and for people living halfway around the world to try and tell us that they knew better about was going on in our own country ... well, that was a direct challenge to both our credibility and our long-standing familiarity with the series. One in particular, Chris Funaro(Commander Crayfish)(another "old schooler"), was extremely vocal in defence of "Scorpion Rain"'s existence. I almost got involved back then, this being an issue very close to my heart, but I'll tell you what stopped me. I've read many of Chris's posts to the newsgroup over the years and while I may not always agree with them, the fact remains that they're detailed and insightful. He remains consistently on-topic and can discuss any season with ease, primarily focusing on the good points; in fact, I'd say that he's one of the most loyal Power Rangers fans I've ever come across. He has a dedication and an affinity for the series, and indeed the fandom itself, that I respect, and his "Scorpion Rain" defence posts came across as sincere. In short, I came to believe that -he- believed what he was saying. He made a reference to threads which could prove "Scorpion Rain"'s existence in the Deja archives, which were still down at the time and hence unavailable for consultation, and so I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Privately, I still thought that it was an urban legend and that there had been some form of miscommunication. But, stranger things had happened ... and so I decided to forego comment until I'd had a chance to consult those archives. Maybe there was going to be something in the original thread that would clear up the whole mystery. As it turns out, there was. But not in the way I was expecting. When the Deja archives were restored earlier this year, I tracked down the original thread and read it very carefully. Several discrepancies immediately leapt to mind, especially when compared with my thorough knowledge of the Australian Power Rangers schedule since 1994. The content was so laughable, in fact, that I couldn't imagine how any longterm fan could take it seriously. And then I did some research into the various personalities involved, checked up on some posting histories, etc, and I came up with a very alarming possibility. A possibility which, after reading and re-reading all of the evidence dozens of times, I'm now convinced is a certainty. In short, I've come to believe that "Scorpion Rain" is a blatant hoax perpetuated by an IRC and/or "old-school" clique against the rest of the fandom. The only way this could -not- be a hoax would be for my dedication to this series and my in-depth knowledge of the Australian schedule to be flawed. And I'm willing to swear that it's not. I'm putting my own reputation on the line over this. Going on the current evidence, I can only conclude that "Scorpion Rain" is 100% fake. What I truly don't understand, maybe don't WANT to understand, is -why- anyone would act in such a way. To invent such a thing, and then to perpetuate it for several YEARS ... misleading hundreds of people ... it's very upsetting to think that anyone could have so much contempt for their fellow fans in general, and Australians in particular. It's also very sad to think that anyone's life could be so empty that they would need to manufacture a secret just to give themselves and their cronies a sense of importance above everyone else. And the saddest truth of all is that some of these people are highly respected by the wider fandom. If what I'm accusing them of is true, and this whole post is intended to overwhelmingly prove that point, they've shown themselves to be totally unworthy of such exalted status. Particularly galling is the fact that US hoaxers have been purposefully discrediting the reports of honest Australian fans, all in order to preserve such a shameful secret. And even if they haven't been involved personally, they've stood by and allowed it to happen. Consider the precedent set: if the wider fandom has been led to believe Australians can't be trusted on Australian issues, how is it going to perceive Australian views on wider matters, such as Power Rangers itself? Obviously, these are mighty strong allegations to make. However, it's the only conclusion that covers all the discrepancies, and I believe that I have considerable evidence to back it up(I wouldn't have made this post otherwise). All the arguments that follow are based upon information from websites and the Deja/Google newsgroup archives, and I'm going to use them to prove my view that "Scorpion Rain" is 100% fiction. Now, whilst my knowledge of the Australian facts is very strong, I will freely admit that I only have my own theories to go on with regards to the actual mechanics of the hoax. The specifics may not be exactly right. Nor do I fully understand the intent of the alleged hoaxers. Still, I'll tell you what I know and what I think, and let you make up your own mind as to whose argument is more credible on this Australian issue: a dedicated Australian fan who has closely followed the series since Season 1, or a bunch of US fans who live halfway around the world and could, at best, only have had access to secondhand information. Okay, let's get started. My comments will be in ()s. This is the thread that launched the whole thing in 1998.) 1. From: ReGenesis0 (regenesis0@aol.com) Subject: WTB: Australian PRZ short Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/14 Hi, I saw a piece on American Journal awhile ago following up on Axelrod, the guy who played Zedd's voice, and the showed clips of an 8 minute short film that aired in 2 minute segments after Power Rangers Zeo a few months ago to promote the upcoming T:APRM release. It's supposed to have Zedd versus the red and pink zeo rangers (no unmorphed shots, and the voices all wrong, maybe Axelrod in jail?) and the destruction of Serpentera. I'd prefer NTSB format but I'm willing to pay 20-30 american for a copy in either format. -D This is very interesting. The post that launched this whole thing is from Derik Smith, an American, not from an Australian. There's no mention of the name "Scorpion Rain", either. Furthermore, the reference to these segments airing after Power Rangers Zeo is blatantly untrue; I watched every one of those Zeo repeats from late 1997 to mid-1998, and there was -nothing- of the kind. Each ran from 3:30pm to 4:00pm{when the next half hour program started}, and I certainly would have noticed if there was anything extra. Moreover, the Turbo movie was not released in Australia until mid- September 1998, seven episodes from the end of the Turbo series{absurd, I know} and six months after this post was made. There's no way any form of movie promo would have been shown -that- early, especially considering how limited the actual ones were in September. Interestingly, Derik doesn't make any mention of this being an Australian production in the body of his post - only in the subject header. That seems unusual to me. Without seeing the subject header, anyone would think he was talking about American broadcasts. It seems logical that anyone -really- pursuing something like this would have at least clarified the country of origin within the post, especially on such an unusual matter. In any case, this post was made in March 1998. "A few months ago"(say January 1998) wouldn't have been anywhere near the end of the Zeo repeats(as later posts place the production). Turbo(the series) didn't start in Australia until around May 1998. Zeo repeats were showing at the rate of two episodes a week up until then, and tennis/golf was airing around the turn of the year interrupting the regular programming. "A few months ago" would have either been mid-season Zeo repeats or smack in the middle of tennis/golf. Zeo's first and only previous run was from about March to May in 1997(five new episodes a week), and since the show was on so early I used the timer-record function to catch it. I set it to start recording fifteen minutes beforehand and stop about five-ten minutes afterwards just to be on the safe side, and again there was nothing resembling this "Scorpion Rain". And there's another thing. I've heard rumours about Robert Axelrod being arrested on drug offenses and jailed in 1997, which is why they had to hastily recast Divatox and why early Turbo was such a rushed mess. Where did this one come from? Somehow I can't see Saban re-hiring criminals, and Axelrod was back for Space. I only mention this because it's brought up in connection with the whole "Scorpion Rain" thing, and it sounds equally implausible. To my mind this post is extremely dubious, and from all accounts, Derik has a reputation for twisted humour.) Let's continue ...) 2. From: Light1Star (light1star@aol.com) Subject: Re: WTB: Australian PRZ short Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/14 > an 8 minute short film that aired in 2 minute segments after Power > Rangers Zeo a few months ago to promote the upcoming T:APRM release I saw this story too- the movie looked really cool, especially when Zedd kicks Tommy hard. Are there any pictures of this on the web? -Red Light1Star Ranger, Ninjeti Master, Dark Lord of the Sith A confirmation post, but also from an American. And yet neither of them thought to hit the record button that day? A fellow "AOLer", too, although that may have been pure coincidence.) 3. From: RoccoB64 (roccob64@aol.com) Subject: Re: WTB: Australian PRZ short Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/15 If anyone has pics of this movie on the web, I'D BE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEM. Three AOLers in a row! Again, maybe nothing, but a very interesting coincidence nonetheless.) 4. From: sailor (sailor@iamerica.net) Subject: Re: WTB: Australian PRZ short Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/15 RoccoB64 wrote: > If anyone has pics of this movie on the web, I'D BE VERY GRATEFUL > FOR THEM. Sailor too. :) --Sailor - Why the :) smiley, I wonder?) 5. From: ReGenesis0 (regenesis0@aol.com) Subject: Re: WTB: Australian PRZ short Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/15 RoccoB64 wrote: > > If anyone has pics of this movie on the web, I'D BE VERY GRATEFUL > FOR THEM. Not that I've seen, and I've been looking. Does anyone have a tape of this to make snaps of? Okay, now here's where things start getting REALLY suspicious. So far it sounds weird, but vaguely plausible. Now, however, we're about to see signs of trickery and collusion.) 6. From: jack_zodiac@hotmail.com (jack_zodiac@hotmail.com) Subject: Re: WTB: Australian PRZ short Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/15 I remember this... it aired after the zeo eps down here just like the 'it's coming' ads, except I think these only aired once to promo the movie. To promo the movie? I don't think so. That movie didn't start screening until September 1998, six months after this post. And yet it -did- show in America in 1997 - maybe the US hoaxers just assumed it was universally released that year. A careless slip! I also doubt whether a one-shot Australian poster would have been so familiar with the "it's coming" promos, which as far as I know weren't shown outside of the US. If they were shown on $even, I certainly didn't know about it. However, a US hoaxer in disguise would have been -most- familiar with them.) it was pretty bad. Not the plot- that was good. It looked like all the effects were done in some basement studio- they were pretty bad. I think I have 3 of the 5 segments on tape somewhere, I'll dig through and post plot summary if anyone wants it? -Jovat Note this name. It's important. Let's also ask ourselves why someone using the name of "Jack Zodiac" would call themselves "Jovat". Also note the hotmail e-mail address - that service is both anonymous and available internationally.) -----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==----- http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading Also interesting.) 7. From: Montgomery (jmontgom@newshost.li.net) Subject: Re: WTB: Australian PRZ short Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/15 : pretty bad. I think I have 3 of the 5 segments on tape somewhere, : I'll dig through and post plot summary if anyone wants it? Yes, please! :-) Another smiley? These smileys appear to be hinting at something. And Montgomery is/was a well-known humourist/parody writer with close connections to "old school" fans.) 8. From: jack_zodiac@hotmail.com (jack_zodiac@hotmail.com) Subject: Re: WTB: Australian PRZ short Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/15 > Yes, please! :-) Ok, I dug through my tapes, and I only have 2 of the 5 segments, so I'll try to fill in the rest. Hang on, didn't Derik claim this was aired in -4- segments? Discrepancies already!) Part 1 of 5 It begins with a shot of the command center from the outside, and you can hear Alpha 5 talking. He counts down from ten and there's this rocket flash taking off from the tube of the command center (badly fx'd into a PRZ shot) then they zoom in on the rocket taking off and you can see it's Super Zeo Zord Five (the star shaped one, I think they used the toy on a string for this, remember, the fx re REALLY bad) They switch to the inside (!) of the SZZ5 cockpit and they have 'Tommy' and 'Kat' talking to Alpha 5 on the viewscreen. I day 'Tommy' because they both have Australian accents. Another surprise- the Alpha 5 costume used is the one from the first movie! (you only see it for about 5 seconds) 'Tommy' and 'Kat' do the exposition, Zedd has been settin up Serpentera in the asteroid belt and it preparing to attack Earth, so 'Tommy' and 'Kat' decided to head the bole off at the pass (there is no mention of Rita) the last shot of this segment has them streaking towards the asteroids. Part 4 of 5 I don't really remember what heppened between these two, but segemtn four begins with Tommy and Kat inside Serpentera (it's just a set of catwalks and hallways) being chased by Zedd and Goldar (NOT the movie costumes) They lure them into an room where they'll have room to fight and 'Tommy' summons the 'Zeo 5 Mega Sword' (not the sword with the star design on it, it was like a japanese dueling blade, they never showed it close) and he goes sword-to-staff with 'Zedd' (LMAO at his accent) with lots of spark effects. meanwhile, Kat is dodging Goldar and Goldar accidentily hits a box on the wall and Zed calls out 'You fool, you've hit the main power box!' The last shot is of Serpentera sinking intot he eatth's atmosphere and it begins to glow on the bottom. I was sick the week this aired, and I don't really remember a whole leot, but I do recall that the last bit ends with Kat and Tommy flying away in their zord as Serpentera (they used the toy) explodes over the ocean. -Jovat Come on, who could take any of the above seriously? It SOUNDS like a parody, and a funny one admittedly. Nevertheless, I checked out the author posting history of this mysterious "Jack Zodiac/Jovat". Note - these posts are extremely few and far between; furthermore, "Jovat's" first post was in this "Scorpion Rain" thread. Almost as if he/she had been created just for the occasion...) Here are two more of "Jovat's" posts from the following month.) 8a. From: jack_zodiac@hotmail.com (jack_zodiac@hotmail.com) Subject: TRINI'S BACK!!!!!! Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/04/04 I JUST GOT AN E-MAIL from my friend who works for Samon House- the accounting firm that does payroll for Saban, and she confirmed something I recieved info about last week, TRINI IS BACK AND THE PHANTOM RANGER!!! NOw- I don't know if that means she was the phantom in turbo- but it seems more likely that she will recieve the phantom bower if/when the Phantom Ranger leaves (maybe to become silver?) All I can say is: and this person is the prize "Scorpion Rain" witness?!?) That's all! -jack "Jovat" is now calling himself "Jack". Hmm...) 8b. From: jack_zodiac@hotmail.com (jack_zodiac@hotmail.com) Subject: TLC INFO FOR GINGAMAN!!!1 Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/04/30 SABAN HAS PUT OUT A CASTING CALL IN KALIF. FoR A 'BruNNETTE MALE, age 18- 22, cultured' FoR AN UNSPECIFIED MAJOR ROLE 'ASHeR' DOES ANYONE ELSE THINKTHIS CONFIRM RUMORS THAT SABAN WILL BE | SAYING ASHLEY USED TO BE A GUY AND HAS A SEX CHANGE BEFORE TURBO?/ PLEASE GIVE THOUGHTs. I'll say it again - and this person is the prize "Scorpion Rain" witness?! If the above isn't some hoaxer's attempt to be funny, at the very least it shows a total lack of credibility. I find it impossible to believe that longterm fans could be seriously convinced by the postings of this person ... unless they were all involved in the same hoax.) -Jovat Oh-ho, so it's back to "Jovat" again. Apparently this person can't keep their identity straight.) Okay, now this is one of the most damning pieces of evidence. Check out "Jack Zodiac"'s final post ... and look who comes in at the end of the thread.) 8c. From: jack_zodiac@hotmail.com (jack_zodiac@hotmail.com) Subject: Does solid sound exist in the DCU? Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.dc.universe Date: 1999/01/06 I know DC has a fairly established setup for solid plasma... and solid light... but does Solid Sound exist in DCU? (I'm thinking of Klaw here, the question arises because MU's solid sound is dependent on tech devised from Vibrianum, which doesn't exist in DCU...) -Jack -----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==---------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Discuss, or Start Your Own Some standard responses follow ... ) 8d. From: JohannaLD (johannald@aol.comDELETEME) Subject: Re: Does solid sound exist in the DCU? Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.dc.universe Date: 1999/01/06 From: jack_zodiac@hotmail.com >I know DC has a fairly established setup for solid plasma... and >solid light... but does Solid Sound exist in DCU? Sonar used a lot of sound-based weapons, although I'm not sure if he specifically used solid sound. Johanna 8e. From: Devlin1 (damienks@pacific.net.sg) Subject: Re: Does solid sound exist in the DCU? Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.dc.universe Date: 1999/01/07 >>I know DC has a fairly established setup for solid plasma... and >>solid light... but does Solid Sound exist in DCU? > >Sonar used a lot of sound-based weapons, although I'm not >sure if he specifically used solid sound. > >Johanna The old version of "Cyborg" Victor Stone (before the current moon- engulfing and Titans-kidnapping one in the JLA/Titans miniseries) used something he refered to as "a million decibels of white sound". Maybe that's DC's version of solid sound. 8f. From: ReGenesis0 (regenesis0@aol.commiserate) Subject: Re: Does solid sound exist in the DCU? Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.dc.universe Date: 1999/01/07 >The old version of "Cyborg" Victor Stone (before the current >moon- engulfing and Titans-kidnapping one in the JLA/Titans >miniseries) used something he refered to as "a million decibels of >white sound". Maybe that's DC's version of solid sound. Okie, thanks for the answer. (the answer, BTW was no. Solid cound functions like emerald energy) *quietly makes notes for hsi Supergirl/Songbird fic...* -Derik "Jack" asks a question, and Derik posts his thanks for the answer! They even sign off in the same way, with a "-" before their name. Gee, do you think that the two of them might be one and the same? Either that, or they BOTH happened to be interested in "Solid Sound" at the exact same time! I think Derik has used the "Jack Zodiac" name as an alias in order to post those fake "Scorpion Rain" summaries. The smilies no longer seem so strange now, do they? This wasn't just Derik trying to be funny; other people were in on the hoax as well. The question now is, who else has been involved?) Getting back to the original thread, here's evidence of further collusion - and proof that the hoaxers are IRCers.) 9. From: horseshoes@mailbox.uq.edu.au (horseshoes@mailbox.uq.edu.au) Subject: Re: WTB: Australian PRZ short Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/16 Like yeah, I saw this the first time they aired zeo. It was pretty lame, you know, really badly done. I heard that the cast in it were left overs from the first film who were angry about not being recast for the turbo one, but who knows? I'd make a copy if I could, but the thing was so bad I didn't bother taping it. Ha. -Very- convenient. And "the first time they aired Zeo"? No way. I taped every one of those episodes with a fifteen minute block beforehand and a five-ten minute block afterwards. No trace of it. Moreover, Derik's original post places it as a "few months" before March 1998(proven to be false above). Zeo's first run, as mentioned here, was from March 1997 to around May 1997. The dates simply don't match up.) >amy -----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==----- http://www.dejanews.com/ Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading The posting history of this "amy" person reveals another name, "Satu Sharp" - used in another newsgroup on an unrelated matter in 1997. Those are the only two posts on record. It looks to me like this person backed up the "Derik/Jovat/Jack" post with one from "uq.edu.au", just to make sure that an authentic Australian e-mail address was involved(I don't think you can get those from free service providers). As with "Jack/Jovat", "amy" has no prior posting history to alt.fan.power-rangers. Nor did she ever post again. Now, check this out. On IRC the -only- Australian regular listed, using their map as a reference, is from someone with a "uq.edu.au" e-mail address. Guess what? This person's name is "Satu Sharp", proving that she and "amy" are one and the same. And what's more, Satu's IRC nickname is "Jovette". Sounds an awful lot like "Jovat", doesn't it? Almost like a "wink-wink" to fellow IRC hoaxers. The very fact that these never before seen "two" should suddenly turn up from out of nowhere and post under different names(one using "Jovat", the other known elsewhere as "Jovette"), both using Dejanews, and both within a day of the other is all -very- suspicious. This has "inside joke" and "prepared story" written all over it. And there's more! I checked out Derik's Bio as well, and is mentioned in part of his favourite IRC exchange. At the very least, they must know each other. And they're both IRC regulars. I did a bit more research into Satu/Jovette, and I found out that she's originally from America. Hmm ... I can probably guess where her loyalties would lie in a matter like this. So, either she was let into the secret because she was the only one they could get to "confirm it" with an Australian e-mail address, or she was a willing participant. As someone originally from America and as an IRC regular who knew Derik Smith, the one who initiated the whole thing, the latter option is looking very likely. I strongly suspect collusion between the two. It's even possible that they shared the "Zodiac" account: Derik using it as "Jack", and Satu/Jovette using it as "Jovat". Pure guesswork on the actual mechanics of all this, of course.) So, what do we have so far? Accounts from Americans and one former American{possibly disguising herself as two people}. Absolutely no confirmation from native-born Australians whatsoever. Not then and not -since- then, either.) That was the end of that thread. Shortly afterwards, we were treated to the following, eminently dubious post. The subject header alone should be enough to arouse suspicion(at least for Australian fans). 10. From: ReGenesis0 (regenesis0@aol.com) Subject: THANK YOU DINGORANGER!!! Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 1998/03/21 Sorry for posting this as a full subject, but I just sealed a deal with DingoRanger to send me 'Scorpion Rain', the 8 minute Australian short film that takes place between Zeo and Turbo! This is the first public mention of the name, "Scorpion Rain".) BTW- the short has no credits on it whatsoever, someone emailed me saying it was produced by ex-tengu productions employees, and I want to know who did the voices for the characters... Turbo hadn't even started in Australia when this post was made. Oh, and still 8 minutes, eh? What happened to "Jovat's" five-parter post? You've just disregarded the sole "eye-witness" account! Clearly, one of you must be mistaken. Unless, of course, -you- were "Jovat" instead of amy/Satu/Jovette. My head's spinning from all these aliases ... ) And -DingoRanger-?! In all the years I've been following this fandom, I've never come across anyone using that name. Similarly, there's no record of him/her in the newsgroup archives. Nor could I find any reference to this person on a search-engine individual webpage search. Plus, along with kangaroos and koalas, dingo references are pretty high on the US/Australia perception list. It sounds like the sort of name an American would give to a mythical Australian fan - especially if that American was trying to perpetuate a hoax in an "amusing" manner.) After this, things appeared to go very quiet for a long time. However, when the issue was reheated in 2000, it was with unusual familiarity for something that had apparently lain dormant for so long. Thus I'm led to believe that it may have been a frequent topic of conversation on IRC during this period. After all, Derik and Satu/Jovette are/were IRC regulars, and the whole thing was fuelled by them. A later post, which we'll get to in a minute, seems to confirm this.) 11. From: Commander Crayfish (clfunaro@aol.com) Subject: Re: Interesting continuity speculation (Funaro, you will *love* this) Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/02/15 Kenneth Hillis cyberduo25NOcySPAM@hotmail.com.invalid wrote: >*blinks* Erm, what's Scorpion Rain? Scorpion Rain was either a special, or a series of shorts aired in Australia between Good and Gold, and the release of T:APRM. It's supposed to eradicate the Zeo battle fleets, and set the stage for the PRT universe. Well, going on the timing of Derik's post{March 1998 - six months before the movie was released in Australia} it would have to have been one HECK of a long time between the two, especially since the only time "Good As Gold" had then aired was around May 1997!!!) About five months later we get to this notable thread...) For the record, "Evil-Monarch" is a bona fide Australian poster. "Satan" is another time for "$even" - the free-to-air channel which shows{and hacks up} Power Rangers in Australia.) 12. From: Evil-Monarch (evil_monarch@my-deja.com) Subject: Scorpion Rain is fake!!! Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/07/24 There's no such thing as Scorpion Rain! I swear to you! Can anyone hear actually swear thay've seen it, and can write a full summamry? Really? I think ***NOT***!!! Satan wouldn't make their own PR episode(s). They hate PR! It's obvious! FKOZ wouldn't make one either, or they would've promoted it higher! Really, the whole concept of it ever excisting was ridiculous! Who was the first to bring it up? My point is...Scorpion Rain doesn't excist. It was just something for some bored PR fan to make up because they had nothing better to do. It's like the people who made up all that stuff about a 3rd movie! That never happened either! Another point is(which I've posted about before!) beware of liars! Don't be sucked in! Evil-Monarch Con is another genuine Australian poster.) 13. From: Con Koudsy (koudsy@tig.com.au) Subject: Re: Scorpion Rain is fake!!! Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/07/24 Is that the episode supposedly made by Channel Seven? Your right, Seven would never spend money or energy making an episode of PR. Neither would Fox Kids. But who would make it up? There are probally about 5 people who are dedicated fans of PR in Australia, and I doubt any fan would make it up. But if it does exist id love to see it! Australians wouldn't make it up, but a small group of Americans have. They've been using us for their own amusement. "Why?" is a question I can't properly answer. The implications are just too depressing.) Dan is a third genuine Australian.) 13. From: Dan: Master of Foo (danstlcshrine@PANTSexcite.com.au) Subject: Re: Scorpion Rain is fake!!! Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/07/24 > There's no such thing as Scorpion Rain! I swear to you! Can anyone > hear actually swear thay've seen it, and can write a full summamry? > Really? I think ***NOT***!!! I never saw it, but that's because Zeo was shown at 7am in the morning. Back then, I never HAD to get up at 7am in the morning. Now's a different kettle o' fish though ... Dan is referring to the first run of Zeo episodes here, which went from about March to May in 1997. NOT the repeats, which started later on in the year heading into 1998, and to which Derik seemed to be referring.) But that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. See above comments on my timer-recording of this series. If there had been anything of the kind, I would have seen it.) > FKOZ wouldn't make one either, or they would've promoted it higher! FK wouldn't make one NOW, maybe back then. FOXTEL used to carry heaps of locally produced shows, until late 1997. Then they started cost- cutting and upping the price. Ah, but Zeo wasn't airing on Pay-TV in 1997. It was $even only. Zeo didn't premiere on Pay-TV until January 1st, 1999, and considering how the original post was made in early 1998, I think we can safely rule out this option!) > Really, the whole concept of it ever excisting was ridiculous! Who > was the first to bring it up? Derik Smith, an American. -Not- an Australian.) It does seem rather ridiculous, but it's possible. I've heard lots of pretty knowledgeable people talk about it on IRC channels, so it's a damned good hoax if it is one ;) Yeah, very interesting that the primary people involved are regulars or ops, or cronies of same, in an old-school dominated IRC channel. That doesn't surprise me in the least. Dan, do you know anything about this? Your choice of words and the ;) smiley have caught my attention. You're a level-headed guy, and as a fellow Australian, you have a similar stake in things; what do you think about the whole matter? If you don't mind my asking, who were the "pretty knowledgeable people"? How often has this been discussed in IRC?) Derik strikes again...) 14. From: Derik Smith (regenesis0@aol.commics) Subject: Re: Scorpion Rain is fake!!! Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/07/25 I hope it exists. 3 (4?) years ago shortly after word of Scorpion Rain broke, I sent a money order to a turkey by the name of 'Dingo Ranger' in excahange for a tape of 3 of the 5 parts. After I sent it he dropped off the net and I never got a tape. You've just contradicted yourself! Before, you said that you'd sealed a deal to get a four-part 2 minute series - and your original post backs that up. Now you're saying that the deal was made for a 5 part series. Just one of MANY inconsistencies. The Deja archives were down at this time; maybe you couldn't access the original post and had to make a {wrong} guess as to what you'd said previously. You couldn't even remember what year it was{closer to 2 years, NOT 3 or 4.}) Personally, I'd prefer to think I got screwed in the pursuit of somethign that actually existed than to think I got screwed in the pursuit of a myth. Very cunning, Derik. This does a marvellous job of using self-deprecation to allay suspicion. You know, before I started investigating this, I genuinely felt sorry for you. I don't like being falsely manipulated, and I don't think I'd be alone on that one.) 15. From: Commander Crayfish (clfunaro@aol.com) Subject: Re: Scorpion Rain is fake!!! Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/07/26 Scorpion Rain wasn't an episode, it was a sequence of five one-minute long shorts that ran before each of the final five PRZ episodes, intended to breech the gap between PRZ and T:APRM. From what I understand, made on the cheap. This would HAVE to refer to the March 1997-May 1997 first run Zeo episodes, because the only repeat cycle hadn't even gone all the way through when the original post was made. And you can't seriously expect me to believe that they would have used this to breach the gap before, or give a promo for, a movie that wasn't released until SIXTEEN MONTHS LATER! I still think the hoaxers' mistaken assumption was that the movie had been released internationally in 1997. And again, Derik's original account has this down as four two-minute parts(8 minutes in total). Somewhere along the line the story has been changed to make it a five part five-minuter.) 16. From: Commander Crayfish (clfunaro@aol.com) Subject: Re: Scorpion Rain is fake!!! Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/07/26 I think Scorpion Rain is about as fake as the second issue of the Image PRZ comic. That is to say, it does exist in some capacity, (obviously the advance reviews of the issue we based on SOMETHING, "Billy as Evil Grey Ranger" isn't something Wizard's just gonna pull outta their ass) but that form is so limited that nobody, for the most part, has actually been exposed to the thing. Hmm ... interesting choice of words.) I find it interesting that the instant this claim is made is also the point at which Dejanews has purged their entire archives, thus making the existence of these threads questionable in just the same manner as the existence of the fabled Totally Kids Magazine which specifically mentions RYAN STEELE will be the Gold Ranger. Chris, it was this post that convinced me to postpone judgement until the archives were restored. Please tell me you weren't perpetuating this thing. Because people put stock in what you say, and since "Scorpion Rain" never existed, you've, inadvertantly I hope, caused innocent Australian fans to doubt themselves when they were right in the first place. At least consider my argument. You have to admit, "Scorpion Rain" looks -very- suspicious. I don't know whether you're involved in this or not, but you strike me as someone who would very much LIKE it to be true because you enjoy finding explanations for things, making continuity tighter than it is, etc., and that's what "Scorpion Rain" theoretically does. I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.) It doesn't say Brad Hawkins, it says Ryan Steele, leader of the VR Troopers. I can "prove" both existed, these posts were made years ago, I have read them. Well, so have I(the "Scorpion Rain" one anyway). The original thread is pretty dubious in my opinion. Judging from your comments, I would have thought that the original posts would have been A LOT more believable. I'd be very interested to hear what you've got to say about Derik and co.'s trickery.) But honest to god... Who in the world is going to make something like that up? I mean, what's to gain from lying about it? Ask Derik. He's the one who did it. {And I think you owe a few people an apology}. The only question now is, who else was involved? I think it's him and a circle of his cronies who want to have a good laugh at the expense of the rest of the fandom. And just thinking about that is very upsetting; it's both divisive and mean-spirited. It also begs the question - what ELSE have this lot been lying about? No wonder they don't want to own up to this; their cult status of "my word is gospel just because I'm an IRC/old-school fan" might be jeopardised. Why, they might have to start actually WORKING for their credibility just like the "plebs" they apparently despise so much! Shock! Horror! We -couldn't- have that! Let's face it, and here we get to the wider issues I mentioned above, this thing is believed primarily because of the "pretty knowledgeable people" involved, to quote Dan, and I'm betting that none of them are Australian. -Not- because it sounds in any way credible in and of itself, and -not- because any Australians have legitimately confirmed it. The US "old school clique" speaks - and thus the wider fandom is led to believe it -must- be true, even when it involves the flimsiest and most suspicious evidence I've ever seen. So either they've been incredibly gullible on this matter, or they've been incredibly stupid ... or they're perpetuating a hoax. Whichever one it was, the fandom was obviously inclined to believe whatever it was told. Talk about having absolute power{and abusing it}. When Australian posters are rightly sceptical about something we KNOW we would have seen or heard about if it had existed, we're basically told that we don't know what we're talking about{on a frigging AUSTRALIAN ISSUE!}. How on Earth can US fans claim to be more knowledgeable on Australian issues than Australians themselves?! You didn't even -consider- the possibility that the US group could be wrong. Can't you see how insulting that is to Australian fans? Is that why you don't respect my reference site, because I'm not a US "celebrity" and therefore, somehow "unworthy" of the task? It's like: "the US old-schoolers have spoken; case closed". I mean, hell, I love Power Rangers more than any other show I've ever been exposed to. I've invested so many hours in watching and discussing the episodes, reading up on the different theories, writing up transcripts, comparing different versions for censorship ... it's an in-depth commitment. Naturally, the state of the fandom concerns me very much. Surely I'm not the only one who sees the inherent dangers in its current state?) People have seen Scorpion Rain. I don't think many of them are still here, but they are/were around at some time. Parts have been described in depth, the storyline is well documented. The only "in depth" documentation I've found is in that "Jovat/Jack Zodiac" post above, and that information has been clearly falsified.) Stock footage and toys with bad Australian VO actors replacing everyone. I don't think Channel Seven made it. Truth be known, I can't recall for the life of me who was supposed to have produced the thing. There are legitimate Tokusatsu dealers who either carried it once or who are searching for it. I've never seen any mention of it on any of the Sentai pages I've visited, and having been in the market for Sentai episodes and information, I've certainly gone to more than a few. And if they ever carried it, why didn't someone order it? Why don't the dealers still have it? It's not as if they would have sold their only copy. I seriously wonder about the scope of this thing if Sentai dealers are truly looking for it. How many people have been fooled?!) 17. From: Chris Neumann (neumann@gourmet-night.com) Subject: Re: Scorpion Rain is fake!!! Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/07/26 Well, all this brings a very good question to the mind, which is that if there is no physical proof that something existed, but there is mental proof or stories or intended truths, are those truths really true? This is why the tales of the Griot (like in Sundiata) are seen more as fables and not actual history, because the story can be embellished more than if it was physically written down, which is the sign of true history and proff of existance. But if we have concieveable evidence of a society that left no wirtten remains but were stories, could it really exist. Or if someone made up a story and used evidence that might help confirm it but in reality were unrelated, would that be less true in terms of how we would percieve it... wait, what were we talking about? Is this a roundabout way of saying that "Scorpion Rain" doesn't exist, except in the minds of the hoaxers? This post is from Chris Neumann, another "old- schooler".) 18. From: Commander Crayfish (clfunaro@aol.com) Subject: Re: Reason for Zeo --> Turbo Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/10/02 The Australian Zeo serial Scorpion Rain (produced after the final PRZ aired in repeats, and before the premiere of T:APRM in theaters) was supposed to have taken care of all of this, eradicating much of the Zeo arsenal courtesy of Serpentera and Lord Zedd, but good luck finding a copy of it. Impossible. A - the final Zeo episode was never repeated on free-to-air television in Australia. B - the timeframe that the original post refers to doesn't even -roughly- correspond with the end of that repeat cycle. And I could mention the "Jovette/Satu Sharp" "eye-witness" post which claims it aired after the FIRST RUN of Zeo, but I'm getting sick of repeating myself. You talk about this with such authority, and yet I don't see how there can be any doubt that it's a hoax. "Good luck finding a copy of it", indeed. Haha.) 19. From: Ecliptor17 (ecliptor17@aol.com) Subject: Re: What is "Scorpion Rain"? Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/10/21 Well, for such a poorly-produced episode (that is, if it exists) it sure does have a cool name, or was that something a fan made up? That's something I'd like to know, especially since the original thread never mentioned the "Scorpion Rain" name. Adding a bit of flavour to the hoax afterwards, perhaps?) 20. From: Commander Crayfish (clfunaro@aol.com) Subject: Re: What is "Scorpion Rain"? Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/10/23 Con Koudsy wrote : > Scorpion Rain apparently was an episode made by Channel Seven > Australia(the network that currently has the rights to air PR in > Australia) to serve as an wrap up of the events that took place > after PRZ had ended. Ive never actully seen this episode, but ive > heard a lot about it. Personally though I doubt its existance, > because if it did ever air, then im sure I wouldnt have missed it. > > Apparently it was made by compiling various voice samples from > previous episodes of PR, and mixing them with old footage of PRZ. > Then, for the Zord battles, they filmed the Zeo Zord toys. No, all accounts ever given by the original posters made it abundantly clear it used NO original voices from the series, it was ALL Australian VO performers. Which makes sense, using original voice samples costs MONEY. It's why they never used Austin's voice in flashbacks until Goldar's flashback in Revelations of Gold, they had him back now, and the clause in his contract meant they wouldn't have to pay him a separate fee for its use, they could just run it with no additional charge. >It was a very low quality production, and wasnt originally meant to >be taken seriously. I have never heard that said anywhere, and remember, I was here for the original posts describing the mini-series in as much detail as I've ever heard recounted anywhere. There are SO many erroneous beliefs about this thing now, when any two people keep adding on their own elements and improvising on the spot, that of course it sounds like a big old hoax. Chris, a serious question. Upon re-reading the original thread and hearing all of the evidence I've presented, do you still think it sounds in any way plausible? As a longterm Australian fan who has followed the show as long as you have, who has subscribed to the newsgroup as long as you have, and whose overall dedication to the series has been called into question{re - being unable to find any trace of the production}, this is most important to me. I've found the whole affair very depressing, especially when seeing the views of Australian fans on AUSTRALIAN ISSUES treated as unworthy of consideration by people like yourself.) > Nothing will ever mesh with the original accounts given. There was > no, repeat, NO Gold Ranger/Zeo V/Zedd battle at any point in the > parts of Scorpion Rain that aired; that I EVER heard described. One of the posts in the original thread mentions liking the bit where Zedd hits Tommy hard. "Jovat's" post specifically mentions Lord Zedd and Zeo Ranger 5 fighting. It's accessible again - see for yourself.) > This was made very clear. Scorpion Rain was five one-minute shorts > which ran prior to the last five episodes of PRZ at some point in > the rerun cycle. One a day, for a week, and has never rerun that > anyone can recall. The original post, as made by Derik Smith, has this as an -8- minute short film shown in 2 minute segments: a story he later changed. "Jack/Jovat" has it down as a five parter. "amy/Satu/Jovette" claims it was aired during Zeo's first run. You're saying that it was a five-parter also, and that it was on during the reruns. In a previous post you've mentioned that it aired between "Good As Gold" and the Turbo movie - but "Good As Gold" was never repeated and only shown once during the original cycle in around May 1997. Zeo has only been shown twice on Australian free-to-air television. The US reruns episodes willy-nilly; $even simply plays a series through in order from start to finish with no interruptions or repeats. At the time of Derik's original post, they were only about midway through the first and only run of $even's Zeo repeats, not anywhere near the last five episodes. And his post referred to "a few months" before that, pushing the likelihood back even further! Moreover, "Rangers Of Two Worlds", "Good As Gold", and "A Season To Remember" were never repeated for the second run{who knows why}, so these shorts couldn't have accompanied the "last five episodes in the rerun cycle". And certainly not one a day; the Zeo repeats were only on two days a week. Zeo was on five days a week during its FIRST RUN ONLY, but that leads to further contradictions. Unlike the US, the amount of episodes is generally fixed in Australia. For one series you might get two new episodes every week until the end; for another you might get five new episodes until the end, but you won't get a mixture of old and new, like two new episodes and three repeats one week, then five new episodes the next, etc. - it just doesn't work that way. The above sounds plausible for a heavily-packed US rerun schedule only, which is logical enough - that's what the hoaxers would have been most used to.) > It was much the same as FK USA's Zeo Serial, or the Weird Week > segments. So, in total, Scorpion Rain is five minutes long. Derik's original post still says 8. He changed that to a five parter in his 2000 post - when the Deja archives were down and he wouldn't have been able to check what he'd initially said. Another in a long line of "interesting" coincidences.) > I mean, nobody can recall having the Weird Week segments on tape > either, people have looked, but does that mean you question its > existence? A different matter entirely. "Weird Week"(if THAT exists) is a US matter, and only US fans are going to know whether or not it existed. I wouldn't presume to tell you otherwise. However, "Scorpion Rain" has been labelled an Australian matter - and thus only an Australian fan, or anyone who's actually SEEN Australian broadcasts{aside from amy/Satu/Jovette} is qualified to prove or disprove its existence. It's highly insulting for Australian views to be discredited on an Australian matter by US fans who live halfway around the world - especially considering how dubious this whole thing was to begin with. What would we know ... we just live here! Do you see what I'm getting at? And this is the crux of the matter for me. Just because "old school celebrities" claim something to be true does not automatically -make- it true. It wouldn't surprise me if they've been laughing at the gullible masses for believing anything they're told, even on something so utterly implausible. And if they're allowed to get away with it this time, what's to stop them from doing it again? What else have they been lying about? How often have they abused their position of trust? I'm not accusing you of deliberately perpetuating this thing; unless my judge of character is totally screwed up, that doesn't seem like your style. I just wish you hadn't dismissed Australian views on an Australian issue in such an off-hand manner. Believe it or not, Australian fans{myself included} have been offended by this seeming lack of trust. And if it was done in order to prevent the wider fandom from suspecting the truth behind an elitist hoax ... that would be downright disgusting.) > Scorpion Rain's mystique comes out of being so gul-durned impossible > to find. RELIABLE SENTAI DEALERS have spoken knowledgably of > Scorpion Rain, including those who sold the original MMPR pilot > years before it ultimately aired on Fox Kids, in edited form. Namely? I've never come across mention of it on any Sentai site.) 21. From: Commander Crayfish (clfunaro@aol.com) Subject: Re: What is "Scorpion Rain"? Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/10/23 Scorpion Rain was a series of shorts produced by, I think, Foxtel or SOME network which ran PRZ for its first rotation in Australia. That would definitely be $even. But doesn't this contradict what you've said above about it airing during the repeats? Unless you're saying that $even produced it and later showed it during the repeats - but that's nonsense because the first and only run of repeats on $even hadn't even reached the end of the series when the original post was made.) 22. From: Joe Rovang (jrovang@mindspringDOTcom) Subject: Legends of AFPR Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2000/11/03 Topic: Scorpion Rain miniseries Snipped a collection of some of the above posts with no personal comment added.) Okay, now this is interesting. A couple of days beforehand, Joe included the following entry in his then latest site update: "11/1/00 - Added entries from Power Rangers Zeo comic book by Image Comics. Still hoping to obtain "Scorpion Rain" miniseries." "Scorpion Rain" was being discussed in the newsgroup a little over a week beforehand, and he coincidentally decides to mention it on his site around the same time?! I don't know about this "still" business, either - there's no mention of it in any of the other updates. Nor does it have a link for further information. And not only that, he posts an archive of messages two days later that just so happens to cover that very same issue! This has a definite ring of slyness about it.) Joe ... I don't know what to say to you here. Now, not only are you one of the most oft-lauded "old school" fans, but my impression is that you and Derik are as thick as thieves. If I am right about this being a hoax{and so far I'm seeing ZERO evidence to the contrary}, I find it highly unlikely that you wouldn't have known about it, too. If that's the case, I'm very disappointed in you. Disappointed, yes, but also angry and hurt. You could have stayed out of this entirely, but instead you CHOSE to use your site to KNOWINGLY lend credence to a hoax. Honest people were having their credibility falsely maligned, and you ENCOURAGED IT!!! Your site is supposed to deal solely with facts, and unfortunately, some people treat it as almost official: a notion you seem to have little intention of disabusing. If you put any mention of "Scorpion Rain" in there, a lot of unswayed people are going to assume there must be something to it, again, not because it -SOUNDS- plausible, but purely because of your "celebrity" status. You must have known this; presumably, that's why you wrote it. I have no idea why you'd want to abuse this position of trust for the purposes of furthering a deception. Unless, of course, you enjoy having in- jokes with your cronies at the expense of the wider fandom. Do you really delight so much in things which emphasise the divide between yourself and the "common" fan? Well, you've shot yourself in the foot over this one. By including mention of "Scorpion Rain", an obvious hoax, you've seriously compromised the integrity of your "factual" site. How many other deliberately misleading things have you put in there?) And almost three years after the original thread, the last, most recent word goes to : 21. From: Bill McNeal (xpeeple@aol.commode) Subject: [FAQ] The New FAQ, Version 2.0 Newsgroups: alt.fan.power-rangers Date: 2001-03-03 07:26:07 PST What's Scorpion Rain? Scorpion Rain is a mythical episode which according to local legend aired only in Australia, in bits and pieces like the ZEO Serial. It is said to be the bridge between Power Rangers ZEO and Power Rangers Turbo, showing Lord Zedd destroying the ZEO Zords with Serpentera, with all zord footage having been stop-motion shots of the toy counterparts. No copy of it can be found anywhere, and its existence has not been acknowledged by any officials. Hmm ... I wonder why.) * * * Come on, Derik, the game's up. I'm calling you out. Would you and your clique care to justify your actions to the rest of the fandom, to all the people you've deceived? You lot ought to be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves. Gordon. (a dedicated Australian fan who DESPISES elitism and who does not appreciate being played for a fool on Australian issues.)