With This Ring (Young Justice SI) (Thread Fourteen)

[Ngamer11]

Mr Zoat, I was rereading and I think I noticed a plot hole.

"That's because we didn't. I don't know whether that was because we mostly stuck to our own beats or because we mostly had the same moral beliefs, but I honestly can't remember us ever having something like this hanging over us for any length of time. I mean, there was that thing with Sandy… But by the time any of us knew that he was okay… Mentally okay, Wesley had already fixed things."

"It's not really the same thing. Mister Hawkins had gone on a rampage before being contained. Yes, with the benefit of hindsight… Getting him somewhere isolated and checking that he was still crazy might have been a good idea, but I'm not sure how practical it would have been. And that's… Not what happened with Nabu."

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In this part, Alan talks like he and a few other members of the JSA knew what happened to Sandy.

"In nineteen forty five, there was an accident while they were testing a new silicon-based weapon. At this point, Sandman reported that his sidekick had been killed. But according to information I received this morning, what actually happened was rather different. Instead of simply dying, he allegedly underwent an extreme physiological change, becoming a frenzied silicon-based monster, and Sandman spent a good deal of effort both keeping him contained and trying to find a way to turn him back into a human."

That prompts several frowns, but Alan's the one who voices their doubts.

"How exactly does this source know about this? I never-" He looks around the small circle of Justice Society members. "-heard anything about this at the time."

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While here, it seems Sandman kept what happened to him a secret. Will the former need to be changed?

 

[Senevri]

Accept the ruination of the evil and despotic.

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But not the morally ambiguous and despotic, eh? Mathematical 'and', I suppose.

 

[Mr Zoat]

' crater '

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"expecting"

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Thank you, corrected.

 

[Chojin Patriarch]

1st April 1995
22:27 GMT

"Giant steps are what you take…"

The Power Rangers teleported up in their zords, which is something that Zordon doesn't like to do because it drains the power reserves. But under the circumstances…

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Well, that gives a good reason why they never came up here before. And probably safer, atmosphere or no atmosphere. And if anything survived, they can deal with it quickly. Now, important question: Any sign of glowing crystals in a protective force-field?

Spoiler: Commentary spoilered for length

Pink overflies the giant glass crater where Casa Rita used to be. "Are we safe? Being this close?"

The Triceratops Dinozord is noticeably ahead of the rest of the pack as it approaches the edge of the crater. "The armor on the exterior of our zords is more than thick enough to block the alpha and gamma radiation, and the air filtration system will keep out radioactive particulates. In four years someone in a regular space suit could walk through the crater without any consequences for their health."

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Why anyone would want to, that's another question.

"Huh. I though it was, like, hundreds of years?"

"It's about a hundred for salted nuclear weapons, where they're deliberately designed to spread as much highly radioactive material as possible. But Earth's nuclear powers don't actually have those. I checked."

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Yeah, any use of those are pretty much a war crime. Still a big mess, lasting radiation or not.

Yellow pings me. "Why did you check that?"

"Well, if I'd used a salted nuke, it would have motivated you more and blowing up Rita's base would have been even more emphatic. It's not like anyone is actually using the moon for anything."

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...Yet. Given that Humanity can be interplanetary in a decade or two...

The Tyrannosaurus Dinozord looks over the crater rim, it's head turning left and right.

"And you're sure this isn't a trick?"

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Can you imagine Rita letting this stand just so she can ambush you?

"I didn't use five nuclear bombs because I wanted recoverable body parts, but these warheads were designed to incinerate hardened bunkers and anyone standing within a mile of them. Rita's facility wasn't actually all that big, and the protective spells appear to have mostly been designed to deal with attacks from the outside."

"Pterodactyl Dinozord's sensors show nothing. I mean, other than the glass bowl. And dust. And radiation. B-blue, are you sure this isn't dangerous?"

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...So, the Zeo Crystal's containment facility is either well-hidden or simply gone.

"I am as sure as modern human science allows me to be that the radiation isn't dangerous to us. It wouldn't be dangerous through our armor either, I just thought this was a reasonable precaution in case Rita was storing something dangerous."

Ring, scan.

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Who knows, you could have recreated the last boss fight of the SNES game.

Compliance.

"Did you know that mildly elevated radiation exposure is actually good for you?"

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To be fair, we get trace amounts of radiation as it is. Mostly radio frequencies and solar-based stuff...

"I don't believe that's true. Every chart I've seen shows an almost completely straight line correlation between radiation levels and cancer rates."

"Yes, above a certain point that's true. The problem is that because it was such a straight line at higher levels the researchers just assumed that it would carry on at lower levels and didn't check. Partly because people who had received lower levels of exposure were harder to find. Low but elevated levels appears to trigger the human body's radiation countermeasures, causing-."

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Oh, no, they're having a geek-off.

"Well I'm not getting out." The Pterodactyl Dinozord wheels around. "She's gone, good riddance."

"Did you..?" Zack sound uncertain. "Plan all this?"

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Would you have preferred running blindly in, Indiana Jones-style?

"I didn't think Red would use the zords like that. Good work there, genuinely impressed."

"Thanks."

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Somehow, I don't think he appreciate the compliment.

"But aside from that-. Yellow, did Squatt even turn up for your fight?"

"Yes. And then he left."

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Not unexpected. He never did seem to have much bravery around actual combat.

"About what I was expecting."

"I still had to fight the putties."

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Like they're a threat, except maybe to your patience?

"And now you'll never have to fight them again."

"But…" Something's giving Zack difficulty. "Even the nuke? And where you put them, you knew where they could go to wreck the planet."

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Yes, well, it's not hard to work that out with a little intelligence and an alien supercomputer.

"Of course I did. Back in the comic, we used to keep an eye on places like that so we could be there in time to stop someone doing what I pretended to do. You can't guard your vulnerable spots if you don't know where they are."

"And you knew they'd do what they did?"

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Plus, personal experience from the couple of times said disasters nearly happened.

"There was a chance that Goldar would demand to stay behind. Him surviving on his own wouldn't be much of a problem. And there was a small chance that they'd find the bombs and disarm them or teleport them away… It was a calculated risk. But it paid off. Any plans for your new free time?"

"There's a new hair and nails salon that just opened in the mall-." I hear four quiet sighs. "I need to de-stress, okay? I'm not used to nuclear explosions."

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If it works, it works.

"Wait." The Tyrannosaurus Dinozord's head turns towards me. "All those wars you said we could stop. Is that what this is about?"

"No-. Well, sort of. It's never about any one thing. I'm not sure exactly what Zordon authorises you to use your Power Ranger equipment for, but I'm aware that you might start using it for forceful interventions against human war criminals. Or you might not."

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And Zordon would probably rather keep out of human politics. It's a very messy thing, after all.

"He could just take it back. With Rita dead, he might not need Power Rangers any more."

"No, because Lord Zed is probably going to send someone else in a few years, and-."

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Mis-spelling because he doesn't remember the actual phrasing, of course.

"Who's that?"

"Lord Zed? Rita's employer, and the one who sent her to Earth in the first place?"

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He should be turning up in a few months.

The communications systems go quiet for a moment.

"You didn't know about him, did you."

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I'm guessing Zordon kept mum because he hoped that the standoff would avoid getting his attention...

"No, but it makes sense." William sounds phlegmatic about it. "Rita was already a highly capable magician when she came to Earth. There's no obvious reason why Earth would be the first planet she conquered."

"So the added field training will be useful. Oh! Good news! With Rita's base completely destroyed, there's no more green candle. Green Ranger can return to active duty. I'll.. get the Dragonzord valeted."

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...I hope he's correct about that. Could be embarrassing if it turns out he goofed.

"Forget the salon, I'll go tell him as soon we we're done!" … "Are we done, Red Ranger?"

"We're done. Zordon, we're at the site. There's nothing here. Are you picking up anything that we're not picking up?"

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Nothing he'd tell you about, anyway. No doubt keeping the Zeo Crystal details up his... Tube? And the whole Gosei thing... And all those other little future Ranger team-related things...

"No. The detonation appears to have been completely successful. I will return you to Earth now. Orange Lantern, I wish to speak with you upon your return."

"Certainly. I'll transport myself back."

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Not a fan of their transporters?

Now that I'm paying close attention, I can feel the difference between my old transitioning and what I'm doing now. I scan the Command Centre and… It's like I'm literally jumping at faster-than-light speed. I appear at the entrance a moment later and then jog inside, a lightness in my heart. Yes, alright, everyone I know and love never existed-.

And it's gone.

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Eh, you'll find new friends. Or simply cease to be eventually...

1st April 1995
15:30 GMT -7

"Orange Lantern." Zordon doesn't look annoyed, so I suppose that someone of his experience can take things like this in his stride. "Congratulations on killing Rita Repulsa."

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No need to sound so disappointed, big blue. Let me guess, not the way you wanted it done?

"Glad to help."

"The governments of Earth are in uproar. This will make my work of protecting the Earth much more difficult if someone does not explain things to them."

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And since the Rangers can't exactly do it - faceless colour-coded heroes probably aren't the best public spokesmen - guess who's elected...

No rest for the wicked…

"I'll get right on that."

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...And soon it'll be Zordon having the headaches as he sees what letting OL talk to the press will do.

I have to hope the Zeo crystal is safely protected, or automatically relocated upon detecting the detonation. Otherwise that's a big future power-up gone. Guess we can pick one reason why Zordon seems so annoyed, maybe? Still remains to see what governmental issues remain, but for the most part, it looks like this little side-trip is about done, once OL-prime can snap out of the vision.

 

[Vaermina]

I have to hope the Zeo crystal is safely protected, or automatically relocated upon detecting the detonation. Otherwise that's a big future power-up gone. Guess we can pick one reason why Zordon seems so annoyed, maybe? Still remains to see what governmental issues remain, but for the most part, it looks like this little side-trip is about done, once OL-prime can snap out of the vision.

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The Zeo crystal contains enough power to destroy the solarsystem and then some if shattered.

So the fact that the Solar System is still there, tells us the Zeo crystal is still intact.

No, the real problems is going to be the horrors that descend on Earth if Rita is actually dead.

 

[Bloodalchemy]

"The governments of Earth are in uproar. This will make my work of protecting the Earth much more difficult if someone does not explain things to them."

No rest for the wicked…

"I'll get right on that."

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Zordon no, the Justice League has learned many times to not let OL speak to politicians or the public. Rita just wanted to conquer the planet, OL will send Earth on the way to conquer other planets themselves.

 

[Bigking321]

Heh. I was hoping this would be a crazy AU and him killing Rita would inadvertently doom the universe. Just because that would be funny.

This is good too.

 

[Ardy]

Heh. I was hoping this would be a crazy AU and him killing Rita would inadvertently doom the universe. Just because that would be funny.

This is good too.

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Ambush Bug: I take my eyes off you FOR FIVE MINUTES!

 

[The Froggy Ninja]

I appear at the entrance a moment later and then jog inside, a lightness in my heart. Yes, alright, everyone I know and love never existed-.

And it's gone.

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A shame he couldn't get Squat to stay behind to be Assimilated. Did he get any decent scans of whatever occult tomes might have been in the base or on his person before everything went kablooie? Because depending on just how much juice is in that Orb, he might be able to create and maintain those loved ones if he can remake the potion.

 

[PrinceJonathan]

Just imagining the world governments demand that Zordon share Zord technology only for him to flatly say "No, you'd just do something stupid with it."

 

[Mr Zoat]

I have to hope the Zeo crystal is safely protected, or automatically relocated upon detecting the detonation. Otherwise that's a big future power-up gone. Guess we can pick one reason why Zordon seems so annoyed, maybe? Still remains to see what governmental issues remain, but for the most part, it looks like this little side-trip is about done, once OL-prime can snap out of the vision.

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This thread is the first place I've heard of the zeo crystal. I assume that since nuclear weapons were made with ill intent, the force field blocked the blast but the place where it is got buried.

 

[Signaller]

"Orange Lantern." Zordon doesn't look annoyed

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Through that filter, how can you tell?

 

[Jiro]

"I am currently standing in the American city of Dallas. Call me with any questions!"

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"What's your plan to deal with drug addiction? Because if you're going to use it as a metaphor and say that you can fix something else like you can fix it, maybe you should figure out how to fix it first. And it's notoriously hard to fix."

 

[Vaermina]

Heh. I was hoping this would be a crazy AU and him killing Rita would inadvertently doom the universe. Just because that would be funny.

This is good too.

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It did?

Rita needed to exist as Mystic Mother to stop Octomus.

 

[Ngamer11]

Mr Zoat, I found images on the story only thread that don't work anymore, though I'm not sure what they were.

"Indebted."

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"I suppose. Well, best be getting back to it. Some old friends of the First's are coming around to piss on him, and I could use a good chuckle."

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[WereDragon]

"The governments of Earth are in uproar. This will make my work of protecting the Earth much more difficult if someone does not explain things to them."

No rest for the wicked…

"I'll get right on that."

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Now Zordon knows how Batman feels trying to run herd on Paul.

Next comes the real question: How will Paul react when he suddenly remembers being in the Power Rangers setting mid-conversation with Kaldur.
And if he will have the good sense to have the Controllers monitoring him next year.

 

[Chaoswind]

Um, actually I believe a significant part of the nukes energy would be converted to lingering radiation as the x and gamma rays would be a higher size of the output of the nukes since there is no overpressure, so the moon dust would be irradiated for decades and glassed thanks to the thermal energy, also the crater would still be glowing as the thermal energy takes longer to disperse without atmo.

Mr Zoat

 

[Doccer]

No, because Lord Zed is probably going to send someone else in a few years, and-."

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And there he goes revealing information he couldn't possibly have and is, if anything, even more dubious given his print edition status! Did he fact check at all?

Orange Lantern." Zordon doesn't look annoyed, so I suppose that someone of his experience can take things like this in his stride. "Congratulations on killing Rita Repulsa."

"Glad to help."

"The governments of Earth are in uproar. This will make my work of protecting the Earth much more difficult if someone does not explain things to them."

No rest for the wicked…

"I'll get right on that."

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Mr Zoat come on! That's a good moment for a born yesterday joke! Just remark that Zordon thankfully has several human lifetimes to deal with that he himself was born only a short while ago.

 

[CTrees]

Lord Zed

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Lord Zed

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Lord Zedd - two d's

 

[Ngamer11]

Lord Zedd - two d's

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That's on purpose, as Paul doesn't know it's spelled with two d's.

Edit: I was rereading the story and found a link that doesn't work anymore.

In Universe Fifty Colonel Harold Jordan is a pilot in the American air force. I never met him and he never became a Green Lantern. Still, I would not be entirely displeased to observe the faces of whoever the local Green Lanterns are when they see this ring.

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[Mr Zoat]

Mr Zoat, I found images on the story only thread that don't work anymore, though I'm not sure what they were.

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Me neither. Anyone else?

Um, actually I believe a significant part of the nukes energy would be converted to lingering radiation as the x and gamma rays would be a higher size of the output of the nukes since there is no overpressure, so the moon dust would be irradiated for decades and glassed thanks to the thermal energy, also the crater would still be glowing as the thermal energy takes longer to disperse without atmo.

Mr Zoat

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Any nuclear physicists on the forum want to chip in?

Edit: I was rereading the story and found a link that doesn't work anymore.

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That one I can fix.

 

[Darko]

And there he goes revealing information he couldn't possibly have and is, if anything, even more dubious given his print edition status! Did he fact check at all

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He could potentially say that Rita or her goons told him about Zedd.

 

[Chaoswind]

Me neither. Anyone else?

Any nuclear physicists on the forum want to chip in?

That one I can fix.

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My qualifications are uni classes two decades ago, but it's fairly basic stuff. Nuclear reaction releases energy in the form of high energy short lived radiation wavelengths (x, gamma, light, etc), without an atmo to absorb a high percentage of that energy (no overpressure wave) then the blast wave (thermal wavelengths) and the radiation are pretty much all that is left, thus the explosion is more concentrated producing higher temperatures for longer, the higher energy will also turn far more matter (lunar regolith) radioactive.

The crater still glowing hot for far far longer than it would on earth is also part of the process, no atmo to help with that part of convection, so most of the energy has to be radiated away in the form of light and radiation, that takes a lot longer than convection.

 

[Kiden]

"Huh. I though it was, like, hundreds of years?"

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Missing a 't' at the end there.

But yeah, the Rangers suddenly have free time.

Although, I could see the sudden vacancy for the role of "Invader of Earth" attracting some of the later series' main villains (if I knew anything about them, cultural osmosis let me pick up a few of the later themes and see clips of Red Ranger crossover events, so however many are free-range and able to move in is beyond me without looking it up) or even a new one entirely. Probably more than one intergalactic conqueror roaming around.

This could also be a tidy end for that Alt Paul, what with him likely being excluded from most Multiverse Shenanigans by being a magical construct created by a local.

 

[Enochi]

Heh. I was hoping this would be a crazy AU and him killing Rita would inadvertently doom the universe. Just because that would be funny.

This is good too.

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He kinda did. Rita was redeemed in later season(s) and became the big good taking Zordon's place.

 

[Radiant Knight]

He kinda did. Rita was redeemed in later season(s) and became the big good taking Zordon's place.

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In the original timeline sure, but the thing with power rangers that's been shown over its progression is that there are other ways things could have gone, other forces that could have stepped in or stepped up. Just because Rita's gone in this timeline doesn't mean the entire universe is doomed, and moreover discounts the agency of the characters. Rita wouldn't have become the Mystic Mother for like, fifteen years. That's plenty of time for things to change substantially.

 

[Mr Zoat]

Missing a 't' at the end there.

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Thank you, corrected.

He kinda did. Rita was redeemed in later season(s) and became the big good taking Zordon's place.

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[Looks at radioactive crater]

No.

My qualifications are uni classes two decades ago, but it's fairly basic stuff. Nuclear reaction releases energy in the form of high energy short lived radiation wavelengths (x, gamma, light, etc), without an atmo to absorb a high percentage of that energy (no overpressure wave) then the blast wave (thermal wavelengths) and the radiation are pretty much all that is left, thus the explosion is more concentrated producing higher temperatures for longer, the higher energy will also turn far more matter (lunar regolith) radioactive.

The crater still glowing hot for far far longer than it would on earth is also part of the process, no atmo to help with that part of convection, so most of the energy has to be radiated away in the form of light and radiation, that takes a lot longer than convection.

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I... Think I'll just assume that William is working off what he's read about ground detonations and isn't adjusting it for vacuum explosions.

 

[Chaoswind]

Thank you, corrected.

[Looks at radioactive crater]

No.

I... Think I'll just assume that William is working off what he's read about ground detonations and isn't adjusting it for vacuum explosions.

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I mean William being wrong doesn't change anything, but the crater should be visibly red hot glass for days if not weeks and someone should have made a note of that when they were talking about it. Radiation is invisible thus unless Paul goes out of his way to ask the ring to calculate approximate rad decay they wouldn't know that William is likely wrong by an order of magnitude.

 

[Doccer]

He could potentially say that Rita or her goons told him about Zedd.

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Obviously he can say that. Not my point .
If really is a comic book character, from a comic with no Rangers, and was nothing more then where does his "real world' Power Ranger knowledge come from? I can understand the argument that the magic doing a Throne of Heroes thing and granting him some basic knowledge. But knowledge most of the locals don't even know?
In the main canon Paul didn't usually act on comic knowledge in part because he needed to learn how much, if any, was true. So he investigated first. But not always. Here he has to contend with his PR knowledge coming from a world where magic, aliens, gods, schinzotech and the like is all fiction, to a world where it's not to a world where it all is yet the actual actual real world has a set amount of magic and tech and aliens that are. At this point even Paul has to be asking himself "What the fuck even is my life anymore?"
Which brings to question how much is he overextending himself by using and acting dubious knowledge that comes from he doesn't know where. I'd be questioning where that source is first before trusting it at all save for what is directly in front of him.

 

[Mr Zoat]

I mean William being wrong doesn't change anything, but the crater should be visibly red hot glass for days if not weeks and someone should have made a note of that when they were talking about it. Radiation is invisible thus unless Paul goes out of his way to ask the ring to calculate approximate rad decay they wouldn't know that William is likely wrong by an order of magnitude.

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Ah, so your concern with the scene is that the ground should be visibly red hot?