Eight Sided Rainbow

by C.A. Turner

Adapted from the papers of Ellen Brand...for the MMPRJLA universe

Eight-Sided Rainbow: An Overview of the Morphin Grid

One of the fundamental forces in our universe is The Power, and the purest expression of the Power, at least on our plane of existence, is the Morphin Grid. The Grid derives its name from the multi-leveled nature of its energies, best visualized as a three-dimensional grid structure. A particular power connection can be imagined as a point plotted on a set of three axes, much as three numbers are required for coordinate navigation in space. In the case of the Grid, these three axes are shade, color, and level.

Shade is perhaps the least complicated of the defining characteristics. The Shade of the Grid that a person draws from is an indicator of general morality, alignment in terms of good and evil. Wielders who draw from the Light tend to be what most consider "good;" noble, unselfish, compassionate, honorable-- or at least hold these up as an ideal to shoot for. Should a holder betray these virtues completely, he or she will find that the connection has disappeared. Dark, on the other hand, is the "evil" side, dedicated to the principles of greed, cruelty, selfishness, and dishonor. Here too, should the wielder have a change of heart, the power will become unavailable.

The third Shade is the Shadow, and it is considered a great mystery. The balance point between Light and Dark, followers of this path are bound only to the codes they hold in their own hearts. As a result, this power can not be lost in a change of allegiance, because a Shadow's loyalty is always within him or her. Though most can be described as honorable, it is a personal honor, and not necessarily that defined by the light.

While Shade describes morality, Level relates to method of operation. Like Shade, Level is divided into three sectors, Dino (Body,) Thunder (Mind,) and Ninja (Spirit.) Each of these levels has a different way of tackling a problem. Dino types are physical, usually preferring to bull through a problem with a minimum of fuss. Once started on a course of action, they find it hard to turn aside or change tacks. Strong and stalwart, they nevertheless possess all the subtlety of a chainsaw.

Thunder is the level of the Mind. These types prefer to use their wits to get through a crisis. Usually lighter-hearted than either of their counterparts, Thunder types will throw themselves into action, reinventing their ideas on the fly, if need be. Patience is not one of their strong suits, nor is persistence. Thunders would rather find the easiest, quickest way of resolving a problem, rather than waiting for a solution to present itself, or keeping at a seemingly unsuccessful tactic.

Last is Ninja, the level of the soul. Calm and patient, Ninja types would prefer to let a situation play itself out until a solution becomes apparent. While they possess more finesse and patience than the other types, they are not suited to quick action or hasty changes in tactics. Quieter than the other two divisions, they sometimes have a tendency to brood.

The most famous of the Grid's defining factors, of course, is color. After all, with eight divisions instead of three, it's much easier to use as a means of distinguishing Rangers. Color is a far more complicated type of classification than the other two, dealing as it does with the inborn personality traits of the holder. To even begin to understand the concept requires an in-depth examination of what each color represents.

The colors can be visualized along a three-dimensional plot of their own, as well. This often helps lessen the confusion of the varying qualities. The axes of the plot are: dominant/recessive (D/R), masculine/feminine (M/F), and positive/negative(P/N). In this case, negative doesn't mean bad or evil, simply receiving, quiet, much like the Chinese concepts of yin and yang. Dominant/recessive refers to whether a color is usually in the spotlight, or in the background providing support.

RED: DPM
Archetype: The Commander
Dino Animal: Tyrannosaurus
Thunder Animal: Serpentine Dragon
Ninja Animal: Ape

Despite the name, Reds do not necessarily make for the best leaders of a team. As battle commanders, they are unmatched, since they tend to take charge in chaotic situations and they have a gift for issuing orders that people will obey. Left to chance, a Red will often emerge as the leader of a group by a sort of subconscious consensus. However, Reds tend to be autocratic, with little patience for any type of insubordination. This is less because of a desire for power than simply a very strong respect for the chain of command. Also, Dino and Thunder Reds rarely have the ability to inspire the troops the way a leader must. Ninja Reds tend to be far more successful at this. For the most part, however, Reds are better at leading secondary teams. They are often excellent strategists and marvelous in combat. Their greatest flaw is more than likely their tempers. Red anger burns hot and fast, and can easily run away with a person.

Notable Reds: Jason Scott (Dino,) Rocky De Santos (Thunder, Zeo 3, Blue,) Optimus Primal (Ninja,) Joe Hardy (Dino,) Ryan Steele (Thunder,) Andros (Ninja,) TJ Carter (Dino, Lightstar Blue,) Hawkwoman/ Shayera Thal (Thunder,) Carter Grayson (Ninja,) Conner McKnight (Dino,) Jill Munroe (Thunder,) Cole Evans (Ninja,) Firestorm/ Ronnie Raymond-Martin Stein (Dino,) Keith Partridge (Thunder,) Xena (Ninja,) Nick Russell(Dino,) Mack Hartford (Thunder,) Cyborg/ Victor Stone (Ninja.)

GREEN: DNM
Archetype: The Paladin
Dino Animal: Western Dragon
Thunder Animal: Basilisk
Ninja Animal: Panther

Two of the Green Grid Animals are reptiles, a fact which is quite fitting with the legendary Green temper. Unlike Reds, whose anger burns quickly and hot, Green anger is a cold, slow-burning flame. It's usually a terrifying thing to behold, because it can do so much more damage. Luckily, Greens don't get truly angry very often, and when they do, it's a righteous rage. After all, the Green Archetype is also known as the Holy Knight. As the name would imply, Greens are usually noble and honorable, warriors who fight to uphold what they believe in and protect the innocent. Often loners to some extent, they tend to be very self-contained, rarely giving anyone a glimpse into their inner self. Their friendship is hard to obtain, but once given, is nearly impossible to lose. And most people who have put forth the effort will agree that, on the whole, the rewards are worth it.

Greens are warriors, knights, not soldiers. As a result, they often have a hard time following orders, which leads to a lot of friction with Reds. Greens follow orders only when they respect the person giving them, and rank isn't necessarily going to win a Green's respect. They have little patience for bureaucracy, mindless rules, or doing things "because that's the way it is." Often, Greens make better leaders than followers, because they will never needlessly endanger a person under their protection. In fact, Greens often are self-sacrificing, simply because they value the lives of others much more than their own.

Bad things tend to happen to Greens, and no one knows quite why. Many of them are orphans, and most hide at least one painful secret in their pasts. Usually more. Perhaps because of this, Greens tend to be the ones who walk the line between the darkness and light more often than the other colors. To balance this out, Greens tend to latch onto a quest, something to focus on, a service higher than themselves. Whether it's Hal Jordan's devotion to Earth, Dinobot and his honor, or Tommy Oliver's desire to be the perfect Ranger, every Green has a dream that means far more than life itself.

Notable Greens: Green Lantern/ Kyle Rayner (Dino,) Peter Venkman (Thunder,) Nightwing/ Dick Grayson (Ninja,) Green Lantern/ Hal Jordan (Thunder,) Fox Mulder (Ninja,) Det. Robert Goren (Ninja,) Rodimus Prime (Thunder,) Carlos DeSantos (Ninja, Lightstar Black,) Rattrap (Thunder,) Jim Ellison (Ninja,) Dinobot (Dino,) Supergirl/ Linda Danvers (Thunder,) Trent Gonzales (Ninja,) Xander Bly (Dino,) Merrick Balitou (Thunder,) Raven (Ninja.)

BLUE: RPM
Archetype: The Inventor
Dino Animal: Triceratops
Thunder Animal: Unicorn
Ninja Animal: Wolf

Blue is the color of creative genius. They have an innate thirst for knowledge and love to make something out of nothing. Unlike the creativity of artists and musicians, however, it is a logical, scientific creativity, building structures based on logic and science. Usually cheerful and good-natured, they are often easily absorbed in a new project. Many Blues get so wound up in a project that they forget to eat or drink. Blues are the characters often referred to by the colloquialism "Brains."

Notable Blues: Justin Steed (Dino, Geo Red,) JB Reese (Thunder,) Billy Cranston (Ninja,) Kouchiro "Izzy" Izumi (Thunder,) Madison Rocca (Ninja,) Ethan James (Dino,) Sabrina Duncan (Thunder,) Bruce Wayne/ Batman (Ninja,) Frank Hardy (Dino,) Catherine Gale (Thunder,) John Steed (Ninja,) Dax Lo (Dino,) Blue Beetle/ Ted Kord (Thunder,) Isis/ Andrea Thomas (Ninja,) Max Cooper (Dino,) Chad Lee (Thunder,) Robin/ Tim Drake (Ninja.)

PINK: RPF
Archetype: The Nurturer
Dino Animal: Pterodactyl
Thunder Animal: Firebird
Ninja Animal: Crane

Pinks are one of three colors generally referred to as "healers." In fact, Pink is the color of most people we consider healers, such as doctors and nurses. Pinks are nurturers, with a desperate desire to relieve pain, whether it be mental or emotional. Often very maternal, they can sometimes come across as "mother hens," and even seem a bit smothering. Pinks, with their desire to relieve pain, are often drawn to Greens. Some of these relationships do work out, but most are doomed to failure.

Notable Pinks: Vida Rocca (Dino,) Kimberly Hart (Thunder,) Rose Ortiz (Ninja,) Julie Rogers (Thunder,) Kat Hilliard (Ninja, Zeo 1, Pink,) Donna Troy/ Troia (Ninja,) Karen Peel (Thunder, Geo Pink,) Emma Peel (Ninja,) Laurie Partridge (Thunder,) Dana Scully (Ninja,) Ashley Hammond (Dino, Lightstar Yellow,) Alyssa Enrille (Thunder, Wild Force White,) Dana Mitchell (Ninja,) Wonder Girl/ Vanessa Kapatelis (Dino,) Airrazor (Thunder,) Gabrielle (Thunder,) Prue Halliwell (Ninja.)

YELLOW: RNF
Archetype: The Fixer
Dino Animal: Saber-Toothed Tiger
Thunder Animal: Griffin
Ninja Animal: Bear

Yellows are also considered healers. Unlike Pinks, though, they don't so much want to relieve pain as fix what's broken. This is an important difference, as it explains why Yellows are more able to let people hurt, to deal with the pain and grow from the experience. Not that Yellows aren't compassionate. They are, they don't like seeing people hurt. But they tend to be more concerned with fixing the damage than simply relieving the pain, and they know that sometimes, without pain, nothing is going to get fixed. Yellows are often healers of mind and spirit, and also of rifts between friends. Whatever a Yellow sees as broken, he or she will desperately try to fix.

For many Yellows, this desire to fix things spills over into a fascination with machines and mechanical equipment. Many Yellows are what is known as "techs--" people with mechanical skill, but no creative, inventive streak.

Notable Yellows: Veronica (Ronny) Robinson (Dino,) Aisha Cambell (Thunder, Lightstar Purple,) Trini Kwan (Ninja,) Tracy Partridge (Dino,) Kris Munroe (Thunder,) Kaitlin Starr (Ninja,) Black Canary/ Dinah Laurel Lance (Dino,) Kira Ford (Thunder,) Piper Halliwell (Ninja,) Starfire/ Princess Koriand'r (Dino,) Det. Alexandra Eames (Ninja,) Taylor Earhardt (Dino,) MacGyver (Thunder,) Charlie 'Chip' Thorn (Ninja,) Cheetor (Dino,) Kay Thomas (Thunder,) Nancy Drew (Ninja.)

BLACK: RNM
Archetype: The Bard
Dino Animal: Mastodon
Thunder Animal: Lion
Ninja Animal: Frog

Reliable, calm, and supportive, Blacks serve as the perfect second-in-command for a team or a squadron. No matter what burdens are placed on their shoulders, Blacks stand up under them, never shying away from their duties. Many Blacks are singers or storytellers, hence the name of the archetype. Even those without much artistic talent, however, are mediators and peacemakers, just like the bards of old.

Notable Blacks: The Flash/ Wally West (Dino,) Zack Taylor (Thunder,) Adam Park (Ninja,) Brian Taylor (Thunder, Green Lantern,) Kid Flash/ Bart Allen (Dino,) Will Aton (Ninja,) Phoebe Halliwell (Dino,) Danny Delgado (Thunder,) Christopher Partridge (Thunder,) Kelly Garrett (Ninja.)

PURPLE: DPF
Archetype: The Trickster
Dino Animal: Wyvern
Thunder Animal: Medusa
Ninja Animal: Chameleon

The Trickster is a commonly known archetype. Most people are familiar with at least one of his mythological incarnations. Coyote, Raven, Anansi, Loki, Fox... the variations are endless, but one thing remains the same-- Trickster is everywhere.

Purples are the Tricksters of the Grid. Deception is their stock in trade, and they practice it often. Purples live by no rules but their own, and follow their own code of honor. They most especially love deflating the pompous and watching the bad guys fall into their own traps. Fiercely loyal to those they deem worthy, the best protection one can have from their schemes is to earn their respect. Unfortunately, that's something much easier said than done.

Notable Purples: Paige Matthews (Dino,) Black Arachnia (Thunder,) Sora Takenouchi (Ninja,) Astronema/Karone (Dino,) Superboy/ Connor Kent (Thunder,) Jamie Zedden (Ninja,) Mark Stanton (Dino, Geo Blue,) Kris Thomas (Ninja, Geo Green,) Cancer Man/Cigarette Smoking Man (Dark Ninja.)

WHITE: DNF
Archetype: The Mystic
Dino Animal: Velociraptor
Thunder Animal: White Tiger

Ninja Animal: Falcon

White is the third of the "healer" colors. Unlike the other two, Whites are more along the lines of "purifiers than "fixers" or "nurses." Spiritual, often psychic, Whites seem almost ethereal to those around them. Whites rarely have much acquaintance with internal darkness; they tend to be quite pure. Contrary to what one might suppose, however, they are not stiff prigs nor incredibly naive... at least, not most of them. They are simply GOOD, a condition which often awes those around them.

Notable Whites: Daggeron (Dino-- very rare,) Dimitria (Thunder,) Zordon of Eltare (Ninja,) Silverbolt (Thunder,) Tigatron (Ninja,) Udonna (Ninja,) Superman/ Clark Kent (Dino,) Martian Manhunter/ J'onn J'onzz (Thunder,) Tommy Oliver (Ninja.)

In addition to these eight colors, there sometimes occur combinations, although these are very rare. As of yet, only two types of combination are known to exist: streaks and helices.

Streaks are the more common of the two. In streaking, characteristics of a second color appear, but are not as apparent as those of the primary color. Adam Park is predominantly a Black, being a writer and a calm, reliable person. However, he has some obvious elements of the "fixer" in him, far beyond normal personality drift. This makes Adam Black, with Yellow streaks.

Helices are far more rare than even streaks. In a helix, two colors have equal dominance in the personality. Neither is more obvious than the other. Princess Diana of Themyscira/ Wonder Woman is a prime example of the rarest of any combination…a double helix. A warrior when justified, she fights for peace, and strives to heal the world's ills, both spiritually and emotionally. Also, she is free of most of the darker emotions that dwell in humanity, and has a desire to help people reach their full potential. She is Green and Pink, Yellow and White. A double helix.

Another helix would be Bill Engvall. He is a pure, innocent type, and quite spiritual in some ways. While not naive, he is remarkably free of the darker emotions people can be prey to. However, he is also a fixer, a tech of considerable skill. He also has a strong desire to make people whole again. Neither color is overwhelming, making him a Yellow/White helix.

Elemental Geometry: A Study of Role Assignments in Fictional Team Structures

Human interactions are generally a vast, puzzling maze that no one can make heads or tails of. In fiction, however, these interactions are generally distilled to a set of simple schematics with fixed role assignments for each character. This paper is an attempt to examine and explain these structures, and the nature of each assignment, and how it relates to philosophical and metaphysical personality conventions.

This paper examines ten different structures, encompassing anywhere from two to six people. These boundaries are not arbitrary; one person has no interpersonal dynamics, and when you reach seven, fragmentation generally occurs, creating multiple groups with the dynamics already discussed. The individual role assignments often, but not always, fit with the elemental assignments of myth and legend, because such are the easiest ways to describe character archetypes. People are, of course, more complex than described here, but the basic skeletons are extremely accurate.

Binary/Polar: The smallest group is, of course, the pair. Familiar to us from hundreds of buddy movies, the pair almost always falls into the schematic of polar opposites. Take Mulder and Scully, the agents of the X-files. Believer and skeptic, man and woman, short and tall, dark and light, science and mysticism, these two are opposites, complimenting each other both visually and in personal relationships. Or John Steed and Emma Peel of the Avengers. Male and Female, traditionalist and modern, a professional and an amateur, these opposite poles make for interesting conflict, and shore up each other's weaknesses in cooperation.

Polar with Satellite: A common variation on the Polar schematic is that of the pair with a satellite. This satellite is usually a third member who both is and is not a part of the pair's general goings-on. For instance, Director Skinner is a sometime satellite for Mulder and Scully. Acting as a grey area and mediator, the satellite's position is to keep the peace and control the sometimes volatile interactions between the poles.

Another instance of this configuration is the main trio from the program "The Sentinel." The main pair, Blair Sandburg and Jim Ellison, are most CERTAINLY polar qualities. One a man of academic pursuits, the other extremely physical in his relationship to the world. The pair is kept from exploding by the (sometimes frantic) efforts of their captain, Simon Banks, who is frequently seen smoothing over the disagreements that tend to arise between two such different men.

Trinity: Trinity schematics almost always break down into the most familiar configurations to the Western mode of thought: Mind, Body, and Heart. (Players of "The Legend of Zelda" will know these divisions as Wisdom, Power, and Courage, respectively.) Persons in the Mind role generally handle the planning aspects of a task, as well as being in charge of the scientific or technical aspects. Body, on the other hand, is usually the strong one, although not always physically. Sometimes the Body role is the person who keeps the team from fragmenting under a blow. Heart, on the other hand, is the drive, the one who keeps the group motivated to move towards a goal.

Three examples of Trinity schematics are the VR Troopers, the original Charlie's Angels and the Charmed Ones. For the Troopers, JB Reese occupies the Mind role, being the computer and technical expert, while Kaitlin Starr occupies the role designated for the Body. She is usually the person looking after the mental and physical welfare of the others, especially Ryan. Ryan Steele, of course, is Heart, or Courage. This is appropriate because the battle is his, but he is also the one who keeps the others reminded of just what they are fighting for.

The Charmed Ones have similar assignments. Prue is Mind, not so much for technical expertise as for being the one to say to her more impulsive sisters, "Stop and THINK about this for a minute." Phoebe, obviously enough, is Body, both with her intense desire to get things DONE. Last of all, Piper is Heart. She is the one who keeps reminding the others that they have a responsibility to take on Warlocks and Demons.

The Original Three Charlie's Angels have the same places on their team. Sabrina is Mind, being the one who comes up with the solutions to a majority of their cases. Kelly is Body, the most physical one of the three, karate chopping an opponent, and disarming them with ease. Jill, with her outrageous sense of humor, California sensibility, and free spirit, is, of course, Spirit.

Tetrahedral:This is a fairly rare configuration. The tetrahedron, for those who haven't taken much geometry, is a three-dimensional construct, composed of four points equidistant from each other and a central point. It looks like a three-sided pyramid. The tetrahedron is a variant of the Trinity form, where the three points (Mind, Body, and Heart) form a base for a fourth point, a combination of the three, defined as Spirit. Spirit, being a point in a different plane than the others, is generally separated somehow from the other members in powers or duties. Often Spirit is the leader, directing the other three in the best use of their abilities.

The only Tetrahedral group I have yet run across are the characters of Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad. Tanker, the football player is Body, his general method of dealing with a problem being to pound it. Sydney is Mind, since she is the technical genius of the group, especially when it comes to computer programming. And the strange Amp fulfills the role of Heart nicely. His odd behavior hides an excellent understanding of what motivates people, especially when it comes to emotions. These three pilot vehicles when they go into battle in the computer. The leader of the team, Sam Collins, has a completely different type of power, though. Being in the Spirit role, Sam possesses traits of all three of his friends, and is capable of making command decisions. As for his powers, he is physically transformed into Servo, a digital warrior.

Quadral:This configuration consists of four people on the same plane, no one being set apart from the others. Generally personality assignments go along the lines of the classic four elements of alchemy: earth, water, air, and fire. The only pure Quadral group I know of is the Fantastic Four, whose powers reflect their elemental assignments. The malleable Mr. Fantastic is water, intelligent and emotionally intuitive. The Invisible Woman is an air personality, capable and ready for almost anything. You'll notice that the character's maiden name was Storm. Solid, gruff, and practical Ben Grimm, the Thing, is earth, quite in keeping with his powers. And last of all, the impulsive Human Torch is of course associated with the element of fire.

Quad-Pyramidal: The Quad-Pyramidal structure is far more common than the pure Quadral form, because once a team reaches four members, supporting characters play a stronger role. The general assignments are those of the Quadral form, with a fifth member occupying a different plane. The diagram resembles nothing so much as the pyramids familiar to us from the architechture of Egypt. While the base assignments are still the four elements already discussed, the fifth, extra element is usually given the designation of "Heart."

Probably the most obvious example of this is "Captain Planet and the Planeteers." The Planeteers are a team in and of themselves, and so Captain Planet is not included in this discussion. The four older members, possessing the four cardinal elements, have a tendency to take the lead in all matters. The younger Ma-Ti, possessing the element of Heart, is usually regulated to the background. Not to mention that the other four can all use their powers as weapons, while Ma-Ti's power is primarily a communications device.

Another example of the Quad-Pyradimal structure is the team of Ghostbusters from "The Real Ghostbusters." The four main Ghostbusters correspond with the four elements of the Tarot quite well. Peter Venkman is the intelligent, somewhat suspicious, argumentative air element. The scientifically gifted Egon Spengler is represented the water element, which deals with both the intellectual and emotional aspects of the mind. Winston Zeddemore, calm and rational, is the element of earth. And Ray Stantz represents the energetic fire. The fifth, pyramidal member of their group is Janine Melnitz, who often provides the emotional support or sensitivity the others lack. The Ghostbusters could function without her, but not for long.

Power Ranger fans have also encountered this particular configuration in the first segment of "Power Rangers in Space." This time, however, the elemental configurations were somewhat different. The four base elements were Ashley's fire, TJ's earth, Carlos' water, (Ranger fans noted that he suddenly developed technical prowess when the season began,) and Cassie's Heart. The fifth member, the cool and distant Andros, embodied the element of air, which is in fact considered an "extra" element in Japanese symbolism. An in-depth discussion of that principle must wait until later in this paper, however.

Quad-Bipyramidal: Another fairly rare configuration is the Quad-Bipyramidal structure. This is similar to the structure above, but the fifth element on one side is balanced by another element on the other. This new element is usually similar to the one on the other side, but manifests itself as a polar opposite.

The only example of this particular structure that I am aware of is the structure of the cartoon version of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The four turtles fit the elemental assignments of the Quad structure perfectly. Leonardo, the calm, rational leader, is earth, while the wisecracking, devil-may-care Raphael represents the element of air. Childlike, energetic Michelangelo is fire, and the intuitive, scientific genius Donatello is represented by the water.

The Heart assignments go to the Turtles' two closest friends and allies in the world: their mentor, Splinter, and April O'Neil. Splinter and April are polar manifestations of the Heart role, passive and active. Splinter is passive, counselling the turtles and generally acting as a father figure, but rarely acting unless the situation is dire. He is the one they come to when they have problems, and he is the one who gives them stability. April, on the other hand, is active. She is always moving, and is often the one who spurs the Turtles into the action that is right, although not always consciously.

Pentagonal: Another unusual structure is the Pentagonal form. This is a structure in which all five members occupy one plane, in a pentagon. Take, for instance, the structure of the ThunderCats. As they came from the same family, Keith, Laurie, Chris, and Tracy were full members of the team, and so only Bill Engvall could be considered a separated member. Also, the elemental assignments shift here, to the five base elements of Japanese myth and symbolism. Three of those elements, fire, water, and earth, are familiar, but two are different. These two are metal and wood. In the West, the term "metal" generally evokes images of iron or steel, but that is not the actual context the Japanese have for it. In Japanese myth, the metal is usually gold. As a result, metal stands not only for strength, but for the somewhat bright disposition that gold reflects. As for wood, trees are not the only things this element represents. The Japanese word for "tree" is "ki," a word that also translates to "life force." It's generally better known by the Chinese word, "chi." So the element of wood also stands for the element of life.

The ThunderCats, once again, at the beginning of their career, fit these elemental assignments nicely. Keith is the energetic fire, Chris the calm, stable earth, and Bill the somewhat emotional, intelligent water. Tracy's bright personality and unshakeable courage peg her as metal, while Laurie's nurturing instincts make her the ThunderCat filling the wood role.

Likewise, the 1st year of the Justice League of America fits this to a t. The Martian Manhunter represented wood, whereas Hal Jordan, Green Lantern, was fire. Black Canary assumed the role of metal, Barry Allen, the Flash, inherited the part of earth, while a still likeable Aquaman was the emotional water.

Five-Pyramidal: Five-Pyramidal structures are similar to pentagonal, except that a sixth, separate member has been added. This member represents the element of air.

As for examples, where do I start? Saban adapted media is rich with these teams, perhaps because such teams are common in the Japanese Sentai that such shows adapt. 1st season Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the early Zeo Ranger team, the second set of Turbo Rangers, and the later set of Space Rangers all fall into this category. For MMPR, Jason is fire, Zack is metal, Trini is earth, Billy is water, and Kimberly is wood. Tommy, cool and aloof, takes the position of air.

Billy holds this position in early Zeo, further emphasized by his lack of powers. Some of the other Rangers have radically shifted as well. Tommy is fire now, as leader of the team. He is all energy and action, having left his aloof days behind him. Adam still is earth, and Tanya fullfils the position of metal. Katherine, however, is now water, in its emotional aspects, and Rocky, the life of the party, has the role of wood.

Wild Force also falls into this. Cole is still earth but Danny has the position of water. Max's energy and bright outlook puts him in the position of fire, the unbreakable Taylor is metal, and the sensitive, lively Alyssa is wood. Air is represented by the mysterious Merrick, who is swift, but somehow distant.

In the second season of Rangers in Space, a new Ranger, Zhane, joins the team. TJ and Cassie retain their Turbo assignments, but Carlos is moved to water, and Ashley takes up the fire. Andros is air, but he has now been integrated into the team. The separate member is Zhane, despite his assignment as metal.

Double Trinity: Last of all is the Double Trinity. The structure of this one harkens back to the Trinity discussed earlier. Now, however, each of the points of the triangle has two manifestations, best described as Yin and Yang. Yin is fundamentally passive, allowing action to come to it. Yang is active, reaching out to whatever is there. (These are simplifications, of course, but adequate for our discussion.)

One of the best examples of the Double Trinity is the ThunderCats, with Wonder Woman. On the Mind level, we have Tracy and Bill. Tracy is the Yang side of Mind, reaching out with scientific curiosity to that which she does not understand. Bill is Yin, allowing the knowledge inherent in life to come to him as it will.

Body level is shown in team leaders Keith and Wonder Woman. In this universe, Keith is definitely a physical type, more than ready to slug it out with any bad guy, and is very Yang. He would prefer to take them out BEFORE they can cause any trouble, and he tends to charge in, sword swinging. Wonder Woman, however, is definitely Yin. She possesses a quiet strength, holding the team together without having to pull rank. She doesn't lead the team with what she says or does so much as by who she is. Wonder Woman holds the team together- Keith makes sure they have the drive to get where they're going.

Last are Laurie and Chris, the aspects of Heart. Chris is Yang, still a kid at heart, despite everything he's seen and done. He's the innocence of the ThunderCats, doing what's right without really much thought. Chris is Courage, doing what has to be done, despite the risks. Laurie, on the other hand, is more quiet, and introspective, Yin. However, she remains the moral conscience of the ThunderCats.

Also falling into this structure are White Ranger-era MMPR team. Tommy and Jason are aspects of body- Tommy Yin, Jason Yang. This was obvious in their leadership styles. Trini and Billy were the Yin and Yang aspects of Mind, respectively, and Heart was represented by Zack for Yang and Kim for Yin. Courage to do, and courage to be. Samantha's position is still a mystery.

Last, the late-season Zeo team fell into this one. Jason was too familiar to viewers and teammates to be a separated member, and he quickly resumed his position as Tommy's opposite pole. This time, however, the mellower Jason was Yin to Tommy's Yang. Adam and Tanya were Yang and Yin aspects of Mind, Adam with technical knowledge after Billy's departure, Tanya with wisdom about people. And Rocky and Kat were heart, Rocky Yang, Kat Yin.

These structures are extremely basic, but can easily be made to fit almost any fictional team, and go a long way to diagramming interactions. And perhaps, at heart, these are the themes that drive real humans as well. After all, as they say, "Art imitates Life."

This is a very brief overview of Grid theory. An in-depth study of the subject has taken the College of Morphin Masters several lifetimes, and is far from done yet. Hopefully, however, this piece will contribute to your understanding of the way the Grid functions. May the Power protect you.