#or having one of the remaining krang involved

[its-wabby-stuff]

In your opinion, what would Kraang Prime’s plan if he escapes the Prison Dimension again? What would be his revenge, or would he do revenge at all? Would he just go back to his old plans of trying to restore his Empire, just with a different approach since his ship’s gone?

Hi, thanks for the ask!

Oooooooo that’s a really interesting question, if he could escape. Which I could see in a possible exploration of the krang left on the planet and possible possession shenanigans.

If he were to escape, I do think he’d go for revenge. I very much think that matches his motif, considering one of the very first things he said when he came out in the movie was “the people of this planet will pay dearly for what they’ve done to me.”

Any sort of exception to the Krangs strength gives him a personal vendetta, and until he wins, he does not forget. He will prove Krangs strength, and that’s kinda all they got.

There are quite a few ways to get revenge through more than physically beating someone. You could take the Count of Monte Cristo way and slowly have Krang Prime turn the boys against each other, split them apart and take them down one by one. Krang Prime seems to be rather intelligent, if the boys aren’t there when he returns and he manages to seep through some secret crack, it may just work in his favor. In fact, this way makes a lot of sense considering the kind of power they had together versus alone.

Than the entire tension would land on wether the boys are going to figure it out or not. Can they see the puppeteer? Are they gathering the clues?

Of course I don’t think the two ideas need to be mutually exclusive either. You can take over the planet and enact revenge. And strategically speaking, the rest of the planet should be a piece of cake to take over if your greatest threat is gone. He’d likely try to gather his remaining comrades. Krang Sister in containment, and possibly krang brother roaming about disfigured from the ship explosion, if he’s not dead. Perhaps find a couple intelligent humans and krangify them into building you a new ship.

Patience is a virtue, I guess it’s up to you how much the Krang have.

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Thanks for reading! Likes and reblogs appreciated!

[lactoseintolerentswag]

Rise Characterizations: The Foot Clan

Since I've posted on Cass, I figured it would be useful to post separately on the Foot Clan as a whole.

So the Foot Clan's obvious goal is the resurrect The Shredder.

They have paralleled origins to that of the Hamato Clan, the distinction of which caused by Karai splitting into her own clan.

One of the only mentioned laws of the Foot Clan is: you can only take control by succeeding where those have failed.

This leaves room to interpret that there could be a history of in-fighting or struggle for power within the Foot Clan.

Ranking:

To officially join the Foot Clan, a recruit must attempt an assigned solo mission, and return with success. The more missions a recruit/member go on, the more they are qualified to be raised to a higher ranking.

A foot marking on a face is implied to accompany a higher level of respect. Since Huginn and Muninn haven't raised their rank higher than the equivalent of a 2, we can assume that getting a foot print you must be a rank 3 or higher.

Members:

Foot Lt. offhandedly mentioned they get recruits online in "ninja chat rooms", so it seems they prioritize quantity over quality.

Then there are the origami warriors, who serve as canon fodder. We see the origami warriors as the earliest army of the Foot Clan, but this is ruined with the turtles' involvement. I wonder what determines the value between the origami warriors and the human members.

The Foot Clan is already kind of built on flimsy foundations. Foot Lt. and Foot Brute seem to be the only ones in the know of what's going on (being able to navigate through the Hidden City, use/locate mystic artifacts, and have some knowledge of the Hamato Clan), but even they don't really understand the Shredder's motivations. It makes me question how "human" or disconnected from their humanity they are, especially considering the flaming heads and purple skin.

There is some mentioned donors of the Foot Clan (such as Jocelyn's parents), but after the Shredder was detained in Seasons 2's opening, the members of the Foot Clan kind of jumped ship. This forced Cass to find purpose elsewhere, and Foot Lt. and Brute to retreat to the shadows. When the Shredder returns, it's just the three of them. This might have to do with where they recruit from.

In-fighting and changes between leadership through violence could also lead to muddled history and values. These people aren't bound together by one purpose, just broad destructive chaos.

Names and identities don't be appeared to be valued within the Foot Clan. For the majority of the show Cassandra is referred to as "Foot Recruit", and the only names we're offered with the two leaders are "Foot Lt. and "Foot Brute". This is could be read as a gag, but again Foot Clan history is completely open to interpretation.

Goals:

We've discussed their connection to Shredder's resurrection, but even beyond him what they're really aiming at it world domination and destruction. We see this reflected in Cass with her inherit fierceness, but also how she deals with the fallout of the Foot Clan by raising an army of brownie scouts to take over the world.

And then there's the inherit role of servitude that both Foot Lt. and Brute put themselves under. When Draxum dons the armor they "await" his orders (with the misunderstanding that the Shredder has risen), and when asked what they expect the Shredder to do they simply shrug and say "shred". They live to serve and destroy for a higher power beyond their understanding. A few lines that particularly stuck out to me in the movie was: "Tonight we liberate our masters from their dimensional prison. With this key we shall free them to lay waste to this world and enslave its people."

And finally I'd like to discuss their relationship with the Krang and the key.

Since the events of s2 the Foot Clan appears to have taken residence in an abandoned garden, whether it was the same in which the boys had broken into to smell the corpse flower remains unclear to My findings. Their numbers have grown again for an unknown reason, and they have been collecting parts of the dimensional gate and finally key.

I would also like to mention the inclusion of the boat and dock here. Especially since we were introduced to the Foot Clan through their paper thievery, and the boys had their first win against them on a similar boat that served as a paper hoard.

Moving back to the Krang, they have a similar fundamental misunderstanding of their place in relation to their masters, as they did with their master the shredder. It begs me to ask the question of when exactly and how did Lieutenant and Brute start giving attention to the Krang.

They were never mentioned before during the show, but in the movie Lieutenant does refer to them by name, "We shall follow the Krang as they lead the Foot Clan to glory!" So did this reach for a new master come from desperate research on the Shredder's origins, or was that the end goal when the Shredder was released? The oni that gave Shredder is shown to be a Krang before they were even confirmed, and the armor appears eerily similar to the armor that the three Krang don in the final sequence of the movie.

Then the source of empyrean (the source of mysticsm, yokai, mutants) is shown to come from a kraang corpse. There's so much of the Foot Clan tied to the Krang manipulating Oroku Saki, but a lot of their origins appear to be lost to history.

But again that leaves much to interpretation and wiggle room to poke at!!

[imagionationstation]

so I would like more ideas on the whole “2012 Donnie ends up in prison dimension” au thing.

if you don’t have any it’s completely okay!

just maybe…how are the 2012 turtles (and Splinter) holding up? And how would the 2018 turtles react when 2012 Donnie has to go back home? Does he? Or does he stay? I think it’d be fun if their were two alt endings. One where 2012 Donnie stays in the rise universe and one where he doesn’t. Idk

Srry I’m yappin’ lol

Oh, don’t worry. I’ve been poking at this AU all day.

I have, like, five scenes overlapping each other. Because I’m normal.

*ahem*

“So what if instead of merely erasing him, she decided to put him somewhere that no one could ever reach him? A dimension from where things are known never to return? A place where April could never get him back without her assistance?”

Lil’ miss overpowered demon would have wanted April to know that she shipped Donnie off somewhere instead of outright murder. Then, she could hold it over her head you need me to get him back to prevent her from ever shattering the Crystal. But considering that’s blackmail and April knew that the longer that freak was in her brain, the more likely it was that she’d obliterate New York- well, she was determined to find Donnie back without her help.

And so April assures that brothers that he’s alive. And they immediately begin a search ✨

I’m sure that there would be a lot of tension, fear, and worry, but they KNOW he’s alive out there somewhere, (probably suffering if Za-Naron’s vague taunts were true), so they’re going to get him back, and the sooner the better. *Insert car chase music*

And the best part is that the 2012brothers have never actually been separated for more than a few hours. Like, in any episode.

Imagine days apart not knowing if Donnie is even alive.

At least they have each other. Donnie, on the other hand…

I think how the Risebrothers react to their arrival to bring Donnie home would depend highly on how long Donnie remains with them. However, it’s not through an “we adopted him” standpoint.

Remember, Leon and Donnie were stuck in a crippled dimension for weeks. They were barely surviving, avoiding Krang at every turn, convinced that they’d never see their families again. Leon would have told Donnie about the prison dimension’s purpose and how no one could ever risk coming. How his family had to see to it that no one ever came through for the sake of everyone in his dimension.

They had to live with that knowledge for a time period that probably felt like an eternity.

A seed of doubt was planted and they coped in different ways.

Donnie, keeping them both alive and his flickering hope burning through each passing moment, holds to the stubborn belief that if they wants to make it out, he only needs to, “Try harder.”

And Leon, willing to fight for Donnie but unwilling to surrender to the pipe dream of getting freed, assists the fight with a timid, but unbudging, “It’s not about me.”

Then, when they get out, their perspectives will be entirely different.

Leon will be home, but a part of him, the part that was counting down the minutes ‘till he dies, will still be in the prison dimension.

Donnie will be safe, but everything in him, every minuscule cell in his being that prayed for release, will be yearning for home.

So, we have two options. And no, I do not believe one of them involves him permanently living in the Rise verse. (Many apologies.)

Option one: Angst ending (They find him fast.)

Okay, so, if the 2012brothers were to arrive within days of Donnie getting free, I have no doubt that a desperate Donnie would go home without a second of hesitation and Leon would lose his anchor. He’d be stricken at the thought, aware of how much Donnie needs to leave, crippled under the looming weight of that sacrifice. He only suffered lived so Donnie wouldn’t be alone in that hellhole nightmare, and now Donnie is abandoning him leaving.

He’d be stiff, silent, barely managing a weak “okay” when Donnie shares the news. The conversation distracts anyone from really noticing his state of mind. It’s only once the 2012 gang leave the room that Raphael makes the mistake of touching his shoulder. After they barely calm a flash-back induced panic attack that leaves him wheezing and pale, crying and bleeding on the floor where he’d attempt to flee from them, the Risebrothers decide that they can’t let Donnie walk out. Raphael and Michael are torn, because Donnie needs the familiar sights of home as much as Leon needs Donnie, but Don has no such limitations. I almost want to say the same for Lou. He sacrificed the world for his kids. This is nothing.

As you can imagine, family fights for custody never go well.

Option two: Happy Ending (Finding him takes time)

If the brothers were to arrive several weeks/month or so into the future, long enough for Leon to readjust to society and no longer need Donnie as a reminder that he’s home and not completely delulu in the brain, it would go much smoother. Obviously, Donnie would be more desperate than ever to get home. The kind of desperate that leaves him broken in their arms when they finally appear, promising through sobs that he tried so hard to get back to them he did he swears he never stopped he tried-

And considering the Risebrothers don’t have a single cruel bone in their body, they wouldn’t hesitate to let him go home. He’s welcome any time, of course, and Leo makes him promise to find a way back during one, big goodbye squeeze, but they accept that right now, he needs to go. Donnie kept their brother alive and helped truly bring his scattered brain home. Why shouldn’t they return the favor?

[iztarshi]

Not me coming up with a rough outline for what I'd do with a TMNT iteration. Much of this is just me throwing in all the ideas I'd like to play with and then dividing them by which ones work well together.

Season One:

Shredder and Krang trying to bring the technodrome through and take over the world. Less a new plot every week and more ongoing attempts to bring it through while the turtles and April try to figure out what he’s up to.

I think the turtles have to reveal themselves fairly early (long before the technodrome arrives at the end of the season) and there’s some wrangling back and forth with public image between Shredder and April. Shredder’s better at swaying public opinion than he is in 87, although he’s not the smooth operator Ch’rell is so much as a bombastic storyteller.

Punk frogs, maybe? Could cross over with Shredder trying to frame the turtles. They’d be convinced over the turtles’ side by the end of the season but would be interesting to have them as Shredder's team for a while.

Winter is a massive problem, the turtles have never had to stay awake during the cold weather before, so a lot of focus is on them struggling to fight crime while being cold-blooded. The farmhouse arc does happen, with Leo’s coma being as much brumation as injury since he was left outside in the cold. Might be a fun place to use box turtles being able to revive after seemingly freezing to death.

Defeating the technodrome at the end and sending it back to Dimension X.

Season Two:

After learning that Shredder and Krang can make forays into this dimension from Dimension X the turtles decide to take the battle to them before winter arrives again and go to Dimension X themselves. The war between the Federation and the Triceratons is going on here. The turtles start off in Federation territory, where they meet the Fugitoid and some pacifist Federation teenagers who call themselves the Neutrinos.

After escaping Federation Territory into Triceraton territory, the turtles learn that the Triceratons lead an alliance of reptiloid species and the turtles fit in surprisingly well in their territory. The difference between how they are treated and how the Neutrinos and the Fugitoid are treated gives the turtles a taste of being on the other side of privilege and acceptance for once.

Eventually they have to escape from the Triceratons as well and get the Fugitoid to safety.

Triceratons may attempt to invade Earth in the finale?

Season Three

Shredder and/or Bishop (because I don’t want to involve Lord Dregg) manage to turn public opinion against mutants.

Draxum, a mutant karakul ram, has created HAVOC to fight back. He's also secretly responsible for the mutation of a lot of its human-to-mutant members (the animals, which are the ones he really identifies with as a sheep himself, being mostly the result of Shredder and Krang creating mutants as distractions or to stir up anti-mutant sentiment). This is where the turtles meet Mona Lisa and maybe Mondo Gecko. They already know Leatherhead as an enemy but she (based on 87 but female because I wanted the maternal instincts as a background alligator thing) is here too.

Mostly I want to do HAVOC better than 87 did, because that's an interesting idea, but apparently the mutants had all been made against their will, knew that, and still supported Titanus?

Mona Lisa is instrumental in figuring out what Draxum is up to and joins the turtles' team afterwards. Mondo cares and will help out but remains less of a fighter.

Shredder and Krang need to be properly defeated (killed? depends how the tone of this turns out, but they’re really hard to get rid of alive) at the end and their lies revealed. Draxum’s lies, on the other hand, may be best not revealed (except to the mutants he created) if we don’t want anti-mutant sentiment to get even worse.

[intotheelliwoods]

Woah lots of asks! Augh you guys got such good questions!

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That happened when Medium Leo was 26, and Big Leo 50! They got an extra 10 years after the movie to just, relax, honestly? Those were probably some of the best years of their lives

Then well, after that I think it only took about a month (as in they left a few days later after Raphs death to venture off to the horrors)

After that, 20 years of the newfound apocalypse, leaving Medium Leo at 46 when he gets sent back in time!

(and auguoahg ty wren you are amazing!)

@wraenata

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No he does not! Each timeline has its own goop fella, the one in the Krang timeline remained traped through the apocalypse and will probably never actually break free in that time-

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Yeah... :( Big Leo, the saddest character to ever exist. He tried his best he really did, but in the end though I dont think people will remember him for his failures. They will remember him for his kindness and effort

@memorialis

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Funny story, I do have a backstory for the guy in mind! A good one actually, I was going to make a comic for the backstory but I have no clue how to make it look visually? And I am also not sure if I am going to have the energy for it with everything else going on whoops, I might just type it out in text form by the end of the week to save my strength for everything else I need to draw aha...

But back to your first question, yes, they are intertwined! Very much so actually! The goop has a lot to do with the Krang and their similar trap!

As for your second ask here, nope! Well, yes and no? Hamatos are involved in the backstory but not involved in the freeing half- Anyways though, after that last update and the potential of some later nightmare sequences, that will be the last you see of the guy until the finale! In other words, not really any more lore for him! Again I have a backstory just not much energy to actually draw it! And by this point in time, the backstory is not even really spoilery, its just neat worldbuilding at this point :)

He/Him pronouns be good, or they, honestly the thing jsut has big he/they energy overall tbh

@amazing-captain-castiel (if I worded this weird I am so sorry, I answered your first question before going back realizing oh shoot you sent another ask aha-)

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Haha.. yeah.. yeah he does... (im so sorry, I would do something about this but I can barely keep track of 2 huggy leos)

Though in compensation he did have a relatively nice rest of life. This is also something I sooo wanted to make a comic for but I dont know if I will have the energy for it whoops

He found being in a apocalypse again relatively, surprisingly comforting. Felt like home, his old home, his first home, his own timeline. He thrived in this newfound worldly chaos for years until about 5 years before Medium Leo got sent back, where he ended up leaving the home base they set up with his mother, to explore what was left of the world before that was gone too. This was due to just some good deja vu but well, younger turtles, Medium Leo never stopped looking more and more like someone who would never come back so-

@cavern-of-shenanigans

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yeah.... oops. But Sprout is alive and well🥺At least he will be well by the end of the series-

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<3 uhhhhhh oops <3

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Sweats, theres so much inspo pulled from FMA here my guy!

@cavern-of-shenanigans

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o7

[dandylovesturtles]

Do you think the events of IMBI so far would have played out differently if they took place pre-movie / pre-krang?

yes

OK TO BE LESS OF A SMART-ASS ABOUT IT

the family dynamics post-S2 but pre-movie (which I assume is the time period you're asking me about here) are so different that it's really hard to answer this question fully.

if I just try to game it out, Leo would have less trauma to deal with, but he still wouldn't deal well with not being able to interact with his family. and without the growth he got from the movie, he may be more willing to try and find a solution himself, perhaps being reckless about. kind of the way I said Donnie would react if it had been him instead.

if I'm thinking of this in a purely narrative sense, in this version of the story having Leo fully rebond with Raph would probably be the most interesting option. Leo and Raph's relationship was highly contentious during this time, so putting them in a situation where Leo can't talk to anyone else, and Raph has to be Leo's lifeline, would force them to work through their issues. which could make for a very interesting if not very canon compliant fic haha (because then by necessity the events of the movie would be different, assuming you had a resolution at the end of the fic)

in that vein it might even be more interesting to make Raph the victim who rebonds entirely to Leo; with Raph out of commission, Leo will be forced to step up as leader, and being the only one Raph can talk to would force them to work out their issues with each other... though it might end up being pretty similar to what we see in the movie just with more direct involvement from Raph (and I know some people were disappointed Raph didn't have more direct involvement in the movie so I guess those people might be drawn to this version of events lol)

this is about as deep into it as I'm going to get because trying to game out how events would play out would take more brain power than I have for this one haha

post-S2/pre-movie is an interesting time but also one that makes me very sad (if you're staying canon compliant with the movie) because you basically can't have a resolution. the issues have to remain unsolved to cause the events of the movie. of course you could always go full AU and fix this but I'm not personally interested in writing that sort of thing

as a side note if you mean pre-S2 finale, I think the fic would actually be a lot closer to how it is now, minus all Leo's krang-related trauma and issues. and I think Leo will be a little more trusting of his family to fix things for him because responsibility hasn't been thrust on his shoulders yet. the boys might have a bit harder time breaking the curse though because their ninpo has not been fully awakened. again, if you didn't care about being canon compliant and wanted to go full AU, it might be fun if breaking the curse with Leo is what awakens their ninpo fully, including Donnie's.

[stereo-slime4]

Okay, I've been scrolling through the Rise Angst I have saved on TikTok and all the "what if the Krang spike killed Raph?" kind of stuff, and had an idea.

(Not an actual fic thing, just sort of an in-depth headcanon ig?? Or like an imagine sort of thing? Idk)

Tw: Raph dies, Mikey dies, Donnie dies, probably pretty graphic descriptions of zombification

So, imagine Raph actually died from the spike thing, like it impaled all the way through his chest, blood and plastron shards all over, probably some falling on Leo too just for good measure y'know.

Then, he gets dragged back to the lair in Raph's Donnie Pod TM having a full-blown panic attack just like in the movie, but now he's covered in his brother's blood and has to tell everyone that Raph is dead.

Like, bro would be 10x more pissed at poor Casey, Casey's trying to come to terms with the fact that one of the turtles died probably years before he did in Casey's future(partially insinuating that Casey's involvement made this timeline worse), everyone else is freaking out over the fact that Raph died period, and now, instead of his impulsive manhunt being to find and save Raph, Leo's out for blood and vengeance any way he can get it.

He and the team go on to Metro Tower, get split up, Casey starts lecturing him, but instead of taking the character development and learning any sort of lesson from it, he starts yelling back, and the whole thing turns into a massive screaming match because they're both trying to blame the other for what's going on, but they also both can't help but blame themselves more than anything.

After a while, Donnie's transmission asking where the hell they are comes in and they agree to accept the Krang as a common enemy for now.

They all meet up in Metro Tower, and before they spot each other Donnie uses his tracker to try and find Leo

He ends up seeing that Raph is almost directly on top of them and immediately points this out to the group, saying something along the lines of "Hey Leo, I thought you said Raph died in the Foot base..." Leo would respond with a glare: "Yea, he did, why?" And Donnie goes "Then why does my tracker say he's here????"

They all start looking around in a panic until they see the giant cocoon thing dangling from the ceiling. It falls down and cracks open, revealing Raph's bloody corpse slowly morphing into a Krang Zombie.

Out of the 6 living people there (April, Splinter, Mikey, Donnie, Leo, and Casey Jr), at least 3 of them immediately start throwing up at the sight of Krangified Corpse Raph (looks basically the same as OG Krangified Raph except with a giant bleeding hole in his chest maybe with some organs showing and blood dripping from his mouth) and the scene continues as canon with Krang Raph taking the key and the rest of the gang running and dragging each other away.

The Technodrome comes through the portal, and this time, Leo's inspiring speech is more of a half- baked denial-fueled desperate attempt at convincing his remaining family (and himself) that there's still a chance for everything to be okay (especially since none of them have gotten any chance to process or grieve Raph's death whatsoever).

They come up with their plan, Mikey and Donnie do their thing trying to fly the Technodrome, and Leo ends up fighting Raph and it's just so absolutely horrifying for him because imagine watching your oldest brother literally die trying to save you, then watching that same brother's corpse essentially mutated into the thing that killed him, and then having to fight his mutated corpse. Adrenaline is the only thing keeping him from hyperventilating and passing out.

He spends most of the fight desperately trying not to get killed while sobbing and pleading with his brother who very much cannot hear him. Eventually (at some point after Mikey and Donnie get dragged out of the control room, where in canon Leo would be giving his whole apology speech), Raph attacks attacks Leo, who is on the floor backed into a wall, and Leo picks up his sword, screws his eyes shut, and swings as hard as he can. Raph's head falls into his lap, the rest of Raph's body falls off the platform, and the battle is technically won (though it really doesn't feel like it).

Krang Prime is incredibly smug about this development, and it looks like all hope is finally lost. Just then, Raph's ninpo projection shows up (bc they need to get their powers back somehow), shocking literally everyone (himself included). The other brothers are flooded with relief that Raph is alive (he's not. He's still dead, the ninpo projection is legit just his ghost, but they're all in denial so we'll let them have this), and they get their ninpo back through the power of family and love

They decide not to talk about Leo killing Raph's corpse right now because there are infinitely bigger fish to fry and they'll have plenty of time to talk about it after everything else (spoiler alert: they won't)

They do the whole midair fight with the Krang, Raph jumps Mikey and Donnie to the ground ("Don't worry! This is not a hug! It's a rescue!!") except this time when his projection breaks, there no real Raph inside it, so it's just a bunch of disintegrating red particles.

Leo goes through the portal, and Mikey and Donnie don't have enough energy to survive getting him back. Leo exits the portal so happy and relieved to see at least two of his brothers left, tackling them into a bear hug almost immediately, only to notice that they're cracking and flaking apart. He screams and cries and begs them not to leave but there's nothing he can do to save them now. They fall apart in his arms.

April, Splinter, and Casey Jr pick him up in a car that they definitely didn't steal, and Leo has to break the news that he's the only turtle left to save.

Splinter later tries to get Leo to learn meditation to talk to his brothers again, but he's so convinced that they'd hate him that he refuses to even try.

They all watch over him as ghosts, and he feels their presence, but Leo assumes that it's judgement, when they really just miss him and wish he would talk to them

[turtlethon]

“Dregg of the Earth”

Season 9, Episode 2 First US Airdate: September 23, 1995

Dregg uses a new base of operations to further his plans of taking over the world.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continues its ninth season with “Dregg of the Earth”. This episode was written by David Wise from a story by Mark Edens.

We kick off today’s proceedings with Lord Dregg’s TechnoGang attempting to steal a proton accelerator device from a scientific facility. The Turtles are on the scene and ready to stop them but have Carter tagging along, who insists on deviating from Leonardo’s agreed plan of action and comes out swinging against the aliens. As Dregg’s men make their escape, pursued by the Turtles, Carter finds himself pinned down under wreckage created during the battle, leading him to change into his mutant form.

Mikey notes the arrival of “that weirdo again” as Carter bursts through the wall a la the Kool-Aid Man, demonstrating himself to be impervious to a blast from one of the enemy’s weapons before snapping it in two. The TechnoGang escape to their ship which is used to target the facility, the Turtles escaping seconds before it blows up. For the second episode in a row the team assume that Carter must have perished only for him to show up unscathed. As they did after the encounter aboard Dregg’s ship, the Turtles find Carter’s explanation for how he survived unconvincing, and scold him for botching the mission by not being a team player. The newbie doesn’t take this well, and rides off on his bike in a huff.

I guess Dregg has taken over the role of explaining the Scheme of the Day now that Krang isn’t around. He explains that his molecular converter device was damaged while escaping from the Galactic Patrol, but the stolen proton accelerator will allow him to repair it. A test of the machine demonstrates its ability to successfully purify polluted water. Satisfied, the warlord plans a trip to Earth.

In the Lair’s workshop, the Turtles note the arrival of a huge spaceship in town – the Dreggnaught – while at the same time April relays the news that the mayor and members of the city council have agreed to meet with Lord Dregg. Donatello has an additional concern, as the beaker of left-over mutagen from their transformation continues to become more unstable, but that will have to wait, the group leaving to learn what their new foe is up to.

A crowd of onlookers assemble in a park to watch as the Dreggnaught descends. An unusually chipper-looking Dregg emerges on a platform, telling a story of how his own world was destroyed “by greed and war”, and that his mission involves saving Earth from facing a similar fate. He offers up the molecular converter as a means of eradicating water pollution, a goodwill gesture that wins over the crowd. Unimpressed are the Turtles, watching from a nearby alley, and Carter, viewing the event on his own.

At this point we learn April is now an “independent field correspondent”, her ties to Channel 6 severed. This feels like it should be a bigger deal given the station’s prominence in the show over the years but winds up being a glossed-over detail as she brings us up to speed following a time-skip. Evidently Dregg’s PR initiative worked, the city taking a shine to him and renaming its newest skyscraper “Dregg Tower” in his honour, a site that he intends to turn “into a citadel of science for the good of mankind”. The Turtles watch this report and remain suspicious, deciding to investigate what the alien is up to. Gaining entry via a hatch connected to the sewer system, the team soon find themselves confronted by a group of armed drones.

After disarming the drones, the Turtles ride them through the building, eventually coming face-to-face with a “neural net” energy grid. A hatch in the roof provides a means of escape, but leads them back onto the city streets. The Turtles discuss trying to find another means of gaining entry as Carter – who remains on the outs with the team – listens in from nearby.

Improbably, Carter uses his super computer skills to initiate a Skype call with Lord Dregg. He tells the warlord he can identify a winning side when he sees one, and that he has information that may be of use. A meeting is arranged behind Dregg Tower in which the youth is surrounded by a group of TechnoGang troopers. After defeating them in battle, Carter is told by Dregg that he successfully made it through his initiation, and is taken to the executive suite. In the meeting that follows, the estranged ally of the Turtles agrees to lure them into a trap.

Splinter encourages the Turtles to patch things up with Carter moments before the teen contacts our heroes via Turtlecom. He arranges a meeting with them at an armoury, insistent he can get them into Dregg’s building. April is informed of this, and drives to the location to watch events unfold. It doesn’t take long before HiTech and the Technogang emerge, and the Turtles determine that Carter has double-crossed them.

The Turtles find themselves outnumbered and are marched out of the armoury by the Technogang, an event watched from nearby by April. She follows the departing ship, leaping out of her car and dangling behind the spacecraft as it returns to Dregg Tower. After the ship reaches its location, the reporter loses her grip, and instead winds up clutching a cable in an elevator shaft.

Dregg tells the captured Turtles that Carter was eager to sell them out, and encourages them to do the same. “You’re mutants, freaks, outcasts of society. You have no loyalty to those... humans.” After refusing this offer, the team are told they’ll be eliminated, the neural net they encountered earlier now lowering from the roof. Following Dregg’s departure Leonardo struggles to reach a lever that looks like a means of escape. As he continues to writhe, his hand becomes veiny and clawed, as does Raphael’s. This passes, and moments later Carter emerges to free the team. After the group escape Carter reveals his betrayal was a ruse, and that he’s learned of Dregg’s true intentions, the entire tower set to be refitted into an armed fortress.

April apparently lowered herself into the basement, and takes this opportunity to radio the team, informing them that the location contains an enormous arsenal of weapons. It doesn’t take long for the Turtles to head there and begin plotting to set off a chain reaction that will destroy the supplies. Before they can do so Dregg emerges, accompanied by his TechnoGang. In the ensuing battle Carter transforms into his mutant form, to the astonishment of the Turtles. This helps turn the tide of battle, the Turtles soon goading Dregg into fighting them near the weapons supplies. The warlord shoots energy beams from his eyes that accidentally hit a stack of missiles, the resulting damage threatening the structure of the tower. As Dregg and his men escape April is separated from her camera, the only evidence of the villain’s true intentions, but there’s no time to worry about that: the Turtles, April and the mutated Carter are forced to evacuate. Seconds later, the entire tower explodes.

In the Lair, Carter explains the circumstances leading to his transformation, which the Turtles speculate may provide a link to the signs that their own mutations are becoming unstable. It’s pointed out to Splinter that this may affect him too, and the group agree to face whatever will come as a team.

“Dregg of the Earth” is easily the most insubstantial episode of TMNT I’ve watched in quite a while. I get the feeling that season nine has been structured in such a way that each show is intended to serve as a chapter in one larger, ongoing story, rather than as self-contained adventures. It’s a world away from the heyday of the series, where continuity was almost a dirty word, the demands of producing a near-endless supply of new Turtles episodes for syndication meaning that each tale had to be confined to one twenty-two-minute outing in case things aired out of sequence. With season nine comprising only eight episodes to air across as many weeks, here we get drip-fed an ongoing tale that incentivises viewers to keep coming back. In theory that’s a good thing, but today’s story feels like we’re spinning our wheels a little, with the promise that maybe next time there’ll be a pay-off to this unstable mutation bit as Carter and Dregg both go through largely the same motions as in “The Unknown Ninja”.

There are, at least, some signs of potential here. The idea of Dregg positioning himself as an altruistic figure versus the renegade Turtles could salvage the idea of Channel 6 turning public sentiment against the team from season eight, something that was cut short before it could be fully explored. Somewhat related is the revelation that April no longer works for the station, and we can only speculate as to whether she left (having perhaps had enough of Burne’s vitriol), was fired, or if the accumulated misfortunes that the broadcaster faced proved to be too much – perhaps Milton Frobish II finally stepped in and pulled the plug. This is one of those situations where events happening off-screen are more intriguing – at least, to me – than what’s made it into the show thus far this season.

So far season nine’s been underwhelming. We’ll see if the writers can turn things around next time as we encounter “The Wrath of Medusa”.

[turtles-n--cats]

2012 Extras

I’m tossing this one in as a half batch since this is the OC round!! (+Bishop)

Like many of the people in the TMNT fandom, I have a few OCs of my own (MAYBE a few too many, but alas). Because this au is first and foremost something i’m making for myself, I’m including them in my story. I understand if thats not your cup of tea, but i hope maybe yall like em anyways!

I’ve actually briefly mentioned one of them before when listing mentors in a previous post. Today for this post, I’ll be sharing my 2012 variants of Finch, Nova, Lily, Kelsey, and Finnigan.

Bishop and Dove (AKA 2012 Bishop and 2012 Finch [an OC of mine]) Bishop is an average-sized short-hair tuxedo tom with yellow-green, and Dove is a short-hair spotted tabby with green eyes. Dove has sort of weird a mane of fur around her neck despite being fully short-fu everywhere else.

Bishop used to be in the Krang Gang, as did Dove’s parents. Dove was born rather sickly and weak, things the krang did not tolerate. Only the strong are allowed to remain. Bishop, who had already been planning to leave, outright refused to remain in a group that would call for the death of a kit instead of at least trying to save it. So he took the sick little kit and left. He had no knowledge of medicine, and had no expectations that the kit would live for long, simply wanting to let them pass in peace instead of scared and intentionally by someone’s claws.

Since he didn’t think it right for them do die without a proper name, he named them “Dove” in hopes their spirit would pass on peacefully. He’d heard tale of some cats considering doves to be messengers of the dead. Dove, however, defied the odds however, and very much recovered. This left Bishop in the awkward position of accidental fatherhood he’d not previously anticipated. It’s been a learning experience for all parties involved.

Nova, aka Goldpaw A small, short-furred cream point she-cat with blue-green eyes

Formerly a kittypet named Gold, Nova’s old owner was an elderly twoleg who unfortunately passed, leaving her house and cats to her son. The new twoleg didn’t want any cats, and after getting rid of all but Gold, he decided if no one wanted her, the woods could have her. It just so happened he left her on the edge of Sunclan territory where she was taken into the clan as an apprentice. Her mentor is Orangepounce (03 Mikey)

Lily, aka Swiftpaw (eventually to be Lilypaw) A small, dark brown mackerel tabby she-cat with brown eyes, covered in scars.

Swiftpaw was born into Nightclan, and is less than pleased to be there. Her mentor is Dogbone (2012 Razar) Her training has been especially rough so far, especially after she and her aunt got caught planning to leave the clan. She’s grown close with Viperpaw seeing as they’re aren’t many other apprentices in the clan right now.

Kelsey  a black ghost tabby oriental short-hair kittypet with green eyes

living peacefully in twolegplace. She’s neighbors with April and Finn. A bit of a social butterfly, she knows ALL the cats in her area, even if they aren’t friends. She’s perfectly content as a pet but likes to drag Finn out to go exploring with her in the woods

Finn a large, golden-furred maine coon kittypet with brown eyes and a bow on his tail

Kelsey’s neighbor and another kittypet. He’s Kelsey’s best friend and impulse control. He’s extremely friendly, wanting to see the best in others. A bit naïve, but he’s got a kind heart and good head on his shoulders

[davids-cartoon-corkboard]

Renet is most likely this “mysterious stranger”, since she’s often involved in the turtles’ timey-wimey shenanigans.

“Utrom” has always been the name of the tentacle-brain alien species in question, with “Kra(a)ng” being the name of a particular Utrom. Perhaps the movie will take a detail from the 2012 series and have Krang rise (haha) to power and re-name the species after himself because he’s got that standard villainous megalomania. Maybe this is what our "mysterious stranger" is going back in time to stop!

The Kuroi Yoroi was powerful Krang-tech, so when the turtles and co. obliterated it, the energy signature was familiar enough for the Krang to take note and investigate. When they learn there are beings on this puny dirtball capable of doing that, they'll either abduct them for study or outright try to crush them.

Renet warns them of the invasion, so they have time to prepare. But she also warns them that Leo must be the one to lead, or else they will fail. That's why Leo is "forced to rise and lead his brothers"- not because his father insists, or because Raph steps down, and certainly not because he wants to, but because the timeline depends on him.

That he must "rise and lead" in the movie suggests it takes place shortly after the season 2 finale- he hasn't had a proper timeskip in which to "rise and lead". Aside from a few low-level missions, there have been no opportunities to do so! The Shredder was destroyed and the Foot are in shambles and directionless without him. Big Mama was severely injured to the point of hospitalization and wouldn't try to start shit until she was fully healed- and even then, she’d be more caution. Draxum is an ally now! Everyone else is small potatoes in comparison, so when the Krang come a-calling, Leo will be out of his depth. What was Pops thinking, making him the leader?

The audience knows the fight is never really finished, that there will always be one more villain out there trying to hurt these kids because that's how stories (especially franchises) survive. But Splinter doesn't have our "bird's-eye view". Once the world-ending threat of the Shredder was gone, that was it! That was The Most Difficult And Dangerous Thing they would ever have to face, and nothing afterwards could possibly top that. They can all rest now. Raph needs a break, and Leo needs character development is the second oldest, so he can step up to deal with any remaining threats- and with their new power boost, there’s not much left that can be considered a “threat”.

The switch just isn’t a problem until they have to prepare for the Krang, because suddenly Leo needs to be perfect and Raph isn’t good enough and I think the fandom is collectively starting to get tired of that whole situation. Thankfully, there’s a fairly simple solution.

“Being the leader” isn’t quite the same thing as “leading”. The first is what you are, and the second is what you do. We’ve seen “being the leader” weigh heavily on Leo in past iterations, and it was something Rise!Raph struggled with in the finale. No doubt Rise!Leo will struggle with it in the movie as well. Just yeet the whole concept out the window and be done with it, because it’s not good for either of them! Leading is something they do, and sometimes one or the other will do it better, depending on the circumstances. We just don’t know what circumstances are better suited for Leo yet.

[multiverseforger]

Oroku SakiEdit

In the original comic books from Mirage Comics, Oroku Saki is the younger brother of Oroku Nagi who had been killed by a fellow ninja Hamato Yoshi (the owner of Splinter, the Turtles' mentor) in a feud over a woman named Tang Shen resulting in Yoshi fleeing with Shen to the United States.

Angry at the death of his older brother, Saki joined the Foot Clan and trained to be a ninja. He quickly became one of their deadliest warriors and rose up the ranks and was chosen to lead the Foot's American branch. Operating in New York under the name of The Shredder, Saki used the opportunity to avenge his brother by killing Yoshi and Shen. Under Saki's leadership, the Foot participated in variety of criminal activities, including drug smuggling, arms running, and assassination.

Thirteen years later Saki was challenged by the Ninja Turtles, who were the result of an accident exposing four ordinary turtles to radioactive waste. They were trained by Yoshi's pet rat Splinter, who had also been mutated by the same substance, to avenge his former master. After a lengthy rooftop battle where Saki seemed to be winning, Leonardo managed to plunge his sword through Saki's torso. Defeated, he was offered the opportunity to commit seppuku (ritual suicide), but Shredder refused and detonated a thermite grenade, in an attempt to take their lives alongside his own. But at the last second, Donatello used his bo to knock Shredder off the building to his death.

However, it was not yet the end of the Shredder. He returned on Christmas Eve seemingly resurrected with an army of Foot Ninjas severely beating Leonardo and burning down the apartment of the turtles' ally April O'Neil, forcing them to go into hiding outside the city. A year later, in the story "Return to New York", the Turtles returned to settle the score with the Shredder. Leonardo faced off against Oroku Saki alone, during which Saki revealed he was brought back to life by a technique using worms feeding on his remains and recreating his cells to reform his body. In the battle, Leonardo decapitates the villain, finally killing him, and the four turtles burn his body at the Hudson River.

Tales of the TMNTEdit

In the second volume of the anthology series Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles story "Worms of Madness" it is shown that a few weeks after the events of their final battle the Shredder had yet another resurrection of sorts when a Foot mystic reactivated the worms; however, the mystic did not resurrect Saki himself but the worm colony which had gained sentience and retained Saki's memories and believing itself to be Saki. The worms then went out to find a new body and chose that of a shark. After the Foot kidnapped Splinter, the turtles managed to engage the "Shredder-Shark" in battle, defeating it by severing its connection to the mystic at which point the creature realized that it was not the real Saki.

The "Shredder-Shark" returned once more kidnapping Casey Jones's adopted daughter Shadow to lure the Turtles into a trap. With the Turtles away, it was up to Casey and Splinter to defeat it and rescue Shadow, finally killing the creature.

Other versions of the ShredderEdit

Throughout a considerable part of the Image comic series, Raphael tries to impersonate Shredder by wearing his armor. Following this, he is accepted as the leader of the Foot Clan. In later issues of the series, a mysterious Lady Shredder appears to challenge Raphael. Although the book was canceled before her identity could be revealed, writer Gary Carlson confirmed after the fact that she was meant to be Karai.[citation needed] The female ninja Pimiko from series claims to be Shredder's daughter.[5][6]

In Volume Four series, Leonardo encounters Oroku Yoshi, a Battle Nexus contestant wearing armor almost identical to that of the second animated series' Shredder. His connection to Oroku Saki and the Foot is not known, since the bi-monthly comic was ultimately cancelled in 2010. In issue 32 he was called to meet a mysterious individual who asks to bring Leo with him as well.

Archie ComicsEdit

The Archie Comics' series use the same background as the 1987 cartoon, as the first issues are identical. Later in the Archie comics, Shredder travels to the future and works with Armaggon and Verminator X to offset the skill and experience of the future versions of the Turtles.

This version of the character was more in line with the early episodes' depiction of the character as a cunning adversary and in many issues nearly proves to be a lethal enemy, coming close to defeating the turtles on a number of occasions, even aiding Armaggon and Verminator X in the defeat and capture of two of the turtles in the future. However he shows some amount of honour in the comic. His final fate within the Archie comics series remains unknown, though a three-part mini-series put out by Archie comics after the end of their regular comic series seems to indicate he remains a consistent foe to the turtles for many years, briefly restoring Splinter to the form of Hamato Yoshi and also undoing Michaelangelo's mutation, though both later revert to mutant status by the end of the story, while Shredder was left in a vegetative state in the aftermath of his final battle with the Turtles.

IDW PublishingEdit

In feudal Japan, Oroku Saki was a high-ranking member of the Foot Clan along with Hamato Yoshi. While Yoshi focused on his family, Saki surpassed him and was promoted to Jonin (leader) of the Foot.[7] After an argument on his style of leadership, Saki sent ninja to murder Yoshi's wife, Tang Shen, and later Yoshi and his four sons.

With the help of Kitsune, Saki steals regenerative ooze from an Utrom known as "The Iron Demon" (later revealed to be Krang himself[8]) which is used to preserve his body until he is awakened by his descendant Oroku Karai several centuries later in modern-day New York.[9] During his time in stasis, his spirit conquered the realm of the Afterlife, where he learned he was destined to rule the earth world and eventually return to the Afterlife as a lost soul. Knowing the future, he vows to change it by conquering the realm of the Afterlife upon his return.[10]

Shredder first appears in Micro-series #1 and in full costume on the final page of issue #9. Dan Duncan first designed Shredder with input from Mateus Santolouco and Kevin Eastman; originally wanting to depict a "beefy...monster" he decided to simplify the design and slimmed down the character based on the original Mirage design.[11]

Seeking control in his forthcoming battle for power, Shredder offers Splinter a place in his army but Splinter refuses, revealing himself to be a reincarnated Hamato Yoshi.[12] Saki then reveals his own identity and attacks Splinter, almost killing him when the Turtles arrive to rescue their father.[13] Impressed by Leonardo, he orders his capture[14] and conducts a plan involving kidnapping and stabbing Casey Jones.[15] Shredder then has Kitsune brainwash Leonardo to become his new Chunin (second-in-command)[16] and uses him for a show of strength to the criminal underworld. After the Turtles rescue Leonardo, Shredder calls a meeting with Krang and proposes an alliance in exchange for Utrom technologies, which Krang rejects. A short battle results in retreat on both sides and the revelation that Shredder had stolen some Utrom resources from Krang's compound to begin creating a mutant army (in the form of Bebop, Rocksteady, Koya and Bludgeon).[8]

In Issue #50, Shredder faced Splinter and the turtles in a final battle which he lost and briefly admitted his faults and also making Karai the new head of the Foot Clan. He was then killed by Splinter by having his sword slashed into the back of his head, killing him instantly. After his death, Shredder's body is kept in a crypt that is guarded by Jennika who was assigned by Hamato Yoshi in order to learn humility. Shredder's tomb is eventually desecrated by the witch Kitsune who plans to revive Oroku Saki in order to restore order to the Foot Clan but Splinter knew this and keeps the skull to foil her attempts.

Shredder will appear in the upcoming miniseries Shredder in Hell. In the mini-series Shredder is in the afterlife and descends into the underworld trying to find the truth of his own soul meanwhile Kitsune uses his corpse to summon her father as his host. Shredder also fought his past life Takeshi Tasuo in his inner conflict until Splinter/Hamato Yoshi later shows up to help him against the forces of Hell.

[donatello-writes]

Not Quite Human - Donatello x Reader

Part II can be found here --> (x)

The gentle glow of the television lit up your darkened apartment, you were wrapped up in a blanket on your couch hanging on every word of a news broadcast. Four mysterious vigilantes aided the police department in defeating the ominous alien spacecraft that threatened New York city not but a week ago. A smile crossed your lips as you entertained the idea that if aliens existed in this scenario, perhaps the vigilantes weren’t human either. Gossip flew regarding the identities of the heroes ranging from aliens to monsters, and many accounts claimed to have seen what were described as “swamp things”. A notion that delighted you, as matters of the occult and mythical creatures had always held your interest, even though you knew that none of it was real. 

“Maybe I’ll see one of those swamp things,” You voiced to your empty apartment and chuckled.

Deep down within the sewer systems, a certain nerdy turtle sneezed while in the midst of having the meltdown of his life. The champions secured their victory over the Krang, and they finally had some down time, but Donatello couldn’t relax. The brainy terrapin paced back and forth in the living room of the Lair so furiously, one would think he was attempting to wear a hole in the floor. He was understandably restless, as his thoughts on what his older sibling had done whipped around in his head like a maelstrom. A memory so vivid in his mind, it felt as if it’d happened yesterday. The vial of ooze shattering against the walls of the lair, lost forever.

“How could he do this?!–Don’t answer that, it was a rhetorical question…I know Raph is a doer not a thinker,” the teched-up turtle vented his frustrations to Michelangelo, the person he often turned to for emotional support. Much like himself, his little brother was more sensitive and empathetic than their other two brothers. 

“I dunno, dude…but hey, it’s not all that bad bein’ green,” the orange masked turtle smiled warmly, trying his best to comfort Donatello, as he always did. Despite his cheerful demeanor, he was hurting over the impulsive decision as well. Raphael meant no malice with his actions, he honestly had no idea what this meant to his younger siblings, but that fact didn’t make up for the outcome.

“Neither of them understand, but I know that you do, Mikey,” the fretful terrapin sighed heavily, meeting eyes with his brother. Both of the young turtles yearned to know what it felt like to be human, to be able to walk around topside without being viewed as freaks or, worse yet…monsters. With their only chance having been destroyed by an act of impulse, they were both understandably distraught.

“Yeah, I totally get it,” Mikey admitted, finally showing his disappointment with the situation. “But what can we do? The purple stuff that we had is gone now.” 

Donatello’s expression fell into anguish at the veracity of his brother’s statement. “That’s true, and it’d be impossible for us to successfully secure more from the Shredder…Not just the two of us, anyway,” The bespectacled turtle’s eyes focused downwards as he finally settled down into a seat. “Also, we don’t know for sure if they have more of the formula created.” 

Michelangelo’s face almost looked pained at this point, he didn’t want to think about the harsh reality of the situation for even a moment longer. He rose from the table, giving his brother one last half-hearted smile.“Well, it was a nice dream, but what-evs,” the now undeniably gloomy young terrapin patted his brother on the shell before getting up and trudging to his room. 

Donatello pinched the bridge of his snout as he sat alone in the common room, despair consuming him. All he wanted was to experience what it was like to be human, and he would never get that chance now. The ooze was unsalvageable, what little remained was now still splattered across the lair walls. His golden eyes became misty as they beheld Raphael’s masterpiece, in all it’s glory. Suddenly, a bit of light reflected off a small portion of the stain, grabbing the brooding turtle’s attention. Was it really still liquid? Impossible.

Jumping to his feet, he approached the wall, inspecting it thoroughly. The ooze had somehow remained viable, his jaw dropped in disbelief. The once sorrowful terrapin’s hope was renewed, all he needed was even the smallest amount for analysis and he could find a way to replicate it. Now filled with excitement, he bounded into his lab to retrieve a petri dish and swab to collect the ooze specimen. He scraped his prize from the surface with great precision, careful not to contaminate it with too much concrete from wall upon which it was affixed. After successfully recovering a sample, Donatello let out a relishing chuckle as he shut himself away in his lab, fueled by enthusiasm and determination. 

In the months following the start of his endeavor, he lied about the specifics of it, telling his brothers that he was working on some amazing invention that would aid them in their missions. It was obvious that he couldn’t tell Leonardo or Raphael, as they clearly didn’t understand. And after much debate, he finally came to the decision to leave Michelangelo in the dark as well, not wanting to get his hopes up; that, and he was awful at keeping secrets. The genius worked tirelessly, months rolled by, and before he knew it, a year had passed. He felt as though he wasn’t accomplishing anything, becoming increasingly frustrated with each passing day. 

It was 5:00 a.m. when a sleep deprived and starving Donatello stumbled out of his lab in pursuit of sustenance. He wore his purple mask as a necklace and groaned with every step that he took towards to the kitchen. Once there, he made a bee line for the coffee pot, his savior. Raphael had just finished his early morning workout and spotted the elusive mad scientist, stalking him into the kitchen. 

“Whaddaya doin’ outta yer geek den?” the question came in the form of a growl as the burly terrapin eyed his younger sibling, who simply responded by shooting a glare in his general direction. 

Choosing to ignore him, Donatello simply continued setting up his coffee, clicking the appliance on to work it’s magic, and then reached into one of the cabinets, to retrieve a box of blueberry flavored Pop-Tarts. 

“Whut eva…” the hot-headed turtle’s words trailed off as if he had more to say, but he stopped himself; this silence was fleeting, however. As always, he just couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie, so he started again,“Ya know…when I got a problem wit someone I tell ‘em, but I guess I’m just bawlsier than most.” the bait was set, and he waited for his younger brother to take it. The troublemaker used this tactic with frequent success, but Donatello was in no mood for his shenanigans, and the mechanical sputter of the busy coffee pot was the only thing to be heard between the two turtles. 

The still sleepy terrapin proceeded to pour his coffee, and munch on his breakfast, letting Raphael stand there and simmer. When it became apparent that he the he no interest in talking, the rageful reptile’s temper went through the roof. “FINE. I thought so! Avoidin’ any sawt of conflict like usual! Enjoy yer cawffee break.” He stormed out of the room grumbling.

“Conflict…” He muttered to himself as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, the word turning over and over in his head before he had a sudden realization. “That’s…that’s it!!!” He exclaimed, rushing from the kitchen with his coffee mug in one hand, and half-eaten Pop-Tart in the other. The genius sped past Raphael, rattling off scientific terms to himself like a mad man. When he reached his lab, he turned and stopped to stare down his brother before grinning wide and slamming the doors shut. 

“DONNIIIIIIE!!!” Raphael roared, racing up to the large laboratory doors and thrusting his fists into them. The doors showed no signs of permitting entry from the assault, but he did leave a significant dent.

*****************************   

Across the city, you ran down the darkened streets dressed in a lab coat and business casual. You were late for work, but chose the sweet relief of alertness over punctuality, as you quickly slipped into a small coffee shop to grab a cup. And today, you needed that extra boost of energy more than any other. After securing your liquid adrenaline, you happily headed to work, not needing to walk far. You approached the gigantic facility that was TCRI, and walked inside. As always, you held up your credentials to the guards at the desk, who permitted entry, and touched your badge to an electronic pad which then granted you access through secure titanium doors. 

Doing your best to stifle the overwhelming stress that all but consumed you as of late, you drew in a deep breath and went about your normal routine at the laboratory. As the day wound down to a close, you prepared to carry out the mission you had been given. It was now late into the night, and all of your colleagues had long since left for the day. 

You remained, working on the latest project involving nano technology as a form of biological warfare. Subtly sabotaging the efforts of the project; in good conscience, you couldn’t allow it to be successful. The very idea of implementing this abhorrent tactic made you cringe, but you did what needed to be done in order to carry out a far more important assignment, retrieving a vial of Dr. Stockman’s highly sought after genetic modification formula. Tonight, you would secure a sample to bring back to your actual employer.

The security guards weren’t even a bother, all you needed was a little bit of Nitrous Oxide to temporarily take care of them. Slipping silently into the main laboratory, you did a quick survey of your surroundings before proceeding. Having already knocked out the security cameras, and programmed them to show previously recorded footage, you were not concerned. Knowing exactly where it was kept, you located the ooze and tucked the vial into your pants pocket posthaste. 

“Y/N?” Instantly recognizing that voice, you turned to see one of the head geneticists, Sampson, steadily approaching you from across the room.

“Hello, Sampson.” You greeted your colleague tactfully, showing not even an ounce of lost composure from his unanticipated presence.

“Why are you in here? This isn’t your working sector.” He inquired through narrowed eyes, all the while analyzing you skeptically.

“Doreen asked for my assistance with the centrifugation of subjects 2201XJ8 and 2243XW9.” You had glanced briefly at the recent project files earlier in the day to prepare yourself for just this type of scenario.

“That’s odd…2201XJ8 and 2243XW9 were contaminated and, thus, thrown away several hours ago…” suspicion piqued, he advanced towards you quicker than you could react. Attempts to flee came too late, and he managed to grab hold of your collar. Swiftly wriggling out of your lab coat, you gained freedom from his grasp. Thinking on your feet, you hit the conveniently placed bright red lock down button and slid underneath the door, trapping your coworker inside. Something told you that you weren’t the first person to do that. 

Sampson wasted no time dialing a contact in his phone as he watched you escape, “Yes…Hello, I heard that your gang will do pretty much anything for the right price…I have a job for you.” He knew full well that he couldn’t enlist the foot ninjas for assistance, admitting his incompetence to the Shredder was a fate worse than death. Completing the transaction with his hired thugs, he smiled deviously as they confirmed their pursuit of you. The sunrise met your eyes as you fled the building, taking off down the street knowing that you weren’t out of the woods just yet.

*********************************

It had been over a year since Donatello began his quest for the ooze, and now the culmination of his hard work was finally coming to fruition. And in all irony of ironies he, partially, had Raphael to thank for it. The purple liquid bubbled within the beaker that housed it, begging to be tested, and the genius just couldn’t resist. He carried on like a kid who received the keys to a candy store. 

Unfortunately, he couldn’t test it right away, what with his brothers in the lair. With all of them present, it would be impossible for him to slip out in his human form unseen. So he waited. Several days later, the police scanner picked up a report of foot clan activity, and Leonardo called his brothers together to discuss plans to investigate. Donatello smooth talked his way out of going, claiming he was close to a breakthrough in his research, which wasn’t a complete lie. He simply neglected to mention that it pertained to the purple ooze.

With his brothers out chasing the foot, the brainy terrapin had the lair to himself, at long last! Well, with the exception of Master Splinter, but sneaking past him was a non-issue. Donatello was beaming as he ­­­peered into the vessel that contained his scientific masterpiece, just one sip should be enough…He knew that the effects of his synthetic ooze would be temporary, a purposeful attribute given to it by him, it’s creator. All the purple clad turtle wanted to do was experience what is was like to be human. If, following the testing phase, he felt as though he was meant to be that way, he’d later rework the formula to be permanent. That, however, was a venture for another day, now was the time for experimentation. 

Shutting his eyes tight, he drank from the vial. After waiting for a moment, he opened them, unsure of when it would take effect. Suddenly, his muscles began to ache, as a tense feeling surged throughout his body. He watched his fingers divided from three to five on each hand, just as he’d witnessed when he tested the formula previously. Gradually, his skin changed from green to a pale peach and his scales smoothed out into soft flesh. The excited lad tripped over himself while rushing into his bathroom, wanting to watch in the mirror as the transformation unfolded.  

Donatello stared back at himself in awe, he had ears! The oversized tortoise shell glasses he always wore slipped down his face more than usual as his snout took the shape of a much smaller, yet still prominent, human nose. Freckles dusted across his pale cheeks and shoulders as wavy raven black hair cascaded down from his head, delicately framing his face and stopping just a few inches past his jawline. He was so distracted by his new facial features that he didn’t even notice his shell had disappeared. 

Once the metamorphosis was complete, the triumphant brainiac threw his head back, and laughed like an evil genius. A slight reduction in body mass occurred during his shift in form, not enough to be discernible to the naked eye, however, it was enough to cause his pants to lose their grip on his hips. The villainous laughter was interrupted when his bottoms proceeded to slip from his slender human waist, and he grabbed his Millennium Falcon patterned boxers before those followed suit. 

“Oh no…what am I supposed to do? I can’t go topside in the nude.” to remedy his immediate and unexpected need for human clothing, he turned to Michelangelo’s room. That pack-rat of a turtle collected mundane artifacts as if they were valuable treasures to be hoarded, surely he’d be able to find something usable in that mess. Donatello entered the room, piles upon piles of clothing, unusable electronics, and other clutter filled it, along with several empty boxes of pizza. He scrunched his nose at the effluvia that hung in the air, his little brother somehow managed to make his particular corner of the sewer smell even fouler.

Holding his breath, the nerdy young man randomly chose one of the many mounds of oddments and rummaged through it. After some digging, he managed to find one black muscle tee that read “Rad Dude” in a trendy red colored font, a pair of very worn black converse shoes, and a pair of denim jeans, ripped at the knees. The best article of clothing he’d found in the stash being a flannel shirt in various shades of purple. Having no time to be picky, the thief made off with what he’d found.

While returning to his laboratory to get changed, the turtle turned human was nearly knocked out by the putrid clothing that he held in his arms. This was unacceptable, there was no way he was going to wear something that smelled worse than a sewer, he needed to wash the garments before he ventured to the surface. Stepping into the seldom used laundry room, Donatello flicked on the lights and blew the dust from the old machines. As he reached for detergent, he wondered if they even still worked. Tossing the clothing and soap into the washer, he turned it on to find, much to his surprise, that it was still fully functioning.

Now needing to wait for his clothing to go through the entire washing and drying process, the impatient turtle fidgeted in frustration at the unexpected delay. Coming to terms with his predicament, he passed the time by logging the alterations that occurred during his shift in form, to ensure he had enough information to further his research on the ooze’s effects. Making quick work of his notes, he then switched the laundry to the dryer. The waiting game began anew and he swiftly found himself consumed by boredom once more. He wondered what else he could do to fully immerse himself in the human experience. 

Thinking about how atrocious his clothing smelled, and worried the washing may not fully rid the garments of their stench, he decided to create a fragrance. Knowing full well that humans often wore scents to conceal smells, but also for the purpose of attracting potential partners. Donatello scoffed at the thought, the likelihood of him finding another person who shared mutual interest during the, more than likely short, duration of his experiment was slim at best. 

As if he were concocting a a witches brew, the bespectacled lad swirled together various scents into one of his unused beakers. In no time at all, he had a cologne with top notes of orange blossom and vanilla, middle hints of almond, and a musky base. More than satisfied with his Eau de Don, he dabbed it on gleefully.

All the sudden, a clatter came from the living room, and the sound of his brothers voices could be heard. Donatello’s smile dropped, there was no way they’d already returned from their mission, it felt as though they’d just left. The digital clock on one of his many computers proved him wrong, it was already 4:00am! He’d gotten so carried away in preparation for his excursion topside, that he paid no attention to how quickly the hours flew by. 

Thankfully, the time spent wasn’t a complete waste, he documented when he administered the ooze and was tracking the duration of it’s effectiveness. Exactly eight hours had elapsed, and he was still human. Quite an impressive lasting ability, he thought, giving himself a congratulatory pat on the back. Unfortunately, with his brothers now home, he was effectively trapped in his laboratory for the time being. He couldn’t just saunter out of his lab looking the way he did, what a spectacle that would be. 

“Looks like I have another sleepless night, er…well, day at this point.” He chuckled to himself, slumping back in his computer chair. It took two more hours before the potency of the ooze came to an end. The reversion from human to mutant being, unsurprisingly, more painful than the obverse. Now returned to his old turtle self, the purple masked ninja ventured out into the common room, only to find his brothers passed out on the couch and the floor. He stifled a laugh, turning on his heel back into his laboratory. Seizing this opportunity, he wasted no time administering himself more ooze and stealing up and away to the surface.

Wintry weather was drawing to a close, and a slight warmth danced on the breeze as spring began to move in. The mutant in human’s clothing relished in the glow of the sun, something he didn’t have the privilege of doing often. Strolling down the street like Toby McGuire in Spiderman, Donatello was smiling from ear to ear. He was topside in broad daylight and not a soul took notice of him, he couldn’t believe it, it almost felt like a dream.

Not paying attention to where he was going, the happy go lucky lad found himself lost in a more secluded side of town. Sure, he could easily navigate New York at night, but the city looked so different during the daytime. Suddenly, a cry of distress shattered his concentration. It came from somewhere nearby. Instinctively, the ninja rushed in the direction from which the voice originated. 

The shouts led him to an alleyway where two rough looking men circled around you, your hands poised to fight, but subtle shuddering alluded to hesitancy and fear. They were both very muscle bound, one slightly smaller than the other, with distinct purple dragon tattoos on their arms. When Donatello approached, they immediately took notice of his presence. 

“What’s going on here?” He demanded a response from the ne'er-do-wells, despite knowing the answer.

“Get outta here, four eyes.” the smaller thug scoffed, “You see, this little rat has something that we want.” and the larger man chimed in, “So, it’d be in your best interest if you left us to our business.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” Donatello stood his ground, “It’d be in your best interest if you left them alone.” He then assumed a fighting stance. 

The brawnier of the two men eyed the brave young man and laughed incredulously. “And just what exactly are you going to do to stop us, little man?” 

To which Donatello replied, “Looks can be deceiving.” aside from having a height advantage, there was no denying that the thugs had significant size over him. They were far more massive compared to his still muscular, yet lithe, build. Finally acknowledging their potential threat, the two men advanced towards their new target, leaving their prey behind.

The stranger turned hero locked eyes with you, “Run, you have to get out of here, it’s not safe!” an exclamation that was cut short by the smaller thug, who came rushing at him, brandishing a knife. With keen reflexes, Donatello deflected the attack, kicking upwards at just the right moment to send the knife whipping over his assailant’s shoulder. Once you’d seen that maneuver, there was no way you were about to leave. You were far too intrigued by this ridiculously tall young man with undeniably amazing fighting skills, you yearned to learn more.

“Alright, mister fancy feet, it’s time to dance.” the larger man jested as he cracked is fists, fitting brass knuckles onto them. Donatello scanned the area and grabbed a nearby pipe from the dumpster, twirling it through the air, just as he would his bow staff. If there’s one thing his father taught him, it was that anything can be used as a weapon if wielded properly. 

“Haha, look at this, I guess dance class is over, and now it’s time for baton practi–” using the metal pipe, Donatello knocked the wind out of the hulking hoodlum before he could even finish his taunt, sending him flying backwards into a pile of garbage. 

“I suppose I can strike ‘taking out the trash’ from my list of chores.” Donatello snorted at his own one-liner and his gaze happened upon you, as you watched with wonder. A smile played across your lips, and you laughed at his witticism, waving to him. The suddenly flustered hero awkwardly waved back.

The knife wielding thug recovered his weapon, catching Donatello off-guard as he flirted with you, slipping the knife to his throat from behind. The thug was unsuccessful in his attempt, however, when the captive drove his heel into the man’s foot, causing him to release the knife. While his assailant was distracted, he reached both arms around, heaved the man over his shoulder, and back dropped him onto the hard pavement. There was no recovering from that attack anytime soon. He then shifted his stance to face the other foe, who had since recuperated from the previous assault. The behemoth barreled towards him like a charging rhinoceros. 

“Bad move, I know exactly how to deal with this.” Donatello smirked as he anchored himself with the pipe, and delivered a swift low kick to the thug’s ankles, causing him to topple to the ground. Confident that he had both enemies disabled, your victorious rescuer turned his attention to you.

“Are you alright?” the lanky lad inquired as he sprinted to your side, adrenaline still pumping from the fight. He failed to stop soon enough, resulting in him accidentally knocking you against one of the brick walls in the alleyway. The two of you were nose-to-nose, so close that you could feel each other’s breath. His towering form would have been intimidating, if not for the goofy smile on his face. 

“Aaah, oh my god, I am so sorry!” He promptly leapt back, “You didn’t need that on top of what you’ve already been through today. I am really, really sorry, I’m such a klutz.” He apologized profusely, running his fingers through his purple tinged black hair, refusing to meet your gaze.

“Jeeze, that was like something straight out of a cheesy rom-com.” You jested, in an attempt to ease his nerves. 

Not the reaction that he was expecting, the nervous hero let out a sigh of relief. “Y-yeah, I suppose that it was, wasn’t it?” He stuttered, still a bit anxious, but less so thanks to your funny observation. 

“And you’re certainly no klutz, I saw the way you fought off those goons, you’re incredible! How’d you learn to fight like that?” You asked him, eyes filled with amazement and genuine curiosity. 

“Well, my father taught me, along with my brothers…” Donatello replied flatly, in an attempt not to appear worked up by your compliment, for fear that he’d make a fool of himself further. Butterflies were forming in his chest, he’d never spoken to another person so close to his age, aside from April and Casey. 

Unfortunately for him, you were eager to learn more about your happenstance hero, and before he knew it, he was being quizzed rapid-fire. “Oh, you have brothers? How many?” and with barely a breath in between, you rattled off more questions. “What are their names? What’s yours?”

“Uuuh…three…Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo…And I’m--my names Donatello.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Donatello. My name is Y/N! What interesting names…are your parents big fans of Italian Renaissance artists?” You looked to him, eyes wide with curiosity.

“Okay, stop. STOP. I don’t recall agreeing to a game of 21 questions!” He put an end to your onslaught of inquiries. 

Enthusiasm quashed, you backed off, smiling at him sheepishly. Though it wasn’t long before you bounced back, and with one hand on your hip and the other pointing at Donatello, you offered a proposal. “Alright, then…Would you like to play 21 questions?” Your eyes flickering with anticipation, the same kind of unrelenting determination he frequently saw in his brother, Mikey. 

From experience with this personality type, Donatello knew it would be easier to simply humor you rather than try to get out of it. He was absolutely baffled by you, your intentions were unclear, and he was not certain that you were someone he could trust. Regardless, he reluctantly agreed to engage in your game. 

“I’m so sorry for that…sometimes I get a bit carried away. I enjoy meeting new people and learning about what factors lead to making that person into who they are.” You grinned, playfully kicking up your feet as you strolled down the street together. It was obvious that Donatello was trying to keep his distance, as the space between the two of you was fairly significant, to the point where it appeared as if you were walking separately. “You don’t trust me, do you?” He cursed at how perceptive you were. 

“Well, to be honest, no…not really. We’ve only just met.” He stated simply, his eyes scanning you up and down with suspicion. There was a long silence before you broke it with another question.

“How tall are you?” He was amused by the obvious question and quickly answered, “6'6”“ 

“You must garner a lot of attention walking down the street.” a comment that threw him into a fit of laughter as he thought about what he actually looked like. If only you knew how little he drew attention this way compared to if he strutted down the street in his real form. 

“What? HA! Me? No way. Now if I were–” Donatello clammed up, he nearly outed himself  to human that he’d just met. As if you’d ever believe him, but still…there was just something about you, you were easy to talk to. He laughed again at the thought before continuing, “Uuuh, so, you said that you have a dog, right?” He attempted to redirect your attention by also engaging in the game with his own inquiry. 

“What was that? You just trailed off mid-sentence.” an attempt to no avail, you demanded a reason for his inexplicable change of subject. “And…I don’t remember telling you that I have a dog.” in that moment, roles reversed, and you were the one suspicious of him. 

Another misstep, this was very out of character for Donatello; and for the first time in a while, he felt vulnerable. After some quick reflection, he realized that he’d picked up on the dog’s scent during your accidental close encounter in the alley earlier. Though his nose appeared human, his senses themselves, remained as sharp as they’d always been. 

“Are you a stalker?” You questioned him bluntly. 

“What? No, I’m not stalking you, I promise.” 

The sincerity of his answer confirmed your speculation to be false.“Alright…but I’m watching you!” You narrowed your eyes at him. 

“Who’s the stalker now?” the charming young man shot you a cheesy grin upon delivering his terrible joke. You stuck your tongue out at him, and he chuckled. A sudden breeze whipped up, startling the two of you. Even though the winter weather had mostly gone, a slight chill remained in the air. You shivered reflexively, realizing that you had sacrificed your coat amidst the chaos of escaping from Dr. Stockman’s laboratory. 

Donatello immediately noticed your discomfort and removed his flannel over-shirt, giving it to you with a warm smile. His cold blooded innards were not happy with his choice to shed clothing, and he was unable to disguise his own trembling reaction to the cold as he handed you his shirt. Without saying a word, you reached out a shaky hand and took it. While you were putting it on, a blush crossed you face for just a moment, as his scent wafted up from the clothing. 

“Thanks.” the pleasantry was all that you could muster for words as you fought hard to stave off your rosiness. 

“Purple looks good on you.” that sweet compliment pushed you over the edge, and your face flushed completely red as you turned away from him. 

“Y/N…Are you alri–” His sentence was brought to a halt as an all too familiar feeling hit him abruptly, indicating that the ooze’s potency was waning. Aware that his time as a human was now limited, he took a queue from his older brother, Raphael, and acted on instinct. The distressed young man proceeded to back away slowly before breaking out into a full sprint. With your back turned, you were none the wiser. Feeling suddenly alone, you finally turned to find that your escort had vanished, leaving only his flannel shirt to remember him by.

…to be continued.

[hadeschan]

We’re sorry, this item has sold out

item # K15A59

RARE Pra Khun Paen Pim Soom Ruan Kaew Luang Phor Kreun Wat Sangko, Nua Din, Pim Yai. A baked clay Pra Khun Paen amulet with figure of crowned Buddha seating inside an elaborate arch. Made from earth/soil collected from the chambers of Chedi/stupa in Suphan Buri Province where ancient baked clay Buddha amulets were kept, and powder crushed from broken ancient baked clay amulets from Suphan Buri Province, for instance; Pra Khun Paen Gru Wat Pra Roop, Pra Khun Paen Gru Ban Krang and, Pra Gru Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat. Made by Luang Phor Kreun of Wat Sang Kho (Wat Sang Khositaram), Suphan Buri Province after BE 2480 (CE 1937).

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PRA KHUN PAEN

The Pra Khun Paen is a type of amulet with figure of Pra Buddha Chinnaraj seating inside an elaborate arch. This type of amulet was first discovered at Wat Pra Roop Archaeology Site, Suphan Buri Province. And such type of ancient baked clay amulet with figure of Pra Buddha Chinnaraj is called “Pra Khun Paen” ever since. It was called Pra Khun Paen to honor the Thai famous Warrior General Khun Paen, the Governor of Suphan Buri Province in the Kingdom of Ayutthaya.

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Luang Phor Kreun of Wat Sang Kho (Wat Sang Khositaram), living between BE 2442 to BE 2504, a disciple of Luang Phor Nhong of Wat Klong Ma Done (Wat Amphawan), Suphan Buri Province, and a classmate of Luang Phor Sod of Wat Paknam Pasichareon.

After death, Luang Phor Kreun was declared clinically dead, but the body of Luang Phor Kreun remained fresh for days or weeks without any signs of decomposition, putrefaction or skin discoloration. Thais believe that only highly Buddhist Masters who have high meditative practice, their body would not decompose after death. Wat Sang Kho temple preserves his body, and built a building to house the body, and for Looksit (disciples / followers /adherents/ worshippers / devotees) of Luang Phor Kreun to pay respect.

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The legend has it that Luang Phor Kreun blessed/Consecrated his amulets in his alms bowl, and with his mind power, the amulets lifted themselves into the air, and flew away and landed broken on the ground, and after landing they were not in good shape mostly damaged, cracked and chipped. The only way to catch the amulets and prevent them from breaking is to have Luang Phor Kreun to bless/Consecrate inside a canopy mosquito net.

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BEST FOR: Pra Khun Paen of Luang Phor Kreun is believed to have a very high power to charm and connect with people upon meeting them, and create a lasting impression. Metta Maha Niyom (it helps make people love you, be nice to you, and support you no matter what you ask of). Mahasanay (Magic Charm) it helps turn you to prince charming in the eyes of girls. Pra Khun Paen is one of Thailand’s Best amulets for Nak-layng in Thai refers to ruffian (a violent person, especially one involved in crime), Mafia Boss, Crime Prevention Police Officer, Park Ranger, Nak-layng Poo Ying (a connoisseur of women / a womanizer), and Field Soldier. Kongkraphan Chatrie (it makes you invulnerable to all weapon attack), Klawklad Plodpai (it helps push you away from all danger), Maha-ut (it stops gun from shooting at you), Wealth & Prosperity, Maha Laap (it brings lucky wealth). It warns danger coming ahead. Kaa Kaai Dee (it helps tempt your customers to buy whatever you are selling and it helps attract new customers and then keep them coming back. And Ponggan Poot-pee pee-saat Kunsai Mondam Sa-niat jan-rai Sat Meepit (it helps ward off evil spirit, demon, bad ghost, bad omen, bad spell, curse, accursedness, black magic, misfortune, doom, and poisonous animals). And this amulet helps protect you from manipulators, backstabbers, and toxic people.

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*With Award Winning Certificate, the Second Award Winner of Nov 3, BE 2562 (CE 2019) Buddha Amulet, Image and  Coin Competition at Ratthaprasatphakdi Building B, the Government Complex Commemorating His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, organized by M.R. Seni Pramoj Foundation, and Kuang Apaiwong Foundation, supervised by Samakomphra (Thai Buddha Image Admiration Association).

PLEASE NOTE THAT the name of the amulet on the Award Winning Certificate is wrong, but the category number on that competition of the amulet is right. The previous owner of this amulet did not inform the Organizer to correct it.

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DIMENSION: 4.90 cm high / 2.80 cm widest / 0.80 cm thick

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item # K15A59

Price: price upon request, pls PM and/or email us hadeschan@gmx.us

100% GENUINE WITH 365 DAYS AUTHENTICITY GUARANTEE.

Item location: Hong Kong, SAR

Ships to: Worldwide

Delivery: Estimated 7 days handling time after receipt of cleared payment. Please allow additional time if international delivery is subject to customs processing.

Shipping: FREE Thailandpost International registered mail. International items may be subject to customs processing and additional charges.

Payments: PayPal / Western Union / MoneyGram /maybank2u.com / DBS iBanking / Wechat Pay / Alipay / INSTAREM

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[turtlethon]

"Return of the Shredder"

Season 2, Episode 1

First US Airdate: November 26, 1988 First UK Airdate (Hero Turtles version): January 3, 1990

Shredder re-emerges from Dimension X with a plan to frame the Turtles.

Turtlethon continues with a look at "Return of the Shredder", the first episode of season 2 of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987). A memorable and historic episode in many ways, so apologies in advance if I go on a bit! This one is a story by season one's writers David Wise and Patti Howeth, but with a writing credit for Christy Marx.

"Return of the Shredder" is the first episode to air on the BBC in the UK as Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles at the beginning of 1990, opposite Mr Majeika on ITV; The TV scheduling equivalent of being the first jobber to lose to Goldberg.

For most UK kids, this would have been the first piece of Turtles media they'd ever seen. And without any knowledge of S1, it raises a lot of questions. As mentioned in the "Turtle Tracks" recap, things like the comic adaptation and trading cards would do a lot of heavy lifting to fill in the gaps. The other notable thing is there's STILL a lot of ninja content in this episode, and some weapons use. It was largely edited out of the Hero Turtles version but the BBC took it upon themselves to make at least one additional edit.

2021 UPDATE: When I first revisited this episode in January 2020, I only had access to a German dub of the Hero Turtles version for comparison purposes. Since then I’ve been able to acquire multiple English language VHS releases of the TMHT edit of Return of the Shredder, so I’ll discuss the changes made in a separate post.

This episode opens with Michelangelo and Leonardo witnessing a robbery while shopping for groceries. They make short work of the crooks and after making their escape, April interviews the cashier about the incident for the Happy Hour News.

The German dubbers took some interesting liberties when they adapted the above interaction between April and Burne Thompson.

USA version

APRIL: They're heroes, I tell you!

BURNE: Bushwa!

German dub

APRIL: They're heroes, I tell you!

BURNE: BULLSHIT!

This episode includes the first appearance of Burne's girlfriend Tiffany, whose shtick is that she finds turtles disgusting. She considers anyone that defends them a "lousy turtle lover".

(Tiffany definitely went on to become one of those MAGA blondes that has a selfie of themselves in the car wearing giant shades as their userpic)

We then get a scene where the Turtles explain at length their connections to Splinter and Shredder, no doubt much to the relief of anyone watching the Hero Turtles run.

One of the first major turtle mix-ups here, where Raph is depicted talking at length but has Leo's voice. There's a way better one later on in this ep though.

Splinter has a vision that Shredder is about to return. I'd forgotten about this aspect of his character, where he has some vague mystical sixth sense about things and isn't just a wise old man that got turned into a rat. I kinda hate it to be honest.

Krang teleports Shredder to Central Park(?) where he's approached by two knife-wielding muggers, all of which remains intact in Hero Turtles. Why are nunchucks verboten and knives aren't? Your guess is as good as mine...

Shredder sees off the muggers by chopping a branch off a tree that kinda falls in front of them. They're so impressed that they give all THEIR money to HIM and run away.

This isn't even the only time in this episode that he gets people on-board by just wrecking up the place.

At the Slash-For-Cash Dojo, Shredder encounters Smash, voiced by Peter Cullen in sadly his only TMNT '87 appearance.

Ironically, Smash looks nothing like Smash from famous WWF tag team Demolition (Barry Darsow) but kinda does resemble his partner Ax (Bill Eadie).

Persuasion, the Shredder Way:

1) Walk in to someone's place of business and announce you're in charge now

2) When they object, destroy their property

3) Everyone will be so impressed they'll immediately fall in line

London, Tokyo, Paris, Washington. I'm impressed that Channel 6 is apparently so well-connected, considering we typically only ever see about four people working there

Over an unspecified amount of time Shredder turns Smash's useless students into super ninjas. They're all presented with spiffy turtle shell tunics.

WHO MADE THESE? Was Shredder up all night on the sewing machine meticulously crafting turtle outfits for the entire class?

The fake turtles go on a crime spree that mostly involves Smash karate-chopping cash registers and kicking bank vaults while the others watch, making the time Shredder spent training his pupils seem completely worthless. This soon makes the news, and the Turtles end up being blamed.

Shredder breaks into the asylum where Baxter is being held and they escape. They don't take the guy who thinks he's Napoleon with them, and frankly the rest of the series will be a little worse off as a result.

April's Turtlecom has a tiny satellite sticking out of the side of it.

Not a satellite dish, an actual satellite, the kind that orbits the Earth from space.

Donatello what are you doing

I love this scene where the animation just flakes out.  

Raphael = Leonardo

Leonardo = Leonardo

"Something strange has happened, now there are TWO Optimus Primes!"

5.1 billion people on Earth in 1988, and only two of them could teach a person this very nuanced method of kicking a door in.

Bizarrely, these lines of dialogue from Burne and April were sampled in Turtle Rhapsody Remix (from the 1990 TMNT movie soundtrack).

A recurring theme of the series later on will be that Shredder doesn’t know where the Turtle Lair is located, but Baxter just found it six episodes in. I guess they had to relocate after this.  

Our heroes soundly defeat Smash’s minions and grill him for info. He tells them where Shredder is, and they’re on their way.

The whole thing ends with the Turtles tracking down a kidnapped Splinter, some convoluted hi-jinks involving Baxter's rat-catcher and a battering ram, and the bad guys getting away. Pretty standard stuff.

April exposes the Crooked Turtle Gang as imposters. An infuriated Tiffany demands Burnsie debate her in the free marketplace of ideas.

The show ends with the turtles arguing about who April was winking at in her news report, only for her to break reality by responding from within the TV that it was intended for Splinter.

“Return of the Shredder” is a notable outing in a number of ways, particularly given that it ended up being the de facto first episode of Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles. Putting that aside, it also expands on some ideas developed in the first season about the media shaping the public perception of the Turtles, something that we’ll see more of in the future (in “Turtles on Trial” next season, for example). The idea of the team being framed for crimes committed by someone else will pop up again even sooner, in “Invasion of the Punk Frogs”.

Sadly, neither Peter Cullen nor Smash will appear in TMNT after this. Other Transformers alumni will appear in guest roles throughout the series though. One character introduced here who will return is Tiffany, who we’ll see again next season.

As I alluded to previously, this episode was heavily edited to bring it in line with the BBC’s broadcast standards, in fact it might actually be the most censored in the entire run. Some of the changes made are downright ridiculous, and I’ll cover them in a future post.

[turtlethon]

“The Case of the Killer Pizzas”

First US Airdate: November 5, 1988 First UK Airdate (TMHT): February 7, 1990

Krang sends Shredder alien eggs from Dimension X that hatch into fearsome creatures.

With the Eye of Sarnath portion of season 2 done and dusted, the remainder of 1988’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes are self-contained fare, kicking off here with “The Case of the Killer Pizzas”. The writing credit for this episode goes to Douglas Booth, another eighties cartoon regular who provided us with several Transformers adventures, most notably the entirety of The Ultimate Doom trilogy in 1984.

Making their return in this one are Rocksteady and Bebop, seen here flanking Krang. At this point their role remains relatively minor, with both of them only getting a couple of bits of dialogue throughout. Krang is sending alien eggs through the dimensional portal to Shredder and... Baxter Stockman?

“Curse of the Evil Eye” saw Baxter finally break off from Shredder after one insult too many, and making a play to obtain the Eye of Sarnoth for himself. That episode ended with Shredder punching Baxter in the face before getting flushed away after the Eye exploded. Now not only is Shredder still around, but he’s patched things up with Baxter and we’re acting as if nothing ever happened.

Shredder and Baxter hit the town and intimidate a young man into giving them the flyers he’s handing out for an upcoming pizza bake-off. Shredder floods the sewers with the flyers to get the attention of the Turtles, but Splinter spots the tell-tale signs of his spiked gauntlets on the paper. The Turtles decide to attend the bake-off anyway to stop Shredder and pick up some pizza in the process.

The Turtles hide out in a back alley as the bake-off is held. Shredder is also lurking, seemingly hiding in an archway. Meanwhile Baxter volunteers to help announce the winners of some free pizzas that are being given away as prizes.

Actually, Shredder was somehow hiding behind a leaning tower model. After he emerges the Turtles end up battling him in a kitchen. By “battle”, I mean a lot of dough gets thrown around. Shredder comes out on the losing end, understandable given that the Turtles are in their natural element here.

Back at the bake-off, Baxter has placed the alien eggs on the pizzas and rigs the contest so that the Turtles are announced as the winners. But two of the contest prizes end up being used to fulfil deliveries and substitutes are provided as prizes for the Turtles instead. The third pizza – which does have one of the eggs placed in the box – is grudgingly provided by Michelangelo to April as a thank you.

Later, April and Irma re-heat the pizza in a microwave and a small red creature emerges. Irma faints at the sight of it, which gives April cover to contact the Turtles on what appears to be a 1980s cellphone.

The Turtles arrive and attempt to capture the creature, only for it to burn a hole through the wall and escape. They assume that it’s left the building, when in reality it’s climbed up into the roof above them.

Realising that the original pizzas that had been substituted must have also had these eggs placed on them, the Turtles spring into action to try and track them down. April and the Channel 6 news crew are on the trail. She’s accompanied today by Vernon and “Handsome Vernon”.

Dropping in via blimp, the Turtles confront two children. They attempt to warn them that they absolutely must not re-heat those pizzas.

I mean he’s got you there.

Needless to say, the kids ignore the Turtles and two more creatures emerge. April and her crew chase them through town, our heroes also in pursuit via the Turtle Blimp.

Meanwhile Irma discovers the first creature is still in the apartment. The alien forges a path from the laundry room down into the sewer system, with Irma following it. Soon everyone involved is in the sewers, where the three mini monsters submerge themselves in water and transform into enormous terrors.

Shredder and Baxter are also here, the latter wielding a device that he can use to control the monsters and have them attack the Turtles. Realising what the contraption does, Donatello knocks it out of Baxter’s hands into the water, meaning now the aliens are out of control and a threat to everyone. A tenuous alliance is briefly formed between Shredder, Baxter and the Turtles.

Ultimately the Turtles defeat the creatures by having them make contact with some severed electrical cables, and the resulting power surge causes them to revert to their egg forms. Shredder and Baxter soon make their exit.

In the mix also were Irma and the news crew, but mid-way through all this action April explains Irma fainted again and Vernon fled. That still leaves one person unaccounted for though: Handsome Vernon, who despite having appeared in at least four episodes now still doesn’t have a real name. Was he devoured by the killer pizza creatures or has he survived? I’ll keep you informed of any further developments.

In the lair, the Michelangelo has prepared more pizzas and some meatballs. The show ends by hinting that he may have mixed them up with the alien eggs and that the Turtles are about to have to go through this all over again, but that much is left to our imagination.

A-1 Productions again handle animation duties for this episode, and both in terms of looks and storyline it’s the kind of standard Turtles romp you might expect from this era, with an even greater than usual number of pizza gags and no shortage of slapstick. An average TMNT outing all-round.

Next time, the B-movie horror of season 2 continues as a major villain shake up takes place in “Enter the Fly”.

[turtlethon]

“Enter: Mutagen Man”

Season 5, Episode 6 First US Airdate: September 21, 1991

A mutagen-related accident causes a nerdy courier to become the shape-shifting Mutagen Man.

Our trip through the fifth season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continues with “Enter: Mutagen Man”. David Wise is back on writing duty for this adventure, which aired back-to-back with “Donatello’s Badd Time”.

Today Donatello has dragged the other Turtles along to watch the launch of a rocket which is heading on a four-year mission to explore the surface of the planet Venus. A little odd that such a thing would be taking place in the middle of New York, but not entirely unprecedented given that we also saw the launch of Donald J. Lofty’s trash rocket out of the city last season. While sneaking around the grounds of the rocket site, the team notice a Central-Matic Waste Disposal system, a wall-mounted hose that sucks up dirt into a central incinerator. The Turtles are spotted by a cantankerous security guard, and quickly drive off in their van.

In the Technodrome, Krang complains to Shredder that Rocksteady and Bebop need to hurry and get the ingredients required for a new batch of mutagen prior to the rocket’s launch. When Shreds points out he already knows this, Krang declares “I’m not – I'm telling the audience!” (This gag was funnier when they did it the other way round two years ago in “Super Bebop & Mighty Rocksteady”.) In what must be one of the most potentially horrifying things our villains have ever plotted, their scheme today involves placing the mutagen in the fuel tanks of the rocket, with the resulting vapor trail covering the city in the substance and mutating New York’s citizens.

Bebop and Rocksteady return to the abandoned chemical plant Shredder is working out of, and recount in detail their failure to retrieve a supply of Byndex-3, a critical component for the mutagen. The conversation is interrupted by a visiting courier, a stereotypically nerdy man called Seymour Gutz who mistakes the plant for a flower shop and insists upon dropping off a letter there. The Boys open fire upon the platform he’s standing on, knocking him into a vat of mutagen; due to the absence of Byndex-3 in the mix, the courier’s body parts begin to separate. Showing his trademark disdain for human life, Krang cares little for the fate of this intruder but is furious that his mutagen has been contaminated.

The Turtles return to the Lair in time to see April report live from outside the premises of Ace Scientific Company. The location was raided earlier by two men said to be wearing animal masks, who tried to steal the site’s supplies of Byndex-3. In another “I think the Turtles get stupider every year” moment, the team are baffled as to who these mystery men could possibly be, and even after Splinter nudges them along by suggesting the men might not have been wearing masks at all, it still takes them a few moments to figure out this was the work of Bebop and Rocksteady.

Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady have worked to retrieve Seymour from the chemical vat and find a way to keep the remains of his body together. Now sporting a head that looks like Krang’s with dentures, a translucent torso and a tank mounted on his back that provides a steady supply of a “powerful mutation-causing agent” that sustains his form, he’s dubbed “Mutagen Man” by Rocksteady.

Understandably despondent, Seymour declares that he’d be better off if he looked like Bebop before unwittingly taking on the warthog henchman’s form, becoming his exact double. Impressed, Krang instructs the former courier to try turning into Shredder (and somehow extends one of his tentacles through the screen he’s appearing on.) Seymour complies, taking on Shredder’s appearance, then cycling through the forms of Rocksteady, Krang and Bebop once again before winding back in his default Mutagen Man state. Shredder encourages Seymour to infiltrate the Ace Scientific building and retrieve the Byndex-3, as it’s the only way he’ll be able to assume his old form and permanently stay that way.

The Turtles sneak into the Ace building via a basement grate, but are confronted by a stereotypical Irish officer, another bit that was done better in season three with Sergeant O’Flaherty. This guy isn’t even a policeman though, but rather a security guard named Butch O’Reilly, and in a sign of how much the series has changed in two years, he carries a laser gun instead of a revolver like his predecessor. Meanwhile, Seymour assumes the form of a different guard. He infiltrates the building, retrieves the Byndex-3 and prepares to make his exit as the first act ends.

As we return from commercials, Seymour finds his mutation has worn off. Working nearby are April and Irma, fresh off their recent report on the earlier raiding of the building. When April points out that the cable on their camera is damaged, Irma heads into a nearby maintenance closet to get some tape. (An odd thing to do, it must be said, since the contents of that closet aren’t theirs to take.) Seymour traps Irma in the closet, assuming her form and meeting up with April. When quizzed as to what happened to the tape, the new Irma has no idea what’s even being talked about, to April’s frustration. There’s no time to quibble, however, as Burne needs them both to return to Channel 6’s offices.

O’Reilly continues to hold the Turtles at gunpoint. Assuming them to be “green monsters”, he calls his superior, convinced this will lead to him getting a promotion, but reaches a busy line. Meanwhile Seymour watches April load equipment into the news van, before realising his mutation into Irma’s form is beginning to wear off. Panicking, he runs away, leaving April puzzled. The Byndex-3 is now in the Channel 6 news van, and heading back to the station’s headquarters, and so Seymour finds himself forced to return to Shredder for further guidance. Back in the Ace building, Irma finally manages to charge through the door of the maintenance closet and escape.

April arrives back at Channel 6 and is perplexed to find a container of Byndex-3 among the equipment retrieved from the van. The real Irma storms into the room and is furious at April for leaving without her while she was trapped in the closet. (Thoughtfully, she did indeed bring back a roll of tape as requested.) Nothing in Irma’s story lines up with April’s recollection of events, and so the reporter reaches out to the Turtles to help make sense of things.

The green teens and April discuss their respective predicaments via Turtlecom, with O’Reilly continuing to wait on the line as he points his gun at our heroes. He finally makes it through to his Chief and explains he’s captured “four green monsters in the basement of the Ace Scientific company”. After being met with disbelief, he declares that if it turns out he hasn’t captured a quartet of monsters, he’ll turn in his badge. Upon hanging up, he finds the Turtles have escaped, and hurls his badge on the ground in a fit of rage. (This scene has me thinking perhaps he was supposed to be a cop after all, and the episode just decided to confuse the issue by having police officers and security guards both wear the same uniforms.)

Seymour is sneaking around near the Channel 6 building when he spots the Turtles approaching it. He assumes the form of Michaelangelo, walking along behind the team and creating confusion after he successfully mimics the real Mikey’s voice. Seeking a distraction to keep the Turtles away from the Bindex-3, he then becomes an old lady, standing in the middle of the street and pretending to be in danger. After Donatello and Michaelangelo intervene, Seymour lures them into a nearby alley and traps them in a dumpster. Becoming Mikey again, Seymour meets up with Leo and Raph, insisting that a construction worker perched atop a nearby building is “in mortal danger”. The two Turtles take the bait, running off to help and leaving the imposter to enter the Channel 6 building.

Inside the station offices, Seymour overhears a conversation between Burne Thompson and Vernon Fenwick, in which the belligerent boss growls about Vernon’s talk show’s low viewership – apparently the “Vernon” show we saw back in “The Dimension X Story” has continued to be a thing this whole time. Seymour adopts the form of the snide reporter, and briefly has an interaction with the real Vernon – who thinks nothing of this, writing off his double as being nothing more than “a handsome fellow” - before running into April and Irma. After being teased by Irma about the impending cancellation of his show, the fake Vernon seems disinterested. He picks up the container of Byndex-3 and announces that the Ace company asked him to return it. April is highly suspicious of Vernon’s uncharacteristic behaviour, and decides to track her colleague.

Leonardo and Raphael scale the construction site and meet up with the worker who they were told was in danger. Given that this was a ruse by Seymour the man is initially confused, but after getting a look at the duo he begins screaming about the arrival of “alien monsters”. The other men working at the site turn out to attack the Turtles, including the guy April interviewed back in “Menace, Maestro, Please”, who both was and wasn’t working at the Floxy Theater.

April’s attempts to trail Vernon fall apart after she screams upon seeing him turn back into his Mutagen Man form. He takes the reporter to an overhead tramway, politely explaining that he’s only following the orders given to him to eliminate any witnesses to his activities. Seymour ties April to the tramway’s cable mechanisms, which pull her toward a pair of large whirring wheels and her impending demise as act two ends.

Act three begins with another of the “Menace, Maestro, Please” construction workers confronting Leo and Raph, as he’s also convinced that the Turtles are alien invaders. Raphael goes some way towards lampshading the improbability of anyone in New York not knowing who the Turtles are at this point by declaring that they must have seen them on TV. The moustachioed man counters that they do, “and the first thing you alien invaders do is learn our language!” He opens fire with a nail gun, and after almost getting hit by a sledgehammer from April’s former interviewee, the two Turtles end up dropping off the side of the building. Flinging themselves back up, Raphael and Leonardo have a barrel full of grease knocked in their way to deter them, but wind up using this to slide past the workmen and down a nearby dump chute. Landing back on the street, they run into Donatello and Michaelangelo, who have since managed to free themselves from the dumpster.

In a sequence that’s just one long parade of implausible moments, April manages to contact our heroes via her Turtlecom, which is in one of the chest pockets of her jumpsuit, without the use of her hands. Clearly now only a few feet away from the spinning wheels, she tells the Turtles that they need to get to the East River Skytrain “in about one minute”. Leonardo declares that they’re only a few blocks away, and in the next shot the team are seen riding atop the roof of a bus, arriving outside the tramway tours office. April is somehow still alive, and Raphael jams a sai into one of the nearby wheels at the last possible second.

With the clock ticking until the rocket launch, Krang and Shredder realise they’ll need to add the Byndex-3 to the mutagen at the launch site due to its late arrival. Seymour returns with the cannister and expects to be restored to his original form. In a particularly cruel moment, not only does Shredder refuse to do so, he goes out of his way to disconnect the cable leading to the tank on the mutant’s back, an act that will cause him to eventually fall apart.

The Turtles and April arrive at the abandoned chemical plant after Shredder makes his exit in a transport module. There, they find Seymour running around, mutagen gushing out of the cable connected to his body. After Donatello hooks it back up, the team learn of Mutagen Man’s origins and Shredder’s current plan.

Bebop and Rocksteady are being given their marching orders at the rocket site by Shredder when Krang arrives in his own transport module, insisting on supervising the Scheme of the Day himself. The Turtles also show up and start to execute a plan of their own, restraining The Boys and having Seymour assume the form of Bebop. The fake version of the henchman lures Krang into being captured by the Turtles as well, and Mutagen Man goes on to become a clone of the alien warlord.

Shredder is confused after being given a new set of instructions by the imposter Krang. The real Krang, however, is more than a match even for all four of the Turtles, throwing them off and freeing Rocksteady and Bebop. By the time Krang attempts to warn Shredder about the current situation, it’s too late: the Turtles taunt Shreds, pointing out that he just dumped the mutagen into the Central-Matic Waste Disposal system. With the rocket now launching, the villains escape back to their transport modules, their plan thwarted.

Donatello aids Seymour in preparing to assume his final mutation back into his old form. The Turtles are perplexed when instead of reverting back to looking like nerdy person seen on his photo ID, the courier instead chooses to become a suave man in a blazer and turtle neck sweater. Seymour declares that he “may be a nerd, but [he] is not stupid”, before confusing our heroes even more by insisting he still needs to find his way to the flower shop to complete his delivery.

Returning to the Lair, the Turtles watch as April reports on the successful rocket launch, announcing that she’ll be celebrating by having a night on the town with Seymour. The green teens are horrified by this and all begin yelling over each other, crying “OH NO WAY” and “TURN IT OFF!” I think they may be overreacting just a teeny bit.

We can always count on David Wise to come through with the goods, with this adventure feeling like something of a return to form after the insulting “Michelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko”. This time around we get a debuting character and action figure handled well, at least in so far as the Turtles aren’t any worse off for having Mutagen Man enter their orbit. The decision to have Seymour’s story end here with him adopting a new human form is surprising, but given that his origin and mutation are more gruesome than most, it’s hard to begrudge him getting a happy ending, and coming out of this story in a better position than he was going into it.

The character of Seymour Gutz/Mutagen Man was developed from a sketch by Turtles co-creator Peter Laird of an ape-insect mutant fusion called “The Unknown”. This would be adapted into the Mutagen Man action figure released by Playmates a year prior to the debut of this episode, one of the more fondly-remembered supporting characters from this era. The file card for the figure details the character’s origin story, which is broadly similar to what’s depicted in his cartoon depiction.

“Enter: Mutagen Man” is an enjoyable affair, introducing a new character who doesn’t overstay his welcome and using the core cast (the Turtles, Shredder and his bunch, and the Channel 6 crew) effectively. Whether by accident or by design, some old routines from prior episodes resurface here and are less effective than the first time around; there are also moments that truly stretch the viewer’s suspension of disbelief to breaking point. Thirty seconds or so of the rare sight of the Turtles getting to battle Krang is enough for me to forgive these little foibles, though. David Wise remains the foremost writer of this series, and we’ll see his work again next week in “Michelangelo Meets Bugman Again”; before that we have another solo Turtle adventure to look at, “Donatello’s Badd Time”.