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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Difference between revisions
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''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (or [[TMNT]]) began as a comic book by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, who formed the idea from a napkin drawing one of them made while eating at a pizzeria. The first story began as a tale in the vein of [[Frank Miller]]'s ''[[Daredevil]]'', with the four titular ninja battling the Shredder to avenge the murder of Master Splinter's master, Hamato Yoshi. After a fierce battle, they successfully kill him. A surprise hit (often attributed to the unique name), the series continued with applying a [[Fantasy Kitchen Sink]] motif: with time travel, robots, and aliens introduced within the first ten issues. Despite their inauspicious beginnings, the series became so popular that an action figure deal was struck, which then snowballed into an animated series, movies, and every type of merchandise under the sun, turning it into one of the biggest [[Cash Cow Franchise|cash cow franchises]] of the mid-eighties/early nineties.
The major incarnations of the franchise are as follows:
* '''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Mirage|The Mirage Comics]]''' (1984-1993, 2001-2010): Stories featuring the original incarnation of the turtles. These are notable for its semi-real time storytelling (stories written after 2001 featured the turtles in their thirties); its lack of a consistent [[Rogues Gallery]]; and alternating between "throw-everything-at-the-wall-to-see-what-sticks" and "heavily focused" approaches to storytelling. This incarnation comprises Volumes 1, 2, and 4 of the ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' comic book, two volumes of ''Tales of the TMNT'', and a multitude of one-shots and mini-series.
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* '''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003|The second cartoon (2003-2009)]]''': Mirage teamed up with [[4Kids! Entertainment|4Kids]] in order to produce this new cartoon, this time making sure it had a closer resemblance to the comic book it was based on. Nicknamed TMNT 2k3, the series featured faithful adaptations of most of the comic book's stories, contained major [[Arc|story arcs]], and straightened up the original patchwork narrative and made it more coherent. Surprisingly for a show produced by someone with 4Kids' pedigree, it has avoided several of the tropes associated with Saturday Morning cartoons, such as [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]] and [[Status Quo Is God]]. It ended in 2009, after six years, seven seasons, and two retools.
** ''[[Turtles Forever]]'', an animated movie crossing over this incarnation of the turtles with that of the first cartoon, and acting as a celebration of the franchise's 25th anniversary.
* '''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IDW|The IDW Comics]]''' (2011-): The first new incarnation of the turtles following the purchase by Nickelodeon, it features elements from all previous incarnations before it, as well as a heavily revised origins for the familiar characters.
* '''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 series)|The third cartoon (2012-)]]''': The first cartoon produced by Nickelodeon.
* '''Videogames''': By both [[Konami]] and [[Ubisoft]]. Notable entries include:
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* [[Absurdly Spacious Sewer]]
* [[Action Girl]]: Several, most notably April O'Neil (depending on the incarnation), and Karai.
** Ninjara in the Archie series.
* [[Adaptation Distillation]]: The 4Kids series and the fourth movie. The first movie successfully blends the original comics and cartoon into a coherent whole.
* [[Adaptation Overdosed]]: You think the list above is already long? Well, there are also the newspaper strip, a series of British-made short comics, two anime [[Original Video Animation|OVA]], two live action musical specials, a couple of novels, several kid's books, magazines and crossovers and heaven know how much toys and merchandise.
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* [[Awesome McCoolname]]: Renaissance Artists and Japanese names and Irish names and Athletes and Violent Verbs and Notorious Conquerors, oh my! Wait; I think I missed some!
* [[Badass Bookworm]]: Donatello.
* [[Badass Pacifist]]: Donatello is known as the least violent of the four turtles and would rather use his intellect to solve conflict than his fighting skills. However, he is VERY competent in his fighting when it is needed.
* [[Badbutt]]: Nearly as iconic to the heroes as [[Totally Radical]] is their application of [[Unusual Euphemism]], at least in the 1987 series. "What the Shell" is one of the most uttered phrases in the 2003 series; at least as often as "Cowabunga" in the 1987 series.
* [[Beauty to Beast]]: April when turned into a fish mutant.
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* [[Big Bad]]: Although the different incarnations may have their own individual Big Bads, The Shredder is the most traditional and consistent foe the turtles come across.
** Ironically, he was a [[Villain of the Week]] in the original comic.
* [[Big Brother Instinct]]: The turtles all fall under this trope at one time or another, in all the various incarnations. It has also applied to Casey and April.
* [[Blade Below the Shoulder]]: [[Captain Obvious|The Shredder]]
* [[Bodyguarding a Badass]]: Shredder's Elite Guard.
* [[Canon Foreigner]]: Krang, Bebop, Rocksteady, Venus de Milo, Tatsu, Tokka, Rahzar and many more.
* [[Canon Immigrant]]:
** '''Archie Comics to Mirage''': Cudley the Cowlick
** '''4Kids Cartoon to Mirage''': Foot Mystics, The Battle Nexus, Hun and Bishop,Shredder's armor.
** '''First Film to Mirage''': Charles Pennington
* [[Cash Cow Franchise]]
* [[Catch Phrase]]:
** '''Fred Wolf series:''' "Cowabunga!" "Turtle power!"
** '''Films:''' "God, I ''love'' being a ''turtle!!''
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* [[Conspicuous Trenchcoat]]: The turtles' way of staying hidden. On the other hand this ''IS'' New York, where nobody looks at anybody else, so, fair enough.
* [[Cosmic Keystone]]: {{spoiler|The dimension of the original Mirage Comics for the Multiverse}} in "Turtles Forever".
* [[Crossover]]:
** Most important is Miyamoto Usagi of ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]'', who has appeared in the original comics and the Fred Wolf,4Kids cartoons; the turtles have also made the occasional appearance in the ''Usagi Yojimbo'' comic books.
** And ''[[Turtles Forever]]'', a crossover between the 4Kids and Fred Wolf shows. {{spoiler|Did I mention the comics?}}
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** ''The Next Mutation'' guest starred in the ''[[Power Rangers in Space]]'' episode "Shell Shocked".<ref>Retroactively, this did get ''[[Power Rangers]]'' to beat ''[[Super Sentai]]'' to the punch at an [[Intercontinuity Crossover]] with an eleven-year gap. For the record, the ''Sentai'' crosover was ''[[Kamen Rider Decade]]''/''[[Samurai Sentai Shinkenger]]''... and ''Shinkenger'' is as just as well loved as ''In Space'', like ''Decade'' is as hotly contested as ''The Next Mutation'' (albeit for different reasons).</ref>
** [[Rayman|Rabbids]] in the ''Smash-Up'' video game. They [[Ruined FOREVER|immediately]] became new [[The Scrappy|Scrappies]] for the TMNT fandom.
** There was a crossover with Planet Racers, another comic created by Peter Larid, in an episode of the 2003 series.
* [[Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass]]: Michelangelo, in every incarnation, is the usually the goofball/slacker/fun-loving guy of the group, but when it comes down to having an actual fight....you don't really wanna be on the receiving end.
* [[Cut Lex Luthor a Check]]: Repeatedly subverted by Baxter Stockman. In the Mirage comics, after making a large legitimate fortune with his Mouser robots, he then proceeds to use them to commit terrorism for kicks. In the 1980s cartoon, he tried using them legitimately but was rejected by every pest control company in town ([[You Fail Economics Forever|They Fail Economics Forever]]). In the 4Kids cartoon, he makes a huge legitimate fortune with them, and then starts using them to rob banks simply because he's a greedy bastard.
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** Except for Leo's swords in the 4Kids cartoon (even though everyone still calls them katanas), or the 2007 CGI movie, one might point out...
*** In the live-action movies Leo is obviously wielding Ninjatos.
* [[Everyone Is Gay]]: For better or for worse, there are several fanfics detailing romances between the turtles. Not only that, but there are also drawings of turtle (literal) bromance. Some are actually well [http://i.imgur.com/YCSR5.gif done]. Of course, this gets a little weird when they're supposedly brothers but [[MST3K Mantra]].
* [[Evil Power Vacuum]]: Occurs after the Shredder is defeated at the end of the ''Return to New York'' arc in the Mirage comic books and in the second cartoon.
* [[Exposed Extraterrestrials]]: In all of their incarnations, the turtles are seldom seen wearing anything besides their bandanas and weapons, unless it's part of a disguise.
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* [[The Future]]: Plays a significant part in several incarnations, particularly in the Mirage and Archie comics, which had several stories starring future versions of the turtles, and the second cartoon, whose setting for the entire sixth season was the year 2105.
* [[Generican Empire]]: The Federation.
* [[Genius Bruiser]]: Leatherhead in the 2k3 incarnation.
* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: In the episode "Fallen Angel" in the 4kids series, Leo (in disguise) asks Raphael "What is the deal with humans and clothes?" Raph's response? "You ever see a human in his skivies? Trust me, It's not a pretty sight." So what does Raphael do with his free time?
* [[Good Republic, Evil Empire]]: Averted all to hell in the 4Kids series. Both [[The Federation]] (humanoids) and [[People's Republic of Tyranny|The Republic]] (Triceratons) are pretty nasty.
* [[Government Agency of Fiction]]: D.A.R.P.A. in the Mirage comic books and its animated counterpart, the Earth Protection Force.
* [[Grand Finale]]: ''[[Turtles Forever]]''.
* [[Highly-Visible Ninja]]: The turtles, of course. There are other ninjas present too (some of the Shredder's minions for an example) who stand out from the crowd.
* [[Honor Before Reason]]: A trait seen in most incarnations of Leonardo. It goes both ways though- either he is commended or, if something goes horribly wrong, grievously injured.
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* [[Hot Reporter]]: April O'Neil.
* [[Human Aliens]]: A large part of the Federation, including most of its army.
* [[I Don't Pay You to Think]]: In ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III'' Whit says "I think she's telling the truth" to which Walker replies "Really? Well, I don't pay you to think, do I? I pay you to lie, cheat, and steal."
* [[If I Can't Have You]]: The reason why Oroku Nagi beats on Tang Shen in the original comics, and why Oroku Saki and Yukio Mashimi kill her in the movie and the 4Kids cartoon, respectively.
* [[Interdimensional Travel Device]]
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* [[Medium Awareness]]: A regular feature of the first cartoon.
* [[The Merch]]
** [[Official Cosplay Gear]]
* [[Merchandise-Driven]]: ''TMNT'' didn't start this way, but it moved in this direction once the toy line became hugely successful. Ironically, it was originally intended as a slightly [[Darker and Edgier]] ''parody'' of merchandise-driven cartoon series and comics. Then the creators realized it was becoming one, and just rolled with it, and now the series has become the archetype for such franchises. It's even had a parody or two.
* [[Mistaken for Aliens]]: Occurs to the turtles a lot, once the existence of aliens is actually made known to the general population.
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* [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot]]: Do we really need to explain this one? Besides the obvious, there are also robot ninjas.
* [[Non-Lethal Warfare]]: Depending on the incarnation.
* [[Non-Mammal Mammaries]]: Venus de Milo
* [[No Transhumanism Allowed]]: Partial aversion. The 4Kids series has a cyborg and an infomorph, but only villains are non-organic, for the most part. Honeycutt, an [[Brain Uploading|uploaded man]], is a subversion.
* [[Old Superhero]]es: The original Justice Force.
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* [[Pragmatic Adaptation]]: The original movie and 4Kids cartoon.
* [[The Professor]]: Tons: Donatello (when he's not a [[Teen Genius]]), Professor Honeycutt, Leatherhead, Glurin, Professor Obligado, Dr. Chaplin... Ironically, the one guy actually called "The Professor", from the 4Kids cartoon, isn't an example.
* [[Race Lift]]: Baxter Stockman in the Fred Wolf cartoon and one-shot villain Skonk in the 4Kids cartoon, who were both changed from African Americans to Caucasians.
* [[Red Oni, Blue Oni]]: Raphael and Leonardo. Heck, even their headband's colors match.
** Also, Michelangelo and Donatello, to a lesser extent.
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* [[Sibling Team]]
* [[Sixth Ranger]]: Venus de Milo in ''The Next Mutation''.
* [[Slime, Snails and Mutant Tails]]: All the radioactive waste, mutant friends and foes, ooze etc.
* [[Stealth Hi Bye]]: These guys could give Batman a run for his money at this.
* [[Stock Ninja Weaponry]]: Frequently used by the turtles.
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* [[They Would Cut You Up]]
* [[Third Option Adaptation]]: Splinter defeating Shredder in [[The Movie]].
* [[This Is Gonna Suck]]: The phrase used, most often by Raphael and Hun, is "Ah, crud."
* [[Those Two Bad Guys]]: Bebop and Rocksteady.
* [[Thou Shalt Not Kill]]: Used or averted, depending on the incarnation. The Fred Wolf animated series and its spin-off comic book use it; the original comic book, movies, and 4Kids animated series generally don't.
* [[Time Police]]: Renet and Lord Simultaneous, who form part of a larger, if unseen, organization.
* [[Title Theme Tune]]: All of the western cartoon themes.
* [[Totally Radical]]: They live in [[Big Applesauce|New York City]], but sound like a bunch of [[Surfer Dude|surfers]] from [[American Accents|Southern California]]. (''Especially'' Michelangelo, and sometimes—depending on the continuity—excepting Raphael.)
*** It's ''usually'' only Mikey. Raph has a Brooklyn accent in the films too, and even in the Fred Wolf cartoon series Mikey was the only one to sound like a surfer dude, though they all used "Cowabunga."
* [[Trademark Favorite Food]]: Pizza, at least in the Fred Wolf cartoon and movies.
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* [[Turtle Power]]: [[Trope Namer]].
* [[Uncanny Family Resemblance]]: Ananda to Battling Bernice (daughter/mother)
* [[Vague Age]]: Occurs with several of the characters throughout incarnations, due to a lack of specific dates or starting ages. [[Captain Obvious|The mutant ninja turtles are nearly always teenagers.]]
** Nearly all fans seem to agree (based on the average confirmed starting ages per post-comic continuity, if given any) that the four are fifteen, and gain a half-year per season or age in real-time (week-for-week).
* [[Vitriolic Best Buds]]: Casey and Raph tend towards this in most continuities.
* [[Volleying Insults]]: Done playfully between Casey and Raph in the Mirage comics, in a scene which was later adapted for the first movie and 4Kids cartoon.
* [[Web Comics]]: Online fan comic/manga "MNT Gaiden"
* [[Weirdness Magnet]]s: Aliens, demons, robots, ninjas, Atlanteans, monsters, corporate executives, crazy people, members of near-extinct races and species, spirits, ghosts, psychics, alive machines, time traveling miscreants, [[
* [[Widget Series]]: Seriously, the only reason this franchise makes any sense is because we're so used to it.
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