Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Comics
Leonardo (Leo) – The tactical, level-headed, courageous leader and devoted student of his sensei, Leonardo wears a blue mask and wields two katana. As the most conscientious of the four, he often bears the burden of responsibility for his brothers, which commonly leads to conflict with Raphael. Leonardo was named after the Italian polymath, painter, engineer, inventor, writer, anatomist, and sculptor, Leonardo da Vinci. Michelangelo (Mikey or Mike) – The most stereotypical teenager of the team, Michelangelo is a free-spirited, relaxed, goofy, jokester known for his love of pizza. Michelangelo wears an orange mask and wields a pair of nunchaku. He provides the comic relief, though he still has an adventurous side. The least mature of the four Turtles, he shows characteristics of a "surfer" type and is often depicted with a Southern Californian accent. He is named after the Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, architect, poet, and engineer, Michelangelo. His name was originally misspelled "Michaelangelo" by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman. Donatello (Donnie or Don) – The scientist, inventor, engineer, and technological genius, Donatello wears a purple mask and wields a bo (staff). Donatello is perhaps the least violent turtle, preferring to use his knowledge to solve conflicts, but never hesitates to defend his brothers. He is named after the early Renaissance Italian artist and sculptor from Florence, Donatello. Raphael (Raph) – The team's bad boy, Raphael wears a red mask and wields a pair of sai. He has an aggressive nature, and seldom hesitates to throw the first punch. He is often depicted with a New York accent. His personality can be fierce and sarcastic, and oftentimes delivers deadpan humor. He is intensely loyal to his brothers and sensei. He is named after the Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance, Raphael. Splinter – The Turtles' sensei and adoptive father. In the original comics, Splinter is a Japanese mutant rat that learned the ways of ninjutsu from his owner and master, Hamato Yoshi. His name and character are a parody of the Marvel Comics character, Stick, who trained Matt Murdock/Daredevil. For the 1987 TV series, Splinter's origin was changed so he is Hamato Yoshi himself mutated into a humanoid rat. In the IDW comics, he is Hamato Yoshi reincarnated as a mutated rat. Other versions usually follow one of these origins. April O'Neil – A former lab assistant to the mad scientist Baxter Stockman, April is the plucky human companion of the Turtles. April first met the Turtles when they saved her from Baxter's Mouser robots. She embarks on many of the Turtles' adventures and aids them by doing the work in public that the Turtles cannot. In the 1987 TV series, Archie Comics series, the first three films, and the 2014 film reboot, April is a television news reporter. In the 2007 CGI film, she and Casey Jones own a shipping firm. In the 2012 series, April is a teenager who is rescued by the TMNTs and later given some "crash courses" in being a ninja by Splinter. Casey Jones – A vigilante who wears a hockey mask to protect his identity, Casey Jones has become one of the Turtles' closest allies, as well as a love interest to April. Casey first encountered the Turtles after having a fight with Raphael. He fights crime with an assortment of sporting goods he carries in a golf bag, such as baseball bats, golf clubs, and hockey sticks. The Shredder – A villainous ninjutsu master called Oroku Saki, he is the leader of the Foot Clan, an evil ninja clan. In every incarnation of the TMNT franchise, he has been the archenemy of the Turtles and Splinter as well as the main villain in most versions of the franchise. The Shredder prefers to use his armor instead of weapons in some versions. Foot Soldiers/Ninjas – The ninjas of the Foot Clan who work for the Shredder. They are probably the most common villains that the Turtles encounter. Karai – A female high-rank member of the Foot Clan, she has appeared in several different TMNT comics, cartoons, and films, as well as in multiple video games. In her original appearance she was a commander on the same level as Shredder while in some of her later incarnations of the character, she is closely related to Shredder as his adopted daughter or biological granddaughter as well second-in-command. In most works, she shares an ambiguous rivalry with Leonardo, which occasionally even borders on romantic interest. Baxter Stockman – Baxter Stockman is a scientist and inventor who often acts as an enemy to the Turtles in various incarnations. He is known as the inventor of the mouser robots that appear in many versions, and is often depicted as allied with the Foot Clan, Krang, or going on his own. Krang – Krang is a small brain-like alien warlord who often appears as one of the main villains of the franchise alongside The Shredder. The character was originally inspired by the Utroms, an alien race from the original comics, while in later versions he is a member of the Utroms. In some incarnations Krang would often team up with Shredder while some versions have them as rivals for conquest. Bebop and Rocksteady – A criminal duo of a mutant warthog and rhinoceros, respectively, that were originally two human thugs that become the Shredder's henchmen in some versions. They are usually depicted as super-strong but not very smart. Eastman and Laird's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered in May 1984, at a comic book convention held at a local *Sheraton* Hotel in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It was published by Mirage Studios in an oversized magazine-style format using black and white artwork on cheap newsprint, limited to a print run of only 3,250 copies. Through a clever media kit that included a press release in The Comics Journal #89 and a full-page ad placed in Comic Buyer's Guide #547, the public's interest was piqued and thus began the Turtle phenomenon. The small print runs made these early comics and trade magazines instant collector items, and within months, they were trading for over 50 times their cover price. The name "Mirage Studios" was chosen because of Eastman and Laird's lack of a professional art studio at the start of their career, before their creation made them both multimillionaires.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-9