Rat King (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) cameo appearance in "Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles" Vol. 4, watching as Splinter succumbs to a heart attack and dies while retrieving milk from a refrigerator. Much of the Rat King's origin is later revealed in an issue of "Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" Vol. 2; the story reveals that a group of beings known as the Pantheon exists, with each member of the group having jurisdiction over a species of animal. When the time of the Pantheon member who rules the rats reaches an end, a new one is chosen, a scarred and heavily bandaged (explaining the Rat
Rat King (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) "ice cream kitty" at him, attacking him and breaking his control over Splinter. Though the Rat King had the advantage over Splinter by using both his sight and his pet rat "Aristotle", Splinter managed to remove the Rat King's advantage with their fight concluded when the Rat King's last attempt on Splinter caused him to fall off a high ledge to his death. The Rat King returns in "Darkest Plight," after a wounded Splinter ended up falling into the chasm. Rat King proceeds to torture Splinter until he is defeated, revealed to be the product of a fever-induced dream when