Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Present Mighty Mutanimals

The Mighty Mutanimals were a  from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures distributed by Archie Comics. The Mutanimals were an organization of mutant who were friends of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

The Mighty Mutanimals were originally a with three issues, and later the Mighty Mutanimals totaled twelve issues and one collection, which had the mini-series' issues. The mini-series was released throughout May 1991 until July 1991, and the other nine issues were released from April 1992 until June 1993. The mini-series collection was released in Winter 1991.

After cancellation, the Mutanimals received their own 7-part backup-series in the pages of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures beginning in issue 48 and ending in issue 54. This series saw the assassination of the Mutanimals at the hands of the high-tech Gang of Four. Issues 55-57 continued the aftermath of their death and its effect on the Turtles' storyline.

The Mighty Mutanimals made a small cameo appearance in Tales of the TMNT #58.

Dean Clarrain, Ken Mitchroney, Mike Kazaleh, and Garrett Ho all worked on the comic book mini-series.

One of the characters in the Mutanimals was Dreadmon, a half-man, half-Tasmanian wolf with super speed.

Core Members

 * Dreadmon
 * Jagwar
 * Mondo Gecko
 * Leatherhead
 * Wingnut & Screwloose
 * Man Ray/Ray Fillet

Reserve Members/Prominent Allies

 * Candy Fine
 * Ninjara
 * Slash
 * Merdude
 * Splinter
 * TMNT

Other Allies

 * Glub Lubs
 * Kid Terra

Cancellation
The Mighty Mutanimals own title was canceled due to faltering sales in 1993. However the team continued to appear in their own backup stories in the on-going Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. However, during the "Megadeath" arc of the Mighty Mutanimals, and the "Future Shark" trilogy arc of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, all of the characters were killed off. Slash, was shortly killed off as well in an attempt to avenge the Mutanimals.

This was a very rare occurrence due to the demographic of the series being young children. Also, even rarer were the fact that the deaths happened during a time travel storyline and could have been easily undone...but they were not.

The creator of the Mutanimals, Ryan Brown, has stated that the reason for this decision was that the Mutanimals were supposed to be something completely different than the Teenange Mutant Ninja Turtles. Since the series, and proposed cartoon show, were cancelled, he no longer wanted his creation to become a second-fiddle act. Instead, he thought The Mutanimals could have a much more lasting impact if they were killed off.

Interesting enough, the killing off of the Mutanimals, and the lasting effect it would have, was contemplated for sometime and planned in advance. Slash was introduced to the comics, only because he, along with Metalhead, were to become Mutanimal Members. This would happen after Jagwar and Dredmon were to be killed off. Just like what eventually happened to The Mutanimals as a whole, Dredmon and Jagwar were becoming second-fiddle characters. Jagwar & Dredmon were the only original members created solely for the series, and as such had no previous fan interest. Instead of letting this happen, Brown, decided he would kill them off, so that their deaths would create a lasting appeal to the characters and help set a darker tone for the remainder of the series.

It is theorized that Slash was killed off shortly after due to there no longer being a need for the comic incarnation of his character, since the Mutanimals were dead. His death also contributed to the lasting appeal of The Mutanimal characters.