April O'Neil

"Okay, those guys in the black pajamas, they jumped me. And, and that rat... I saw you in the parking lot. That explains you. And you guys... Uh... I have no idea where you came from."

- April O'Neil when meeting the Turtles (Turtles movie).

Mirage Comics
April O'Neil started out as an assistant for Baxter Stockman. When she discovered that Baxter was using his Mousers for nefarious purposes, he sent them after her. She was rescued by the TMNT and brought back to their lair, where she would meet Splinter and find out about their origin. With her new friends, she returned to Baxter's hideout and defeated him. As the series went on, she became a closer friend to the Turtles and their link to the outside world. She also decided to reopen her father's antique store 'Second Time Around'. During the Shredder's sudden return (What comes around goes around/Silent Partners/Return to New York story arcs) April, the Turtles and their new friend Casey Jones had to escape to Casey's farm house in Northampton. During these events she would know Casey better and in time take a liking to him. April would live with her sister Robyn for a while during the events of City at War and find out their father died. Looking for a new place to live, she just happened to find the apartment Casey was living in. Eventually she'd marry Casey and they'd raise his adopted daughter Shadow Jones.

In TMNT Volume 2 of the series, April would be attacked by Baxter Stockman, now a brain inside a killer robot. She would be injected with something, and though the Turtles defeated Baxter, it was never fully revealed what exactly April was injected with.

This would be somewhat revealed in TMNT Volume 4, as April and Casey wondered why they couldn't have children and discovered deadly nanorobots within her system, threatening her life. With help of the Utroms, the Turtles made TMNT-style nanobots that saved April's life before Baxter's nanobots could reach her brainstem. Time would pass and April still couldn't have children. This put an emotional strain on April, and she became a female version of Nobody until she was discovered by Casey Jones. It was with the help of Renet taking her back in time that revealed that April was really a living drawing, brought to life with the help of Kirby's crystal, drawn by her father, who at the time really wanted a daughter. This was before their own biological daughter Robyn O'Neil would be born. Unlike Kirby's drawings drawn with pencil that would vanish after a while, April's father used a pen, so it might explain why April lived past thirty without vanishing so far. Questions such as if she was real or not, whether she could live or die, or when she would eventually vanish were too much for her to handle. April bid farewell to Shadow and Casey and went to be alone with her thoughts in Alaska.

Fan reaction was mixed, as many believed her normality served as a good contrast to the fantastic nature of the Turtles. No other incarnation of April has shared this origin to date.

1987 Cartoon
April O'Neil (whose middle name was purported to be Harriet) was a television reporter for Channel 6 News. She was employed by Burne Thompson, though due to her headstrong nature and passion for her work, she expressed frequent disagreement with the assignments he gave her. She also butted heads on a regular basis with Vernon Fenwick, the director/camera operator whose enormous ego compelled him to scoop April on her stories whenever possible. April was best friends with Irma Langinstein, the secretary at Channel 6. April later could usually be found wearing a distinctive yellow jumpsuit. She lived in an apartment in New York City, though during the course of the series, she was forced to relocate several times due to a variety of indirectly Turtle-related mishaps.

In 1987, having been employed at Channel 6 for less than a year, April was reporting on a series of thefts of high-tech scientific equipment, apparently by a ninja (ostensibly components Shredder was securing for use in the Technodrome), when she came under attack by a gang of punks. Thinking quickly, she managed to squeeze into a storm drain and ran from the mob until she hit a dead end. As it happens, the Ninja Turtles were nearby and soundly beat the punks. They took her back to their sewer lair for rest and recovery where they explained their origins to her. At first, she believed them to be responsible for the equipment thefts, but they agreed to provide her with the true culprits if she provided her assistance. April quickly became the Turtles' link to the outside world, since their unusual appearance effectively precluded them from functioning above ground without some sort of disguise.

In Case of the hot kimono it is shown that at least one of April's weakness is having her feet tickled, as she looked close to telling Don Turtelli the information he wanted but didn't give in.

Later in the 'Red Sky' seasons of the series, Shredder succeeded in destroying the Channel 6 building, forcing everyone to relocate. Rather than stay working for Channel 6, April became a freelance news reporter. Now she was wearing a brown jacket with a green shirt and a darker yellow pair of pants.

During the final seasons, April began to distance herself from the Turtles, even once rigorously badgering them in the press when they were framed in State of S.H.O.C.K, though she apologized when the Turtles proved their innocence. Despite still loving the Turtles, she maintained this character change for the remainder of the series, calling on the Turtles if she was in need of rescue or in over her head, but admitting that she had left her once adventurous life behind her and was trying to put her life back on track.

The reason for April's decision to become less biased towards the Turtles and gradually becoming tired of experiencing their dangerous lifestyle was never really explained, but some fans have speculated that April made a career decision to follow the facts as they existed and maintain objectivity, enabling her to be seen as a credible reporter in the city after her reputation as a supporter of the Turtles became too well known. Another popular theory is that she had begun to reach her mid-thirties and began longing for motherhood.

April revealed her age in the Season 3 episode, "Leather Head - Terror of The Swamp". While in Florida for vacation, the Turtles meet with her, and join forces with the Punk Frogs. They find a body of water contaminated with mutagen, which makes mutants feel youthful, while physically de-aging humans into four-year-old versions of themselves. Donatello does not allow April to enter the water, to which April laments, "Oh, great! I'm doomed to be a decrepid twenty-eight year old hag!" Based on this exclamation, April was born in 1962; April met the Turtles at the age of twenty-five, and was age thirty-five by the final season.

April was normally portrayed as a capable woman, but also filled the role of the typical plot device of damsel-in-distress. Her obsession with "getting a story" led to numerous instances of poor judgment which often resulted in her getting captured for the Turtles to save.

This April appeared in the Turtles Forever special which is the pre-Season 8 version.

2003 Cartoon
April is the same as in the comic, she worked for Dr. Baxter Stockman the creator of the mousers but later helps for the turtles in their fight against The Shredder.

As in the Mirage Comics, April owned an antique store which came under attack by The Shredder and the Foot Clan, who had come for the Turtles, and which was destroyed in the ensuing battle. However, when she returned home from the Northampton farmhouse where she had been staying, she decided to rebuild the store and re-open

In the episode, "Secret Origins, Part 3", the creators of the show paid homage to the original cartoon by having April don a yellow jumpsuit familiar to fans. This also includes a pinned label that reads "9", but during a mock interview it slips, turning into the familiar "6". Posing as a reporter in order to help the Turtles escape from the T.C.R.I. building, April stalled the military and bought the Turtles enough time to defeat the Shredder. Upon their escape, Leonardo jokes that April seems to have an aptitude for a career as a reporter. She responds with a sarcastic: "maybe in another lifetime". Casey Jones made a wisecrack that her jumpsuit might have been more appropriate for moving toxic waste.

April is also shown to have an attraction to Casey Jones, though their contrasting personalities often make them bicker. By the third season, the two are shown to be dating and seem to have a serious relationship. In the Fast Forward season it is revealed that the two eventually marry and have children. The two of them also found a computer company. April doesn't appear in this season in person, but her great-grandson Cody does, and many references are made to her. In the episode "The Engagement Ring" she and Casey engaged and in the episode "Wedding Bells and Bytes" they get married.

This version of April makes much more use of her scientific expertise and she often uses her computer skills to aid the Turtles. This has also meant that she has developed a closer relationship to Donatello, who shares many of her interests. The two have even showed signs of a romantic attraction but have done little to capitalize on this. Truthfully, according to a bio book given to Toys 'R' Us, they share more of a brother/sister relationship, similar to that of twins.

April also has developed a modest knowledge of combat skills after training with Splinter. She doesn't play the helpless damsel-in-distress role as much unlike the 1987 series, and her quick thinking is often a key to the Turtles' survival. Indeed, in the second season episode "April's Artifact", the turtles refer to her as Jungle Girl due to them being sucked into a jungle-like realm. Not only does she come across as being an accomplished fighter and wind-surfer, she also saves the lives of three of the turtles near the end of the episode.

Fast Forward
In the "Fast Forward" season, it is revealed that in the future, April, Don and Casey founded O'Neil Tech, and that she and Casey have had children whose family line leads up to Cody Jones in the year 2105



Back to the Sewer


In Back to the Sewer April sometimes helps Donatello in collecting Master Splinter's data bits. Casey Jones soon comes up with the courage to propose to April. When Casey places the ring he proposes to April with on her finger, it doesn't take very long for her to fall to the Ring of Yin's dark powers and evolve into a monster. However, all ends well when Casey removes the ring from April's finger, and they, along with the turtles, immediately talk about their wedding that comes along episodes later. Also, April's Maid of Honor is Michelangelo, who is a little too proud of his role in the wedding.



4kids TMNT Blog post with concept art of April's various outfits here.

Apriloneil.jpgge Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990 film)
In the first TMNT motion picture, April (played by Judith Hoag) was a television reporter (though she worked for Channel 3 news in this case) working for Charles "Chuck" Pennington, and did a series of stories on mysterious thefts in New York City whose culprits vanished without a trace. One night when leaving work, she was accosted by teenage thieves in league with the Foot Clan, but the Turtles appeared and saved her by knocking out and tying up the teens under the cover of darkness. In the aftermath April discovered and grabbed Raphael's lost sai, but Raphael soon followed her and took back the weapon and saved her again when she was attacked by a group of Foot Ninja. Unsure what to do with her, he carried her unconscious form to their sewer lair. Though her fearful reaction upon seeing the Turtles and Splinter initially got the better of her, she eventually came to regard the Turtles as friends, and even allowed them to live in her apartment after the Foot Clan discovered and destroyed their sewer dwellings. Chuck fired April for a while, though this is the only title in the TMNT franchise in which April O'Neil has lost a job. Also, Casey Jones develops a romantic interest in her but at first she didn't feel the same for him. By the end of the film, she realizes she loves him and then kisses him.

Mirroring the Mirage Comics storyline, the Foot once again attacked the Turtles in the antique shop, prompting April, the Turtles (including a wounded Raphael), and Casey Jones to retreat to her family's farmhouse in Northampton, Massachusetts. She kept a journal documenting their forced sabbatical in addition to drawing sketches of the Turtles. During their respite, April also developed a kind of love-hate relationship with Casey Jones. She grew extremely close to the four brothers as well; Michaelangelo, who initially confessed to having a crush on April, later addressed her as "Sis," indicating the role she had come to occupy in the Turtles' family.

Second and third movies
In the second and third movies, April was played by Paige Turco. In TMNT III, April was temporarily transported to feudal Japan.

TMNT: Coming Out of Their Shells
April also made a live-action appearance in the TMNT: Coming Out of Their Shells musical tour, during which her role was to incite the live audience to interact with the stage performers and encourage the Turtles when needed. She was played by Sherie Rene Scott.

TMNT (2007 film)
April appears in the 2007 film voiced by Sarah Michelle Gellar; following the continuity from the previous films, it appears that she and Casey Jones are living and working together in a shipping firm, engaged in a relationship. It is she who finds Leonardo in Central America at the start of the film, having been in the area seeking an artifact for Max Winters. No mention is made of her past as a journalist, but it is instead implied that she has taken up archaeology as a career.

She has taken up martial arts training from Splinter, purchasing a suit and armor from Japan and becoming skilled in the use of katana, apparently leaving behind her past as a 'damsel in distress'. This is demonstrated as April and Karai fight it out while Casey, Splinter and the turtles battle the Foot in order to save Leonardo. This appears to be corroborated in a collectible booklet packed in with her action figure for the film, which implies that she has become a master of the katana. The figure itself includes a katana, tonfa, and two shoulder armor pads; this outfit would be replicated for the film. It is also noted that in the beginning of the film, she wears something similar to Lara Croft's normal outfit.

Appearances in Video Games
April has appeared in several video games mostly as the damsel in distress.

TMNT Arcade Game- arcade/NES
April is trapped in her burning apartment and must be saved. But before you can do that, Shredder nabs her. Later on she's being held by Bebop and Rocksteady (In the NES Remake she is being held by Baxter Stockman in his Mutant Fly form). After being rescued, she kisses the Turtle that saved her (the one with the highest score up to that point) on the forehead and drives them around the Turtle Van, before she crashes it onto a ledge. Um.. while the Turtles jump right out in persuit of a kidnapped Splinter.. they never do show what happened to April...

TMNT- NES
April was captured by the Foot. Once rescued, she gives you her support as the TMNT must now deactivate bombs the Foot set to blow up a dam. Though April sends her support.. it really doesn't do anything in the game.

TMNT 3 Manhattan Project- NES
April is again captured, as well as all of Manhattan Island as Shredder managed to make it levitate off the ocean.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Manhattan Missions
She informs the turtles of the current state of crime in the city and helps the turtles find out what's going down in the city.

TMNT IV Turtles in Time- Arcade/SNES
This time April isn't captured (GASP!) but is present when Krang appears to steal the Statue of Liberty. In the SNES version, staying still too long makes April appear to remind the player he has to move. In the arcade Splinter did this. She also appears during the games ending.

TMNT Hyperstone Heist- Genesis
Again, April escapes Shredder's clutches. She only bears witness as Shredder shrinks down the city of New York.

TMNT Tournament Fighters- SNES
April appears to report the events and ask the fighters their victory quotes. Though I doubt she'd wanna ask Shredder or Rat King any questions. She also gets captured during the story mode.

TMNT Tournament Fighters- Genesis
April appears as an actual fighter in this game. Though based on her appearance and clothing, she most closely resembles Blaze from the Streets of Rage games wearing a bandana.

TMNT Fall of the Foot Clan/Back from the Sewers- Game Boy
April is once again captured by the Foot, and the TMNT must rescue her in both games.

TMNT 2003 games- PS2/Game Cube/X Box/PC
April appears mostly in cinemas and cutscenes, though she's an actual fighter in TMNT: Mutant Melee.

TMNT Game Boy Advance
Unlike the console games, April does appear in the Game Boy Advance version of the movie game. She (along with Splinter and Casey) gives the player mini-games, as well as appearing throughout the cutscenes based on the movie.

TMNT: Smash Up
April makes an appearance as a fully playable character, with her appearance from the 2007 movie.