Technodrome

The Technodrome is a fictional semi-spherical, tank-like mobile fortress of Krang and The Shredder, the main villains on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series, the Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics and many of the old video games. The Technodrome was also central to the plot of the 2009 Turtles Forever movie. It does not exist in any other version of the TMNT franchise.

The Technodrome is one of the toughest war machines ever created, surviving in some of the harshest environments on Earth and in space. The Technodrome is covered in foot-thick titanium armour, has a massive amount of weapons, and stands several stories tall. In addition to its massive size and armaments, the Technodrome is equipped with a Trans-Dimensional Portal that allows it and its occupants to travel from various dimensions.

History
The Technodrome was designed and built by Krang and his main engineer, Drakus, in Dimension X, Krang's home. At some point before the series Krang took the completed Technodrome and banished Drakus to Earth. Krang is later separated from his body and banished to Earth himself along with the Technodrome. He meets Shredder and they begin their partnership.

Although menacing at first glance, throughout the course of the series the Technodrome is almost always stuck somewhere, whether that be in lava, ice, under the ocean or in Dimension X, making its full capabilities never realized. The closest the Technodrome came to show its full capabilities was in the finale of season three ("The Big Blow Out"). In that episode, the Technodrome produced cutting equipment from hatches, raised up on hydraulic legs, and expanded the dimensional portal outwards. With enough power, the Technodrome is also capable of producing a powerful force field around itself that can withstand any weapons fire.



The Technodrome is capable of surface, subterranean, or underwater travel. If equipped with an engine powerful enough, it can also journey into outer space. The Technodrome is also equipped with a super portal that can transport the structure through dimensions. Krang utilized this to bring the Technodrome back to Earth, but the Turtles later used this to banish the Technodrome permanently to Dimension X.

In the last episode of the eighth season, "Turtle Trek", the Turtles destroy the Technodrome's engines and trap Krang and Shredder in Dimension X. The Technodrome gets trapped in Dimension X for good. The Technodrome is seen in the last episode of the series, when Donatello gets Krang's exosuit from it. The Technodrome has been long deserted and abandoned at that point.

Technodrome Mark II


In the two part episode Planet of the Turtleoids, Shredder and Krang built a Mini Technodrome while the original was trapped at the North Pole.

This version only stood about three or four stories tall, was yellow in color, and had a large cannon attached to the eye on the top. Shredder and Krang operated the Mini Technodrome from an operations room in one of the upper levels.

It is unknown exactly what the capabilities of this smaller Technodrome were. It had large laser guns, tank treads, and a great deal of computer equipment. There was a large forward entry hatch big enough for a 15-foot robot to enter. The primary control room was located about three stories up, had two command chairs, and a large viewing window to see out. It was situated just above the forward cannon.

The Mini Technodrome was built during a time that the Turtles were not on earth, visiting the Turtleoid planet. It was built by the Foot Soldiers, and the construction was coordinated by the robot Chrome Dome. They used the city's resources to construct the small battle fortress.

The Mini Technodrome was completed just as the Turtles returned to Earth. Shredder and Krang started the engines and prepared to crush April O'Neil under its wheels as they headed into the city.

The Turtles noticed the small Technodrome, one of them prepared to attack it with the Turtleoid ship while the other three rescued April. The armor protecting the Mini Technodrome was rather weak and it quickly took severe damage to its hull. Shredder and Krang evacuated in a transport module just before the new fortress exploded.

1987 TMNT cartoon

 * Season 1 (1987)




 * The Technodrome is first encountered under New York City. Although it was already known to be there in the pilot episode, Turtle Tracks, it was only actually seen later, in Enter the Shredder. In the last episode of the season, Shredder & Splintered, Donatello reverses the Technodrome's dimensional portal, and causes the Technodrome to suck itself inside-out into Dimension X.


 * Season 2 (1988)




 * The Technodrome spends most of the season in Dimension X. In the last episode of the season, Return of the Technodrome, the Technodrome is powered up by diverting power from the power plant at Niagara Falls, and returns to Earth. Krang then burrows underground, under New York City, and uses an earthquake generator to threaten the residents of the city into surrendering. But Donatello reverses the generator, and when Krang activates it again, the Technodrome burrows itself further underground, and goes all the way down to the core of the Earth.


 * Season 3 (1989)




 * For most of the season, the Technodrome is powerless near the Earth's core. In the third-to-last episode of the season, The Big Rip-Off, Krang and Shredder manage to steal power cells and recharge the Technodrome. Then, in the following episode The Big Break-In, the Technodrome returns to the surface, fully powered up. In the final episode of the season, The Big Blow Out, the Technodrome is on the surface and powered up, and has opened a giant portal to Dimension X in the sky over it using the World Trade Center. The Turtles manage to trick Krang into positioning the Technodrome over a sewer, where they had setup a missile they borrowed from the US Army. They launch the missile straight up; it picks up the Technodrome and carries it through the sky portal and into Dimension X and the Rock Soldiers mistake it for the Earth and shoot it.

Season 4 (1990)


 * In the first episode of the season, Plan 6 from Outer Space, it is learned that the Technodrome landed on an asteroid in Dimension X. In the episode The Dimension X Story, Krang finds out that the asteroid has a volcano. He comes up with a plan to make the volcano erupt, and harness the energy to return to Earth. But due to the Turtles' interference, the eruption instead causes a flow of lava, which quickly solidifies, causing the Technodrome to become half-buried in solid rock.
 * Season 5 (1991)
 * The Technodrome begins the season in Dimension X. Early in the season, in the episode My Brother, the Bad Guy, Krang and Shredder finally come up with a plan to get it back to Earth. However, the Turtles intervene, and although they do get to Earth, they end up trapped in the North Pole. It would remain there, trapped in ice, for the rest of the season.
 * The Technodrome begins the season in Dimension X. Early in the season, in the episode My Brother, the Bad Guy, Krang and Shredder finally come up with a plan to get it back to Earth. However, the Turtles intervene, and although they do get to Earth, they end up trapped in the North Pole. It would remain there, trapped in ice, for the rest of the season.


 * Season 6 (1992)




 * In the first episode of the season, Rock Around the Block, Krang sets up a super-laser to free the Technodrome from its icy prison. This time, the Turtles are powerless to stop him. However, Bebop and Rocksteady's own incompetence causes the plan to fail, as they accidentally hit the super-laser's controls and direct it to melt the ice directly under the Technodrome. As a result, the Technodrome sinks to the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, where it will remain for two seasons.


 * Season 7 (1993)


 * The Technodrome remains trapped at the bottom of the ocean until the final episode of the season, Shredder Triumphant. Then, Krang steals some Regenerative Power Cells and uses them to re-power the Technodrome, and move it to New York City. But the Turtles get into the Technodrome, and after defeating Shredder, they reprogram the Technodrome's dimensional portal and send the Technodrome to Dimension X, but without Shredder, Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady.


 * Season 8 (1994)




 * After falling into Dimension X, the Technodrome fell into a black hole. The intense gravity kept the Technodrome trapped there, and all the Rock Soldiers and Foot Soldiers locked inside it. The black hole also caused the Technodrome's dimensional portal to have difficulty opening where they wanted it to. Due to this Shredder and Krang choose to remain on Earth, working out of an old science building.
 * Working around the clock, the Rock Warriors eventually manage to free the Technodrome and repair it. Shredder and Krang finally make their way back to the Technodrome in the final episode of the season, Turtle Trek. The Turtles follow them to Dimension X, where they learn that the Technodrome is on the planet Balaraphon. They go to the planet, defeat Shredder and blow up the Technodrome's main engines, finally disabling it for good. A giant plant pulls the disabled Technodrome into a large hole where it lands upside down, causing severe structural damage.
 * Working around the clock, the Rock Warriors eventually manage to free the Technodrome and repair it. Shredder and Krang finally make their way back to the Technodrome in the final episode of the season, Turtle Trek. The Turtles follow them to Dimension X, where they learn that the Technodrome is on the planet Balaraphon. They go to the planet, defeat Shredder and blow up the Technodrome's main engines, finally disabling it for good. A giant plant pulls the disabled Technodrome into a large hole where it lands upside down, causing severe structural damage.


 * Season 9 (1995)


 * The Technodrome is not seen in this season.


 * Season 10 (1996)




 * The Turtles travel to the Technodrome once, in the series' finale Divide and Conquer, in order to retrieve Krang's android body to fight Lord Dregg. Donatello and Michelangelo go to Dimension X and find the Technodrome, abandoned and completely ruined on the planet Balaraphon, following the events of Turtle Trek. There is no sign of Shredder, Krang, Bebop, Rocksteady or any of their soldiers, only a few robots remain. They find Krang's old body and use the Technodrome's dimensional portal to return home. After fighting Dregg, Donatello activates the Technodrome's portal remotely and sends Dregg and the android body through it, trapping them in Dimension X for good.

Donatello and Michelangelo find the Technodrome upright and sitting on a small hill. Since it was last seen upside down in a deep hole, Krang and Shredder must have attempted to repair the massive fortress before declaring it a lost cause.

The European Vacation episodes, which aired from 1992 to 1993, actually take place during season 4, with the Technodrome in Dimension X.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures
Because the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics follow the 1987 TMNT cartoon in the beginning, the Technodrome is located first under New York City, then in Dimension X. Later in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics, Krang re-builds it into a spaceship. When Krang was defeated and sent to Morbus, the Technodrome was never seen again in this version.

Equipment

 * A trans-dimensional portal
 * Eyeball missile launchers
 * 4 trident-shaped laser cannons
 * A mounted surveillance eye on the top
 * A mouser factory
 * Training facilities for Shredder's henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady
 * Three-foot-thick titanium armor
 * Huge tank treads
 * Robot walker legs that can be used instead of tank treads (scene at the end of Season 3)
 * Large holding cells
 * Earthquake machine (used during Season 2)
 * Various drilling mechanisms

Design features

 * 972 rooms (Mentioned in episode The Missing Map)
 * A trans-dimensional portal used to transport people and objects between Earth and Dimension X.
 * Eyeball missile launchers
 * 5 trident-shaped laser cannons: two located at the top of the Technodrome at each side of the eye, two on its sides, and one on its front (occasionally, due to animation errors, they're depicted on other places, usually the rear, or more than 5 are seen)
 * 2 large laser cannons that can be deployed with multiple eyeball missile racks (seen in The Big Blow Out).
 * A mounted surveillance eye on the top
 * A mouser factory
 * Training facilities for Shredder's henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady
 * Three-foot-thick titanium armour
 * Huge tank treads, used to move the Technodrome across land or underground from each location.
 * Robot walker legs that can be used instead of tank treads (seen in The Big Blow Out)
 * Gigantic saw blades and cutting devices (used in The Big Blow Out to get an energy antenna)
 * Pedal Power Generator (used in The Big Rip-Off to generate a small amount of power when Technodrome was completely out of power)
 * Large holding cells
 * Earthquake machine (used in Return of the Technodrome)
 * Various drilling mechanisms
 * Motor pool area that houses foot bikes and technorovers
 * Trap Door in the center of the main control room as used in Hot Rodding Teenagers from Dimension X
 * Star fighter deck that houses technowings
 * Classical Japanese Dojo Rooms
 * Balance control (during near the end of Season 3)
 * Anti-gravitation generators making the technodrome able to hover slightly above the ground (used during season 2 )
 * Disintegrator Unit (season 2)
 * Relay Room
 * Street Fighter II arcade machine (series 3)
 * Engine Room
 * Laundry room
 * A turtle farm where hatchlings are bred for 126 hours before being lightly boiled in a basil and fey broth to form part of Shredder's weekly diet (series 2)
 * Two stainless steel clad toilets at either end of the structure with industrial-strength rhino dung collector contraptions.
 * Indoor Pool & Sauna

Transport modules
The Transport Modules are the vehicles used by Krang, Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady to move from the Technodrome to New York when the Technodrome is located on the Earth. Although they are best known in their underground drill form, their physical make-up actually changed as the Technodrome moved.


 * Season 1 (1987)
 * With the Technodrome located under New York City during season 1, there is no need for independent transport modules. In the episode A Thing About Rats, the Shredder uses a kind of transport elevator which extends, but remains connected to, the Technodrome. This type is also used in the arcade game and the Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics.


 * Season 3 (1989)
 * With the Technodrome located in the Earths core during most of season 3, the first of the more famous type of transport modules are used. It looks similar to a space shuttle without wings and with a drill in the front. Even Bebop and Rocksteady are able to pilot these transport modules.


 * Season 5 (1991)
 * After energizing the Technodrome with a giant electromagnet, Shredder and Krang were able to bring it back to Earth from Dimension X, but alterations by Donatello caused the Technodrome to land in the middle of the North Pole. With the Technodrome located in the North Pole during most of season 5, the transport modules from season 3 are used once again, this time to drill under the North American continent and towards New York City.
 * Later, Krang utilizes a laser from outer space to melt the Technodrome free of the ice, and the Turtles are powerless to stop it. Fortunately, Bebop and Rocksteady cause the controls of the laser to malfunction, resulting in the Technodrome ending up at the bottom of the Arctic Ocean. Once again, these transport modules are used to travel from underwater and into the city.


 * Season 6 & 7 (1992-1993)
 * After Krang and Shredder steal an anti-gravity device and make the Technodrome compatible for flight, the Turtles disabled it, resulting in the Technodrome trapped at the bottom of the ocean once again, this time near New York Harbor. With the Technodrome located under the Arctic Ocean during season 6 and season 7, Amphibious Modules, retooled underwater types of transport modules are used to get to the city faster than before.

Trans-Dimensional Portal
The Technodrome contained its own Trans-Dimensional Portal in the Main Control Room where most of the scenes of the Technodrome can be seen. The portal allowed Shredder, Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady to travel between Dimension X and Earth during the seasons where the Technodrome is located in Dimension X and allowed Krang to bring his army of Rock Soldiers to Earth when the Technodrome is located on Earth. The portal could be opened at any location on Earth when the Technodrome was in Dimension X and vice versa when the Technodrome was located in Earth, however as Shredder and his gang didn't know the location of the Turtles Lair they were unable to travel there. The portal screen could be opened and closed at any time by Shredder or Krang and also doubled as a large video screen. The video screen was often used to allow Shredder and Krang to watch the Channel 6 news presented by April O'Neil even when the Technodrome was located in Dimension X. The video screen was also used to monitor the actions of Bebop and Rocksteady or Shredder when they were on one of their missions.

Donatello also had his own portal that the Turtles could use to travel to Dimension X.

Turtles Forever (2009)


As the primary base of operations for Krang and Shredder, the Technodrome makes an appearance in the 2009 animated film Turtles Forever. However, after freeing Ch'rell from his icy prison, he not only overtakes control of the Technodrome from them, but also converts it into a flying fortress, using Utrom Technology. However, the newly redesigned Technodrone had few new abilities than it had already possessed. The Technodrome already had anti-gravity generators to hover with, and it always had the trans dimensional portal to travel to and view other dimensions with. The Technodrome already had a powerful forward facing laser cannon, and it was equipped with an impenetrable energy shield.

Unlike the original design of the Technodrome, the new forward energy laser had to be plugged into the wall in order to work. Bebop and Rocksteady turned it off by accident and then turned it on trying to help Utrom Shredder and killed him by mistake.

The only new abilities that the Technodrome gained by its redesign, were that its energy shield could redirect any energy of a weapon fired on it back at its attacker. This was seen when some fighter jets fired on the Technodrome, and the power of their missiles was fired back at them by the energy shield. The Technodrome also gained the ability to fire a powerful energy beam from its top, to compliment its forward firing cannon.

The 1987 Shredder left at the end of the movie with the newly redesigned Technodrone along with Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady. The new robot foot ninjas were called Robots 2.0 by the 2003 Michelangelo when he first battled them with his brothers at home. Its not known if the new version of the Technodrome could fire missiles or any other of its original abilities.

Technodrome in videogames


In most of the TMNT video games, the Technodrome is the final level of the game and that the Turtles must fight their way through the various section of the Technodrome to get to the final boss, alternatively either Shredder or Krang depending on the game.

In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1989 video game), the Technodrome itself was a boss character for the next to last level of the game. In order to move to the last level (set inside of the Technodrome), the Turtles must beat the Technodrome, which is portrayed as a huge screen filling boss. Defeating the Technodrome requires the player to destroy the base's outer gun turrets and the giant eye periscope at the top of the Technodrome.

The interior of the Technodrome changes from game to game: in the first Turtles NES game, the inside of the Technodrome was yellow and blue and looked like a war zone. It also included some of the bosses of the earlier levels, who did not belong in the Technodrome. However, in later games the interior of the Technodrome began to match the Technodrome depicted in the cartoon series. It started including the mouser factory, security drones, and more fitting inhabitants. The first part of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist Technodrome level is actually based on the Starbase level from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time.

The Technodrome also appears in the background of the Underground stage in the new 2009 fighting game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smash-Up, firing off lasers that causes partial cave-ins on the battlefield.

Technodrome


1990- Playmates Toys

Dubbed the "Gigantic Double-decker Mobile Fortress" The Technodrome vehicle/playset was the mecca of Turtles Toys and sits proudly alongside the Sewer Playset and the Pizza Thrower as one of the most beloved toys in the original release. Originally priced at $50, the outside of the toy is very accurate to its show appearance, complete with four rolling tank tread like wheels a giant eye that can detach from the top and bowl over its enemies and rock blasters. Much like other toys in the line the major details lied with the many decals applied to the playset.

Splitting open on either side, the inner playset was massive and included 2 rooms in each dome half Shredder's master mutant command center with view screen, and the mutation chamber of horrors with ooze-dripping scanner in one and Krang's rotating life support throne room with escape hatch into the weapons room that can hold massive amounts of foot weaponry on the other side. The center of the playset had two entrances the spiked back portal cover and a secret ooze pit with Shredder's secret entrance both lead into the mutant jail cell. Above the jail cell was two front and rear gunner stations a figure would sit (not well as most would have to be in awkward poses to fit) to pretend fire on the turtle teens. Between the two stations was a plastic ship wheel which when pulled down would release the eye spy radar, and a trap door back into the jail. Connecting one side of the playset to the center (since only one was included) was the inter-dome connection bridge with mutant manacles to suspend your turtle good guy above the ground two others were also hooked onto the jail cell. A plastic disc called a brain scrambler would peg into the base of the playset and when wound up would spin around, placing a figure on and strapping them down with a simple rubber band would make an effective torture device.

Along the outside, the Technodrome has a number of detailing Hand grip laser guns that exist only to allow the Turtles to cling onto the side. The front and back of the Technodrome had two large guns named rock blasters. On either side massive turrets point out and pivot on a hinge with a small purple platform that could be plugged into below. Although it looks like the platform below these lasers suggest a figure can sit and operate the turret, the placement of both objects make it nearly impossible for any evil character figure to do so.

There is a number of websites (including the official site for a time) that document this toy as being released in 1988 with the first wave of toys. This is false the date stamp on the underside of the base has its copyright date as 1990.

Technodrome Scout Vehicle


A toy of the Mini Technodrome was created to compliment the original. This version was referred to as the Technodrome Scout Vehicle, and was blue in color. Much smaller that the original, it could only hold a single toy figure. The sides of the Mini Technodrome opened from the front, allowing access to the inside. The inside consisted of a single command chair, periscope, computer console, and gun controls.

The periscope on the top could rise several inches above the body of the toy, with the gun rotating 360 degrees. When the Mini Technodrome was pushed, its rotating wheels caused the two drills on the front to rotate as well.

Tokka Technodrome Playset
The Tokka Technodrome Playset was released in 1994.