April O'Neil is an ally and older sister to the Ninja Turtles. She is voiced by Veronica Taylor. After her marriage to Casey Jones, she presumably takes his surname for herself and her progeny, becoming April O'Neil-Jones. However, this remains unconfirmed and her co-founded technology company O'Neil Tech seen in the Fast Forward season preserves her maiden name.
Appearance[]
April is a beautifully, redheaded, woman with pale skin, and due to her appearance and name, she may be of Irish descent. As time goes on, she develops a bit of muscular tone to her limbs. Her primary outfit is a purple crop top, baggy khaki pants, a dark belt, and dark blue shoes. Her hair is normally made into a bun in the back.
In Back to the Sewer, her design is streamlined to emulate her 2007 film incarnation. Her normal civilian clothes consist of a pink t-shirt with a white rectangle, a necklace, a pair of gray jeans tied in a brown belt, brown bracelets with blue and purple shoes. Her hair, still in a bun, is more of an orange or light auburn color. Her skin is also less pale. In battle, she tends to wear a yellow jumpsuit reminiscent of her 2007 movie appearance, as well as Bruce Lee.
Personality[]
April is smart, friendly, and intuitive. Despite the weirdness she is thrust into on a daily basis since her attempted assassination by her boss, she has been able to acclimate eventually to where nothing at all seems to be too weird for her.
Despite Casey's brutishness, ill temper, and low intelligence, she falls for him in a true case of "opposites attract". But it could also be due to his inherent kindness and honesty.
Like other incarnations of the character April was fearful of the Turtles and Splinter at first, then overtime started to warm up and became their ally. She is loyal and reliable to the Turtles, Splinter and Casey.
April gets along with Donatello the best out of the Turtles, as she's the only one who he can talk to about anything scientific.
Powers and skills[]
- Scientific knowledge: April is gifted in technology-based science, as she was Baxter Stockman's lab assistant and a programmer in the Mousers' operating system. While her fields of knowledge extend a bit beyond tech, that is where she finds herself most at home. April has a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Mathematics conferred in June 2002 .
- Nurturing: April is essentially a big sister to the Turtles. She tends to them whenever they're sick or injured, talks to them or gives them advice or helps them out when they're having personal problems, or even physically protecting them whenever they're not able to fight, even saving them more times than they saved her.
- Aviation: April can fly a helicopter.
- Ninjutsu: April gradually learns ninja fighting skills from Splinter and from osmosis due to close proximity to other ninja.
Weapons and Equipment[]
- Spear: When trapped in the world of the Giant wasps, she fashions a spear and is shown to be handy with it.
- Katana: April wields a single katana in Back to the Sewer, similar to her TMNT Adventures and 2007 film incarnations.
- Ying's Ring: As a result of wearing the Ying's Ring, April becomes demonically possessed and gradually transforms into a monstrous form, gaining several powers to go with it. See that page for specific abilities granted.
History[]
Just as in the Mirage comics, April started out as a 23-year-old science assistant to Dr. Baxter Stockman, the creator of the Mousers, but later helps the Ninja Turtles in their fight against The Shredder. Likewise, April owned an antique store which came under attack by The Shredder and the Foot Clan, who have come for the Turtles, and was destroyed in the ensuing battle. However, when she returned home from the Northampton farmhouse where she had been staying, she decided to re-open the store. It was rebuilt sometime after "The Return of Nano", when the Turtles arranged for her to receive a sizable financial reward.
In the episode, "Secret Origins, Part 3", the creators of the show paid homage to the original cartoon series by having April don a familiar yellow jumpsuit. 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 stalls the military and buys 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 is also shown to have an attraction to April though their contrasting personalities often make them bicker. By the third season, the two are shown to be dating and appear to have developed a serious relationship. In the Fast Forward season it is revealed that the two eventually marry and have children. In the series' actual plotline, the development between April and Casey is finally consummated in the episodes "The Engagement Ring" and "Wedding Bells and Bytes".
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. Truthfully, according to a bio book given to Toys 'R' Us, they share a little brother/big sister relationship. She is also revealed to have earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from University of New York, graduated in 2002.
April also has developed modest combat skills after training with Splinter. 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' when they are accidentally sucked into a jungle-like realm and she demonstrates the mentality and skills of a natural fighter and survivalist, constantly protecting the turtles from the large insects.
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 children leading up to Cody Jones in the year 2105. In addition, Cody had heard a lot about the Turtles from his great-grandparents' diaries and wanted to watch them in action over his self-constructed time window - which is ultimately the reason for the Turtles' stranding in the future. In honor of Casey and April, Cody has even created a private museum in which April, Casey and the Turtles' most prized belongings can be found.
April and Casey appear in this season in person, in the episode "The Journal".
Back to the Sewer[]
In Back to the Sewer, April, now 27, sometimes helps Donatello in collecting Master Splinter's data bits. Casey eventually comes up with the courage to propose to April. When Casey places the ring he proposes to April with on her finger, it does not take very long for her to fall to the Ying's Ring 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 the wedding that comes along later.
April and Casey intended to get married, though they were visited by several different allies and friends. One of which being Angel, whom she hugged quickly after first seeing her. At the wedding and while changing, she told Michelangelo that he was the "Best bridesmaid ever". After telling him this, she came out and asked him how she looked. After Splinter failed to retrieve her for the wedding, April came to the Turtles and Casey and asked them if everything was okay. After Splinter was thrown around, April fought several of Cyber Shredder's minions with the turtles and Casey. After seeing Casey was okay, she came up to him and hugged him in relief. Later, the two were finally able to get married.Wedding Bells and Bytes
Turtles Forever[]
While Splinter and the Ninja Turtles discover the Purple Dragons were fighting other ninja turtle look-alikes, through a news report, April video calls them and informs them that the image had been circulating all over the news. Later, April is trying to contact the Turtles with Casey reassuring her that everything is going to be alright. All of a sudden, Ch'rell attacks New York City using the Technodrome with April and Casey battling his army of Foot mutant soldiers. While April and Casey are observing Ch'rell's invasion from afar she witnesses the 2003 Turtles and the 80's Turtles emerge from a dimensional portal. After the Technodrome vanishes, April and Casey see the 8 turtles fall from the sky and April gives her Michelangelo a hug while also shocked to see the other Michelangelo. April is informed about Ch'rell's plans by her Leonardo. As their world begins to be erased around them as Ch'rell's plan goes into motion, April, Casey, and the 8 Turtles flee. April later appears at the Purple Dragon headquarters searching for clues but then Hun confronts them and soon depart as their world is being erased around them. April is soon erased but she is later restored after the Turtles save the multiverse and April and Casey share a kiss.
Trivia[]
- This character is an adaptation of April O'Neil, created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. This version was developed by Marty Isenberg and the 4Kids team.
- Her favorite color is red.
- Her favorite food has been stated to be chocolate.
- Her favorite author has been stated to be Robert Fulghum. This is because his books helps her find peace in the whirlwind of chaos that usually surrounds her.
- Her favourite band is Guns N Roses, she even saw them in concert when she was 9 years old in 1989. And "Welcome to the Jungle" is her favorite song.
- She did gymnastics and played football in high school.