Car Trouble is a Fleetway comic, published in September 1992. Published in TMHT Adventures #69, it was the final original content comic.
Appearing in Car Trouble[]
Major characters[]
Minor Characters[]
- April O'Neil
- Footbots
- General
- General's soldiers
- Joe
Species[]
- Humans
- Mutant rhinoceros
- Mutant turtle
- Mutant warthog
- Robot
Objects and vehicles[]
- Bō
- Channel 6 news helicopter
- Cargo ship
- Fishing vessel
- Katana
- Sai
- Turtle Blimp
Locations[]
- New York City
- Port of New York
- Sewers of New York City
Summary[]
Open on a cargo ship approaching the Port of New York from Europe. Suddenly, the crew spots a fishing vessel coming across their bow. The Captain orders hard a’ port to avoid a collision. When the Captain and crew look down into the smaller vessel, they see several figures sprawled on the deck and one of them manages a weak call for help. The Captain tells them to hold on as they come alongside. To their surprise, the ‘stricken’ fishermen reveal themselves to actually be Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady.
The villains open fire on the cargo ship with rifles loaded with rounds of knockout gas. Once the cargo ship’s crew is fast asleep, the mutants toss grappling hooks onto the ship’s sides. After boarding the cargo ship, Shredder has his minions toss the unconscious Captain and crew into the fishing vessel and set it adrift. Shredder heads the cargo ship back out to sea and tells his mutants that their destination is a certain South American country. There they will off-load the cargo of luxury cars. Bebop asks if they can keep a couple of cars and Rocksteady adds that Bebop would like a BMW. Shredder bangs their heads together and says no, because all the cars are promised to a ruthless dictator in exchange for the use of his army.
Meanwhile, a Channel 6 news helicopter carrying April O'Neil is heading back towards New York from coverage of a powerboat race. Joe, the pilot, notices that something is wrong with a fishing boat below them and April asks him to check it out. They see the unconscious crew from the cargo ship and then turn to investigate that ship. April spots Bebop and Rocksteady on deck, both waving the helicopter away. Shredder sees that it’s April in the helicopter and tells the mutants to shoot the chopper down. Joe maneuvers the helicopter out of the path of laser fire and then offers to radio the cops. April tells him no, that this is a job for some people she knows. She tells Joe to get her back to New York fast.
Within an hour, April is in the sewers, heading for the lair. Before she reaches it, she encounters the Turtles, who are out on a training run. April quickly explains what she found and the Turtles agree that it sounds like a job for them. They are soon up in the Turtle Blimp heading out to sea. While chasing down the cargo ship, they see that the Coast Guard has picked up the crew from the fishing vessel. It isn’t long before their target is in sight. Donatello takes the Blimp over the ship and the other three Turtles hop onto the deck, which is apparently unguarded. However, as they move forward, several Footbots come out of hiding to ambush them. Also appearing from hiding are Bebop and Rocksteady, both wearing pirate gear and calling themselves Cap’n Hook and Cap’n Orangebeard. Rocksteady informs the Turtles that they are going to be made to walk the plank.
Bebop, Rocksteady and the Footbots attack, but the Turtles handle them all easily. On the ship’s bridge, Shredder hears what sounds like a battle and then a noise like something big went over the side. He goes out to see what’s happening. Shredder finds the deck strewn with Footbot parts and that both Bebop and Rocksteady have been knocked out. He looks over at the plank and spots an orange bandana, a slice of pizza and a sai blade and reaches the conclusion that the Turtles have been made to walk the plank. Shredder wakes the two mutants and congratulates them on a job well done. As he goes off to radio Krang the good news, Bebop mutters to his partner that he doesn’t remember beating the Turtles. Rocksteady urges him to keep quiet because it’s not often the boss is pleased with them, but Bebop says that he’s never pleased with them.
Don has been following in the blimp. He has become concerned about his brothers, but knows he needs to keep following the cargo ship and just hopes they’re okay. Eventually, the cargo ship reaches its destination and docks. Shredder is greeted by a General, who is the dictator he’s made the deal for the cars with. On the dock are the General’s army, a tank and an oil truck. Shredder tells the mutants to start unloading the cars and to be careful. The quayside is soon crowded with expensive automobiles and the General croons that they are all his. Shredder reminds him of their deal, the cars for the use of his army.
The General assures Shredder that the soldiers are all his. Next to them, a Rolls-Royce is being offloaded and the crane operator wonders why it seems heavier than the other cars. Suddenly, the Turtles hop out of the Rolls, yelling “Surprise!”. Shredder stammers that he thought they walked the plank. The Turtles explain after they defeated the Footbots and mutants, they left a few clues on the plank and then made a splash with a crate of auto parts. After that they hid inside the Rolls-Royce. General doesn’t know who or what they are, but he orders his troops to shoot them.
After dropping on Bebop and Rocksteady, the Turtles separate. The tank comes after them, but Leonardo opens the nozzle on the oil tank and the tank loses traction on the oil. The tank slams into crates filled with bananas, which in turn land on some soldiers. Then the soldiers begin slipping and sliding on the bananas. As the Turtles begin taking out soldiers, the General, Shredder and the two mutants jump into a Mercedes in order to make a getaway. Donatello spots them and dives at them in the Turtle Blimp, causing the car to swerve. It slams into crates of bananas and the dazed passengers climb out.
Not only have they stopped Shredder’s plan, but Leonardo notes that the rule of the dictator is over. The locals have staged an uprising against the tyrant and his henchmen. They soon have the General locked up for his crimes. In the cell next to him are Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady. As for the Turtles, they enjoy a slow cruise home in style, with loads of pizza.