Dente... ...Perdente is a story in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic published by Rizzoli. It appeared in issue 39, 1992, of the Italian children's magazine "Corriere dei Piccoli".
Appearing in Dente… …Perdente[]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
Species[]
- Disembodied brain
- Humans
- Mutant rat
- Mutant rhinoceros
- Mutant turtle
- Mutant warthog
- Rats
Objects and vehicles[]
- Clan del Piede van
- Comlink
- Tekkō-kagi
Locations[]
Summary[]
As evening falls on New York City, Michelangelo leaves a local pizzeria with an armload of pizzas. He decides that since he was the one who went out to get them, he deserves a double portion. In a dark alley nearby, two mutants are waiting. As soon as Mikey walks by, Rocksteady leaps from hiding and sprays knockout gas in his face. They carry the unconscious Turtle to the waiting Clan del Piede van. Waiting inside are Krang and Shredder. Mike is placed in a dentist’s chair and Shredder asks for his tools. Krang urges Shredder to hurry and give him their tooth. Shredder explains that the sensor built into the capsule will tell them the right time to make the deadly explosive tooth explode. Then it will be all over forever. When it is done, Shredder has Bebop and Rocksteady drop him with all his pizzas near the manhole. The pair of mutants leave the van with Mike and discover that it is raining hard enough to flood.
The rain brings Michelangelo around and he wonders what happened to him. He thinks he must have slipped and hit his head. Unaware of what was done to him, Mike takes the pizzas and slips down into the manhole. He knows he’d better move or all his pizzas will get wet. He has no idea that he’s become a living bomb. Rocksteady uses his comlink to report that Mike has entered the manhole. Shredder tells him to cautiously follow Mike for a short distance and keep in touch. Inside the van, Krang explains that when the light on the control console stops flashing, it means that the Turtle has stopped. That will be the time to press the button. Shredder says then there will be a “boom” to signal the end of the Ninja Turtles. In the sewers, Rocksteady and Bebop follow Mike. Rocksteady talks about if Mike only knew he was going to his last banquet. Bebop shushes him so they aren’t heard.
Meanwhile, the rain is increasing. A news report announces that a violent hurricane is hitting the city. The streets are flooding and the authorities urge people to stay home. In the sewers, a loud booming sound catches Mike’s attention and he wonders if it’s an earthquake. Rocksteady and Bebop hear the sound too, and Rocksteady thinks it’s the end of the world. A flash flood sweeps through the tunnels, overwhelming everything in its path. Michelangelo is swept off his feet and he says goodbye to his pizzas. Both Bebop and Rocksteady are also caught in the flood and Bebop asks his buddy if he can swim. Rocksteady answers that he doesn’t remember.
The waves push Mike against a wall and he hits his head, which causes the fake tooth to pop loose. It lands on top of a pizza and as the box is swept away, Mike bids it and his tooth farewell. He decides this has been a bad luck evening, but luckily, he feels good in the water. Mike knows he has no way out but to return to the lair and finds the passage that leads to the tunnel entrance. He is glad their home is equipped with a siphon system that doesn’t let water in because otherwise it would receive quite a bath. He knows how unhappy the others will be when he arrives without the pizzas.
In another area of the tunnels, Bebop and Rocksteady are rolling around as the water sweeps them away. Bebop asks how Rocksteady is doing and he replies that now he’s floating. Something else is floating and moving towards the overflow channels, and that’s the box with the pizza and explosive tooth. The two mutants now reach the end of a tunnel, which is blocked by a grate. They grab onto the bars in order to rest. Bebop wonders how they’ll get back up and hopes the rain will end soon. Behind them is the tooth on top of the pizza. Bebop and Rocksteady notice the pizzas, but not the tooth.
Krang and Shredder are still waiting in the van. Shredder says that he’s lost contact with the two mutant imbeciles. Krang tells him to forget it because maybe it’s time. The light has stopped flashing. At the same time, Michelangelo emerges from the water as he reaches the lair. He is greeted by his brothers and Splinter. Leonardo tells him they made him anxious and Donatello asks about the pizzas. Mike says they are lost and he even lost a tooth. He sees that April O'Neil is there and she tells him it doesn’t matter. Before the downpour, she decided to come for a visit and brought pizzas with her. Mike is happy to see her and Splinter says a celebration is appropriate. April tells Mike she’s sorry about his tooth. She brought some champagne and they open it to his health and the loss of his tooth.
Back in the van, Krang announces that the warning light has stopped flashing for a long time. That means, he says, that the guy has reached his destination. Shredder agrees and that they go ahead. He counts down to zero and Krang hits the button next to the light. The pizza box, with the tooth on top, is right behind Bebop and Rocksteady. The tooth explodes, throwing Bebop and Rocksteady into the air and they are certain it’s the end. In the lair, the ninjas celebrate without knowing what danger has been averted. April pops the champagne and everyone cheers the bang it made, although Mike is still missing his tooth.
See also[]
Notes and errors[]
- Though it is supposed to be Mike lamenting the loss of his tooth in the final panel, the Turtle is wearing Donatello’s colors.