Duel at Dawn is a Fleetway comic, published in TMHT Adventures #65 in June 1992.
Appearing in Duel at Dawn[]
Major characters[]
Minor Characters[]
Species[]
Objects and vehicles[]
- Bō
- Channel 6 newsvan
- Katana
- Motorboat
- Sai
- Turtle Blimp
Locations[]
Summary[]
Splinter, Leonardo, Raphael and Michaelangelo are all relaxing in the lair. Leo naps while Splinter meditates. At a table, Raph prepares to read a book of scary tales and Mike is working on a crossword puzzle. Suddenly, their peace and quiet is interrupted by a small plane zooming through the room. Donatello enters, carrying a radio-control box and tells his family that the jet plane is one of his inventions. It carries a camera for spying on geeks. Leo tells him to keep the thing away from them as it continues to dive and dip around the room, forcing the Turtles to duck. However, Don can’t control it because the remote has stopped working.
Just as April O'Neil enters the lair, the jet plane flies right past her, making her jump back. It then crashes into the wall and Don tosses the remote away as he asks if April is okay. She is fine and tells them she came over to deliver an important message. A note was left at Channel 6 news earlier and it’s from Shredder. April reads the note, which is addressed to Splinter. It is a challenge for Splinter to fight Shredder to finally decide the winner and loser of their ongoing battle. Shredder proposes the duel take place at dawn the following day at the Blake Ridge Bridge, North of the city. He goes on to tell Splinter to come alone.
Leo is certain that it is a trap. Splinter silences him, saying that Shredder challenged him fairly and as a true ninja, he cannot refuse. He then settles in to meditate and prepare his mind and body for combat. The Turtles are not happy about the turn of events. They hold a whispered conversation, with Mikey insisting they can’t let Splinter do this. Leo responds that he’s their master and they have no choice. However, he adds that he feels a “save-the-sensei” plan forming.
At dawn the next day, Splinter arrives at the disused and dilapidated Blake Ridge Bridge. The entry is boarded up and has a “No Trespassing” sign nailed to it. There is fog in the air, which limits visibility. Splinter calls out to Oroku Saki, telling him to show himself if he dares. Shredder appears on the bridge and says he knew that Yoshi would accept his challenge. Ducking beneath a board, Splinter steps onto the bridge and replies that the chance to finally defeat him was something he could not resist. Shredder pulls a sword and says let the duel begin… to the death. Splinter also produces a sword and agrees… to the death. Their swords clash as they battle and then Shredder attempts a killing blow, which Splinter handily sidesteps. He counters with a slash that clangs off of Shredder’s helmet, infuriating the villain. Shredder sweeps across with his sword and Splinter criticizes his loss of temper. Remaining calm, Splinter easily knocks the sword from Shredder’s hand.
Standing back, Splinter tells Shredder to pick up his sword. Shredder does so while saying that Splinter will regret his noble action. He quickly throws the sword, but Splinter ducks and the sword embeds itself in one of the bridge supports. Shredder snarls that he will get him next time, but Splinter leaps, kicking Shredder in the chest as he responds that there will be no next time. Standing over Shredder, Splinter points the sword at the man’s chest and states that he has won the duel.
However, Shredder begins to laugh and says that he had an emergency plan just in case. He calls out and Bebop and Rocksteady arrive on the bridge, both carrying laser rifles. Shredder orders the mutants to blast the rodent out of existence. Splinter lifts his sword and says that if a ninja is to die, he dies fighting. Before they can open fire, Raph and Mikey suddenly leap down from above, landing directly on top of the mutant thugs. Shredder turns to run away, but finds his escape cut off by Leo and Don.
The Turtles and Splinter have Shredder surrounded. Splinter congratulates his sons, but Shredder says he can still beat them. In case the mutants failed, he brought reinforcements in the form of Footbots. The green team is forced to deal with the Footbots and soon destroy them all. In the meantime, Shredder is shaking Bebop and Rocksteady awake so they can flee the scene. They begin running and Don says to haul shell after them. Splinter stops him though, saying that he sees a vision of the future.
Once clear of the bridge, Shredder stops running and takes out a remote control device. In answer to Rocksteady’s question, he explains that he rigged the bridge with explosives. He presses a button and the bridge explodes, disintegrating into nothing. Shredder chortles his glee, thinking he has blown Splinter and the Turtles into pieces. He then leads the way to the riverbank, where a small motorboat, manned by a Footbot, is waiting. Shredder calls out for the Footbot to start the engine, but when nothing happens, Shredder shakes the robot. Rocksteady shrieks in alarm as the Footbot’s head falls off.
Two of the Turtles and Splinter pop up from behind the bushes where they were hiding, and Raph and Don come out of the water. In shock, Shredder says the explosives were supposed to wipe them out. Leo explains that they almost did, save for the fact that Splinter had a premonition, so they all leaped into the safety of the water. They swam to where the motorboat was waiting and set up the ambush. Shredder orders his mutants to attack, but Splinter and Michaelangelo deliver well placed kicks that leave the trio of villains stunned. As Splinter and Mike stalk them, Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady back away, not realizing that the other three Turtles are on all fours behind them.
Shredder and his goons trip over the Turtles and fall backwards into the deep mud of the embankment. Splinter and the Turtles leave their enemies in mud up to their chests. A little ways off, April sits waiting for the gang in the Channel 6 newsvan. Leo apologizes to Splinter for following him, but says it was because they didn’t trust Shredder. Splinter replies that he did not trust him either and Leo asks if that means he knew that they would follow. Their master says of course he did because he knows them too well.