Solicit[]
After a mild mishap with one of Donatello’s inventions, Michelangelo starts to wonder if his laid-back attitude isn’t holding his brothers back. While skateboarding in the sewers to clear his head, Mikey meets a genie who can show him exactly what the world would be like without him…and decides to do so. If dark Turtles, an angry Hamato Yoshi, and a forbidden pizza weren’t enough, Krang and Old Hob form an alliance to repair the interdimensional portal! All that, plus Michelangelo sees his true worth in an all-new Saturday Morning Adventure that could only be called “Genie in a Bauble, Baby”!
Appearing in Genie in a Bauble, Baby![]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
Species[]
- Disembodied brain
- Humans
- Mutant cat
- Mutant rat
- Mutant turtle
Locations[]
Objects, vehicles, and weapons[]
- Bō
- Comlink
- Genie's ring
- Katana
- Nunchaku
- Pizza
- Sai
- Shuriken
- Skateboard
- Stink bombs
- Trans-Dimensional Portal
Synopsis[]
Inside the Turtles’ sewer lair, Splinter settles in to meditate. Just as he is relaxing, he hears a loud crashing sound, and then Donatello yelling at Michelangelo. With a sigh, Splinter leaves his room to investigate. He is immediately met by a foul odor and when he asks about the smell, Donatello explains that he was working on a crowd control device when Michelangelo surprised him. Michelangelo complains that it wasn’t his fault. He was working a learning a new trick, which he proceeds to demonstrate on his skateboard. Michelangelo immediately falls off of the board, which goes flying. It is caught by Splinter and Michelangelo apologizes.
Leonardo fusses that it’s going to take forever to clear the smell out and Raphael adds that’s saying something, as they live in a sewer. Donatello tells Splinter that his brother knows better than to practice skateboard tricks in the same room where he’s working. As Splinter returns the skateboard, Michelangelo tells Donatello that he was the one monkeying with stink bombs. Donatello replies this it is important work, but Michelangelo scoffs at this, so his brother tells him he should think about doing something that helps them all out instead of just goofing around. He also says that Michelangelo never takes things seriously.
Their argument escalates as Michelangelo asks who it was that saved Donatello’s shell when they were all stuck in a brainwash tube. Donatello calls that a fluke and that he is constantly building new gear, Leonardo works on battle plans, and Raphael - - The Turtle in question breaks in to say that he is cool but rude. He then says they should just let this go because it’s not Mikey’s fault he’s a goofball. That’s why they love him. Splinter suggests that Michelangelo take a walk until Donatello cools off. He adds that Michelangelo might reflect on how to improve his behavior in the future. Though he is very much a free spirit and that can be advantageous, but… Michelangelo interrupts to say that he’s not as good a ninja as the others. Splinter quickly tells him he did not say that, but his son says that’s what he meant and that maybe he will take a walk.
As Michelangelo skates through the sewer tunnels, he complains aloud how things are totally unfair. No matter what he does, they always think of him like he’s a total goon. He can take things seriously, too, and it’s not his fault he gets over things fast. Maybe, he thinks, they’d be happier if he’d never been mutated. Then he wonders why he’s talking out loud. Suddenly, his skateboard hits something and Michelangelo goes flying. He turns to see what he caught his board on and spots something glowing. Picking it up, he sees that it’s a ring and since it’s covered in dirt, Michelangelo starts rubbing on the big red stone.
A second later, smoke flows from the stone and a voice announces that they have been summoned. The smoke solidifies into a genie, who introduces himself as Genie. He asks if he’s in a cave and that it’s funny that people always find them in a cave. Michelangelo asks if he’s a genie like from Aladdin’s Lamp. Genie says that’s his cousin and that he’s the genie of the ring. Since Michelangelo found him and summoned him, he is going to help him out because that’s kind of his thing. An excited Michelangelo thinks that he gets three wishes, but Genie tells him to hold his horses. The Genie of the Lamp is the one that gives you three wishes. Genie of the ring will give him one wish that he needs.
Michelangelo eyes him suspiciously and pulls a nunchaku, saying that sounds like something Mister Ogg would say. Genie explains that he’s a genie, not an imp. Though they are similar, those Dimension Z guys are way more powerful. It’s enough to give a genie an inferiority complex. Genie winks at Michelangelo and says he’d know all about that. Then he says to get this show on the road and before Michelangelo can stop him, he’s caught in a puff of smoke.
Meanwhile, at Krang and Shredder's Secret Lair, Shredder is shouting that he’s been stuck between dimensions for too long and rather than freeing him, Krang is allowing a common mutant to access the dimensional portal. On the other side of the room, Old Hob states that there is nothing common about him. He says that he’s the greatest criminal mastermind this universe has ever seen. Nobody has outsmarted him until the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and he owes them payback. He needs the portal to give it to them. Shredder starts to shout again, but Krang tells him to hush. Hob, he says, runs an intergalactic crime syndicate and in exchange for helping him, Krang gets to be a member. With their resources and his genius, he could do anything.
Old Hob hushes them because he’s trying to hear what his people are saying. Using a comlink, he asks Scratch to repeat himself, as the communicator doesn’t have the quality they are used to. Scratch tells him that the portal’s incoming signal is tied to an outgoing portal that seems to exist in two different places. Therefore, it’s completely jammed up. Shredder floats over to say that this portal is simultaneously connected to the Technodrome of current time, as well as one that hails from the future. The signal is also trapped between timelines and he’s caught with it. Hob reckons that changes the math a little and the sooner we get this fixed, the sooner they can get started on the future. Shredder asks if that means conquering the world, and Hob says even better… crushing some Turtles.
Michelangelo finds himself back in the sewers and asks Genie if they were supposed to go somewhere else. When Genie says that they did, Michelangelo tells him that if he’s not getting hooked up with forbidden Chicago pizza, he’s headed home. Genie mutters that’s what he thinks as Michelangelo walks away. Michelangelo soon arrives at the lair and calls out that he can’t smell the stink bomb anymore. He starts to ask how they got rid of the smell when he notices that his home does not look the same. When he asks what happened, Genie replies that he did. He goes on to explain that before Michelangelo freed him from the ring, the young Turtle was wondering if his family would be better off without him. Genie is showing him what it’s like.
Clutching his head, Michelangelo exclaims that this is just like that movie he watches every Christmas. Genie asks if he means the one where an angel is trying to get his wings, but Michelangelo says no, – Santa Claus vs. the Surfing Shinobi. Then he recalls that the Surfing Shinobi used hypnosis on Santa. Genie says that he didn’t hypnotize him, but Michelangelo says he’s wearing the ring and doesn’t remember putting it on. He starts to take it off so he can see what happens. Genie quickly tells him if the ring is removed, he might not be able to get Michelangelo back where he belongs.
Believing it’s all a trick, Michelangelo runs through the lair in search of Splinter, certain that he’ll know what to do. He finally locates him and calls out to his Master Splinter. However, his master states that he is Hamato Yoshi, a man that only looks like a rat. His clothes are tattered, his eyes narrow and vicious looking. He says Michelangelo looks like one of his students, but is not. Calling him an imposter, he attacks the Turtle. As Michelangelo tries to avoid a thrashing, he tells Genie that Master Splinter would never be like this. Genie asks if he’s sure, because before Hamato Yoshi got mutated, he’d lost everything. He might have turned out mean and nasty, except he found a little turtle that made him laugh and called him Splinter and helped him feel like things weren’t hopeless. Splinter tells him to stop talking to himself and face him, but Michelangelo quickly flees.
Back in the sewer tunnels, Michelangelo says that Genie made his point and tells him to send him home. Genie replies that he can’t because there is still more to see. Just then, a shuriken whizzes past Michelangelo’s face and embeds itself in the wall. He turns to see his brothers, all wearing vastly different gear as well as kerchiefs around the lower half of their faces rather than their usual bandanas. Dark Raphael calls out that he’s the poser Master Yoshi told them about. Dark Donatello calls Michelangelo a jerk and demands to know what he was doing in their lair. Dark Leonardo bets that he was trying to steal from them and says that they’ll show the punk some Turtle vengeance.
As Dark Leonardo attacks, Michelangelo does his best to not only avoid the slashing sword, but to talk sense into him. He also tells his ‘bro’ that he should try a different mask, because his voice sounds all muffly. Dark Leonardo manages to land a kick which sends Michelangelo into a nearby wall. Michelangelo says that this is all bogus and that next thing they are going to tell him is that Shredder is a good guy now. Dark Donatello swings his bō at Michelangelo and says that Mayor Shredder gave them the sewers in exchange for serving him, but they’ll take him down one day. Michelangelo dodges the staff and then backflips to avoid Dark Raphael’s sais as that Turtle tells him that Master Yoshi should be the one running the city.
Michelangelo tells Genie he can’t believe this is the world without him in it. Genie explains that everyone changes the world just by being in it. You never know how big a hole you leave behind. Dark Raphael wonders who he’s talking to, but Dark Leonardo doesn’t care, stating they should take advantage while he’s distracted. Dark Donatello says to rush him. To Genie’s dismay, Dark Raphael manages to land a blow which throws Michelangelo into the water. Unmoving, Michelangelo sinks below the surface. Dark Donatello says that they win again. Calling him “Raphael”, Dark Leonardo says they always win. When Dark Donatello corrects him and asks if he doesn’t recognize his voice, Dark Leonardo says maybe the masks do make them sound a little muffly.
As Michelangelo comes to with an aching head, he sees that he is falling through the clouds. Diving alongside him, Genie says he’ll take his ring back now that he’s granted the wish Michelangelo needed. After seeing how he influences the world around him, Michelangelo can put up with anything. As he removes the ring, Michelangelo asks why he feels like he starred in an after-school special. Genie replies that this was more fun to watch. He takes the ring and says he’s off to help someone in Encinitas and reminds Michelangelo that there is no reason to feel inferior for being who he is. Genie also tells him to look out below. Michelangelo looks down and sees the fast-approaching skyscrapers of New York City. Screaming, Michelangelo plummets to the ground.
With a shout, Michelangelo sits up in his bed and exclaims that he hit Broadway. Next to him, Donatello rushes over to hug his brother and tells him they were so worried when he didn’t come back last night. He says that Michelangelo slipped, hit his head, and knocked himself out. He was unconscious all day. As Splinter, Leonardo and Raphael enter the room, Donatello apologizes for snapping at his little brother. Michelangelo says that explains the dream he just had. It was wild, he says, and tells them they all were there. Donatello says he’d better not have been the scarecrow. Michelangelo says that he was kind of scary. Then he asks what is in the box that Raphael is carrying. Raphael says he doesn’t know, that it was sitting on the kitchen table addressed to Michelangelo. Opening the box, Michelangelo gasps and asks how they couldn’t smell it. He lifts out a slice of hot pizza and Donatello says it looks like Chicago-style pizza. He wonders how, but Raphael says he doesn’t know but he wants to try a slice. He’s sure Michelangelo is going to share, but has to repeat the request when his brother doesn’t answer.
See also[]
Trivia[]
- The movie about an angel trying to get his wings that Genie references is "It's a Wonderful Life".
- When Donatello says he hopes he wasn't the Scarecrow in Michelangelo's dream, he is referencing the character from "The Wizard of Oz". The Scarecrow travels to the Emerald City in search of a brain.