Go, Go, Mutant Turtles! is a TMNT Adventures issue, published in January 1996. It is the first issue of The Year of the Turtle storyline. Released October 31st 1995, with cover date of January 1996.
Solicit[]
The Turtles return in a brand-new, revamped series! Every millenia, a thirteenth animal rotates into the Chinese Zodiac for one short year and in this series that animal is - the turtle, of course! At the height of this year, whomever possesses the talisman of Turqoise Tortoise can be granted their heart's desire. And Shredder, the leader of the mysterious foot clan, wants it at all costs. Only the intrepid terrapins can stop him! Don't miss the beginning of a new era of Turtles excitement, including Splinter's return to manhood and demutation of one of the Turtles! Script by Dan Slott (REN & STIMPY), art by Hugh Haynes (PUNISHER). Cover by Ron Lim.
Appearing in Go, Go, Mutant Turtles![]
Major characters[]
- Cyberius (debut) (flashback only)
- Donatello (flashback only)
- Hamato Yoshi/Splinter (retro-mutates)
- Leonardo (flashback only)
- Michelangelo
- Mighty Mecha Power Raiders (debut) (flashback only)
- Timmy (debut) (flashback only)
- Raphael (flashback only)
- Shredder (flashback only)
- T.K.O. (debut) (flashback only)
Minor characters[]
- April O'Neil (flashback only)
- Psonic (debut) (flashback only)
- Skully (debut) (flashback only)
Species[]
Locations[]
- New York City
- Unnamed "lost jungle"
Objects and vehicles[]
- Bō
- Green Talisman pieces
- Katana
- Nunchaku
- Sai
- Tekkō-kagi
Synopsis[]
A man prepares to tell his son a bedtime story about the Ninja Turtles - supposedly, the last one ever, after which the boy will know all of the stories about the Turtles.
In the recent past, The Shredder invaded a tribal establishment deep in the heart of an unspecified jungle. He demands a talisman from their leader, who sends his warriors to combat Shredder. They are all struck down easily, and the leader points out the talisman piece before Shredder throws him from his pyramid throne.
In New York City, Raphael shakes down a thug named Skully, dangling him from a rooftop and demanding information about the Green Talismans. After Skully protests that he doesn't know what Raph is talking about, he pulls him up and leaves him battered on the roof, and it is revealed as Raph walks away, that he has been doing this to street punks all night. He returns home to tell Master Splinter that his fact-finding mission has turned up no answers. Splinter is not surprised, as it is not very well-known that there is a thirteenth animal of the Chinese zodiac is the turtle, and even less known than that are the Green Talismans associated with the zodiac turtle, which are said to house astounding power. This causes Splinter to cast doubt that Raphael's method of investigation may not yield the best results. Raph throws shade toward the others in saying that at least he's out and "off his butt". Splinter rebukes his statement by saying that "often the journey of a thousand miles begins at home." For their parts, Don is investigating leads on the internet, but to no avail; Leo is reading ancient scrolls and thinks another part of the talisman may be in Tibet, and Mike is... watching "Mighty Mecha Power Raiders" on TV.
Mike's "method" proves to unwittingly provide a concrete result, however, when April's interview with Timmy, the White Power Raider, has Leo realize that Timmy is using a talisman piece for a belt buckle. The Turtles head off to Radio City Music Hall, where the Power Raiders are performing live. Don stops briefly to update his followers on his website, but unbeknownst to him, Cyberius, Shredder's new hacker minion, is one of his followers, thus allowing him to learn the location of the second talisman piece, as well as trace Don's IP, leading them to the location of the Turtle Lair. Cyberius prints up the details, which is swiftly taken from him via telekinesis by T.K.O., another new minion of Shredder's, and delivered to their boss.
The Turtles appear at Radio City and Leo tries asking for the talisman, but Timmy blows them off. The Turtles beat up the other Raiders very easily, but Timmy activates the talisman to gain super power, giving him a massive advantage over the Turtles and allowing him to overpower them. Meanwhile, Shredder infiltrates the Turtle Lair, and although Splinter puts up a fight, Shredder utilizes his talisman to beat him. Shredder reads the scrolls that Leo and Splinter had been poring over and learns the location of the final talisman, in a Himalayan fortress. Shredder turns to gloat to Splinter, but the old rat has disappeared.
Timmy leaps at Leo and the Turtle ducks, leading him to sail past him, and catch his belt on one of Leo's katana. This robs him of the belt and Leo headbutts the now-depowered Raider hard enough to shatter his helmet. Unfortunately, when the others come to Leo to congratulate him, T.K.O. uses her power to abscond with the belt. The crowd hurls verbal abuse at the Turtles for beating up their heroes, and they return home empty-handed. They are, however, caught-off guard when greeted by a now-human Hamato Yoshi, whose form was regressed by the talisman. In the present, as the man finishes that part of the night's story to his son, it is apparent that the story-teller was Yoshi all along. Yoshi tells the boy he will continue the story tomorrow.
Notes and trivia[]
- Hamato Yoshi says "hei" as a term of affirmation, but the closest actual Japanese word for this would be hai (はい).