I Magnifici 4 is a story in Le Tartarughe Ninja, published in Il Giornalino #12 dated March 20, 1996.
Appearing in I Magnifici 4[]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
- April O'Neil
- Barkeep Bill
- Boltons
- Luke Bolton
- Bodo Bolton
- Judge Teodoro MacPherson
Species[]
- Horses
- Humans
- Mutant turtles
Objects and vehicles[]
- Guns
- Time Scepter
Locations[]
- New York City
- Springtown
- O.J. Corral
- Saloon
Summary[]
In the lair, Leonardo, Raffaello and Michelangelo are excited at the idea of venturing back in time once more, using the Time Scepter that April O'Neil found during her trip to Kyōto. Donatello, who is holding the scepter, tells them to be quiet or he’ll end up confusing himself with the object. Miky urges him to hurry, but Don says it’s not as easy as it looks, and if you make one mistake… An impatient Leo yanks the scepter from his hands and states that he’ll handle it. Don tries to stop him, but the scepter activates and all four Tartarughes grab on. Though the others are thrilled to go, Don hopes Leo’s rash action doesn’t cause them trouble.
Within seconds they are dropped into a wooded area, with Leo announcing they’re in Japan. Raf asks where the samurai are, and then they hear voices coming from a nearby pond. Two men, addressing each other as “Jack” and “Joe” talk about how cold the water is. Don looks at Leo, asking about the names, and Leo admits they are not typical names from the Japan of 1600. Holding the scepter, Don says that they are in the wrong year and place and this mess is Leo’s fault. Raf asks where they are, so Don says to follow him and they’ll soon find out.
Spying on the pond, the Tartarughes see four men splashing around, their horses nearby. Hanging from the trees are their clothes and guns, as well as gold stars indicating they are law enforcement. Don says that he knows where they are and Miky says he does too, but what do they do? He then moves forward to grab the clothes, saying desperate times call for desperate measures. Donning the men’s clothes, the Tartarughes hop on the horses. As they ride off, the men spot them and shout about being robbed. Raf thinks that was easy as drinking a glass of water, but Don reminds him they stole from sheriffs. Leo announces that if that’s the case, then they are now the sheriffs.
A few hours later, the Tartarughes ride up to a town called Springtown. Miky and Raf ask each other if they’ve heard of the town and Don shushes them so as not to draw attention to themselves. As they enter town, someone calls out for them to stop. They are welcomed to Springtown by Judge Teodoro MacPherson, who is glad to see them though they weren’t expected to arrive so early. He asks if they are the federal marshals sent by the government to catch the terrible Bolton brothers. Leo quickly responds that he is correct. MacPherson asks for their names.
Leo introduces himself as the famous John Wayne, Don chooses to call himself Gary Cooper, Raf says he’s James Stewart and Miky, calling them amateurs, says he is Clint Eastwood. Miky then asks about the Bolton brothers and Leo asks if MacPherson can get them an identikit. The judge is clearly confused by the word and Don tells Leo while he’s at it, why doesn’t he ask the judge to send a fax to the FBI? MacPherson repeats the strange words, but Miky tells him that federals talk in a language all their own. As MacPherson shakes Raf’s hand, he says he’s sure they’ll be able to put the Bolton’s in jail.
Later, the Tartarughes join the judge in the saloon. MacPherson asks Bill, the bartender, what he thinks. Bill replies that they seem the right guys to put salt on the Boltons’ tail and the federals are tough. Bill then asks if the Tartarughes want a drink and it’s on him. Leo asks for a Coke and Raf agrees. Bill says he doesn’t have that so Leo says he’ll take a bottle if he doesn’t have cans. Don has to explain to his brothers that Coke doesn’t exist here. Bill turns to the judge who tells him that federals speak their own language.
Two men enter the saloon, to the dismay of the other customers. MacPherson tells Miky that they are Luke and Bodo, two of the Bolton brothers. As the pair lean against the bar, Luke acknowledges the four federals, calling it a nice surprise. He says he bets they’re eager to see them. Miky replies that it’s hard to find two morons like them. Both Boltons strike up poses, hands poised over their guns, and Luke tells the federal that if he’s carrying a weapon, he’d better be ready to use it. Miky says that for the two of them he only needs his hands. MacPherson tells Raf to do something because the Boltons will kill Miky. Raf says not to worry.
Sure enough, a moment later both Boltons are thrown out of the saloon. An incensed Luke tells his brother that Miky dared to touch them. Bodo replies that the federal must be really bold because rather than touching them, he beat them up. Luke shouts for the strangers, but Bodo tries pulling him away. The Tartarughes step outside and Luke says that tomorrow at dawn, at the O.J. Corral, all the Boltons will be there for a duel to the death. He asks the Tartarughes if they have the guts. The Tartarughes agree, considering the whole thing to be fun.
The next morning, at dawn, the Tartarughes meet the Boltons at the O.J. Corral. The townspeople have all come out to watch the duel. The oldest Bolton tells them to brace themselves. He will count to ten and then they’ll fire. The federals can start running, if they like. Luke adds that they’d better run fast. As the Boltons start the countdown, the Tartarughes comment to each other on how they really like this idea, with Raf saying it’s giving him an adrenaline rush. Miky asks what they’re waiting for and for them to go. The Boltons reach the count of seven and then realize the Tartarughes are rushing them.
A fight ensues, with the Boltons shouting for help. Soon, Miky asks what his brothers think and Leo says it was very satisfying. All four Boltons are on the ground, crying and dizzy. Bodo asks Luke if they draw their guns, but Luke says he doesn’t know. Don shakes hands with the judge and tells him the Boltons are all his, as their work is done. Duty calls elsewhere. MacPherson calls out “coke, fax and pizza” as they ride away. Bill asks what he said, and MacPherson admits he doesn’t know, but it’s a kind of federal language.
Later, far from prying eyes, Don shows his brothers a set of dials on the handle of the scepter, calling them regulators. He says they are used to set the coordinates of the destination. He didn’t notice them before. Now he enters the latitude and longitude of New York and everything should be fine. Miky and Raf hold Leo so he doesn’t try to grab the scepter again and Don activates it. The Tartarughes all grab hold, and a few seconds later, they are transported home.
April is in the kitchen, cooking, when they appear. She laughs at their outfits and asks if they went to a costume party. Miky tells her they just came from the old wild west. Taking her bag, April tells Miky it’s pretty obvious that stuff is fake, to say nothing of the guns. She says she’ll see the “cowboys” tomorrow and leaves. Leo pulls his pistol and asks what’s wrong with guns? Unfortunately, the gun goes off. An angry Don yells at Leo for almost shooting his toe. Leo calls him dramatic and says he just wanted to see if it fires. Turning to the reader, Miky and Raph say goodbye and add “Cowabunga”!