Hun and the Purple Dragons
The Purple Dragons (or Purple Dragon Gang) are a fictional New York street gang, in several of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continuities.
The Purple Dragon Gang is from the Lower East Side in New York City. They often are led by Hun and have some connection to the Shredder, though not always. They are particularly known for their salient transition icon, the image of a purple dragon, which they wear as either a tattoo or on their clothes. They mostly commit robberies and threaten people.
In the 2003 animated series and in its derived movie Turtles Forever the Purple Dragons have a long-lasting appearance. In the 2003 series, the Purple Dragons, along with the Foot Clan, one of the two powerful factions in New York that serve Oroku Saki (the Shredder). Just like in their precursors the Dragons are a simple, though very numerically strong street gang. The gang is led by Hun, The Utrom Shredder's right-hand man. Because of Hun's loyalty to the Shredder, they work in conjunction with the Foot Clan, and do the jobs in which the skills of the Foot Ninja are not needed.
In order to join the Purple Dragons, candidates would have to commit several crimes with gang members. After that, the prospects have to battle other candidates in an elimination match. If they did well enough, they would be given the tattoo and become a full member.[1]
History
From the first season, the Purple Dragons were fairly regular enemies of the Turtles after they foiled the attempted theft with the use of an armored car and eventually became friends with Casey Jones. In the series Hun and the Dragons were also the hated enemies of Casey Jones and the reason why Casey Jones finally reached for vigilantism. When Casey Jones was a kid, his father's shop was burned down by the Purple Dragons after Casey's father refused to pay protection money.[2] Despite being threatened not to, his father (Arnold Casey Jones Sr) later went to the police over it. It is implied that he was killed for doing so.
When the Purple Dragons, the Foot and the Mob, went to war to take over the Shredder's territory, Hun led the former.
Initially, the Purple Dragons funded themselves through thieving, bag snatching and protection rackets. In the aftermath of the Utrom Shredder's exile by the Utroms, Hun began to strengthen the Purple Dragons, developing them from just a street gang to an country-wide professional organized crime syndicate. They began to steal illegal goods, particularly high-tech Triceratons and Federation weaponry from the government, but once also accidentally stole a mutant, Finn. Hun also broke his previous connection with the Foot Clan to spread the Purple Dragon's influence in the city.
The Lost Episodes
When the Tengu Shredder turned New York City into a demonic capital, the Purple Dragons were holed up in their stronghold. They joined forces with the Turtles, EPF, and the Justice Force to stop the Shredder.
Fast Forward
The Purple Dragons appear in the episodes Clash of the Turtle Titans and The Journal.
Back to the Sewer
A year later, they were shocked to find the Turtles were still alive, having been told by Hun that he finished them off. Later on, there has been word that the Shredder is coming back, so Hun has the Purple Dragons locate the Ring of Yin to grant him the power to stand up against the Shredder. They get the wrong one and the right one gets on April O'Neil. Hun captured her to extract it but she turns into a monster and flies off.
A territorial war with the Foot broke out. Hun struck an alliance with Baxter Stockman to develop weapons and hack into the Foot database to find treasure troves to rob.
Turtles Forever
The Purple Dragons appear in this special. Mohawk was exposed to the Mutagen and transformed into a mutant dog.
Members
- Hun - Leader of the Purple Dragons
- Dragon Face - Second-in-command of the Purple Dragons. He sports a dragon tattoo on the left side of his face.
- John - Temporary Leader of the Purple Dragons. He was apparently killed by Shredder for the group's failed armored car robbery.
- Two Ton - A corpulent member of the Purple Dragons who carries a bat with spikes driven through it.
- Bam-Bam - A heavyset member of the Purple Dragons.
- Claw - A Purple Dragon member who has a claw on his hand.
- Dagger - A Purple Dragon member who carries lots of daggers.
- Max - A member of the Purple Dragons' Northampton branch.
- Mohawk - A member of the Purple Dragons that sports a tall pink mohawk. In Turtles Forever, he is with some other Purple Dragons members who caught the Turtles from the '87 reality. When the 03 Turtles liberated their counterparts, he was splashed with Mutagen. Because he had been in contact with a fighting dog that belonged to the Purple Dragons, he was turned into a mutant dog. In his mutated form, he helped Hun attack the two groups of Turtles and the 03 Splinter. Splinter later fired missiles at Mohawk with the Battle Shell, which shredded him. Later at the Purple Dragon Headquarters, Mohawk was somehow still alive and returned back to his normal state and fought alongside a mutated Hun against the Turtles and was last seen getting erased from reality due to the Utrom Shredder's plan.
- Ruffington - A supplier and smuggler of weapons who is allied with the Purple Dragons. He was first seen targeted by Nobody.
- Spike #1 - A red-headed member of the Purple Dragons.
- Spike #2 - A bald member of the Purple Dragons.
- Spuds - Leader of the Purple Dragon's Northampton branch.
- Sunny - A member of the Purple Dragons with a long braid. He was minorly in charge on a Dragon run.
- Vang - Hun's right hand man. He has the same hairstyle as John.
- Waxer - A member of the Purple Dragons who wears his baseball hat backwards.
Former Member
- Angel - A female Purple Dragons initiate would be member who becomes an ally of the Turtles.
Trivia
- In the official Serbian dub, the Purple Dragons are referred to as "Red Dragons".
Gallery
References
- ↑ TMNT 2003 Episode Fallen Angel.
- ↑ TMNT 2003 Episode Meet Casey Jones.