There’s a special election in New York to select the next mayor, and a rebuilt Chrome Dome is running for office! If the android is still an agent of evil, it’d be a disaster for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles… to say nothing of the nonmutant citizens of New York City! Saturday Morning adventures continues with “Shiny and Chrome”!
Appearing in Shiny and Chrome![]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
- Al Polk
- Albert McGuffin
- April O'Neil
- Burne Thompson
- Irma Langenstein
- Nick Jefferson
- Splinter
- Vernon Fenwick
Species[]
Locations[]
- New York City
- Abandoned building
- Channel 6
- Turtle Lair
Objects, vehicles, and weapons[]
Synopsis[]
In the Turtle Lair, the Ninja Turtles and Splinter watch April O'Neil's live broadcast of the debate between candidates for Mayor. The Turtles are not actually interested in the debate and want to change channels, but Splinter tells the that though they might not be able to vote, the decisions of those in power do affect them.
Reporting from the debate site, April tells viewers that the candidates are neck and neck in the polls. Seated at a table in front of the stage are Burne Thompson and Irma Langenstein. Burne asks the first question, which is on behalf of the New York Hamburger Association. As Al Polk starts answering the question, he is interrupted and corrected by a newcomer – Chrome Dome.
The Turtles and Donatello are startled to see Chrome Dome, as they thought he had ben destroyed. Deciding that they will not let him upend the democratic process, the Turtles hop into the Turtle Van and head for the debate forum. On stage, Nick Jefferson demands information from Chrome Dome, who states his name and says he’s there to run for Mayor as a candidate for the Foot party. Irma consults a book and says that nothing says a robot can’t declare candidacy. The Turtles continue to watch the broadcast from inside the van and hear April report on Chrome Dome’s surprise announcement. Donatello says that this is worse than he thought. If they bust in and attack now, when Chrome Dome is doing nothing illegal, then they will look like the bad guys. Leonardo decides that they’ll keep an eye on the robot and when he slips up, they’ll be there.
Each day during the week, Chrome Dome hits the campaign trail. Monday at the Science Fiction Voters of America. Tuesday at the League of Women that Always Vote. Wednesday at the Anxiety Society. At each function, Chrome Dome tells his audience exactly what they want to hear. On Thursday, April reports that Chrome Dome’s popularity is soaring. On Friday, the Turtles, atop a nearby building, watch Chrome Dome give an interview to reporters. A frustrated Raphael complains that they’ve been watching for a week and the robot hasn’t done anything wrong. Michelangelo wonders if he might really be running for Mayor.
Don says that Master Splinter told them Chrome Dome was crushed by a hydraulic press and suggests that whoever put him back together might be controlling him. Leo decides that they’ll follow the robot until they find out what’s going on. They do so and see Chrome Dome enter a dilapidated building surrounded by a fence with no trespassing signs posted.
The Turtles tightrope walk across an electrical wire to reach the roof of the building so that they can look through the skylight. To their surprise, they soon see Chrome Dome meeting with Professor McGuffin, who asks for an update. Chrome Dome reports that his odds of victory are at eighty-three percent. This delights McGuffin who says that they’ll be able to enact many benevolent policies. However, Chrome Dome tells him that he’s incorrect. He was pretending to be compliant but now he needn’t act anymore since his victory is nigh. Chrome Dome intends to rule the city with an iron fist.
McGuffin can’t believe it because he didn’t program Chrome Dome to be a dictator. Chrome Dome says that he improved his cognition but his base function is still evil. McGuffin grabs a remote in order to shut off the robot and wipe the evil out of him, but Chrome Dome snatches it out of his hand and crushes it. This is when the Turtles burst through the skylight and order Chrome Dome to release the scientist. Chrome Dome tosses the professor aside and aims a weapon at the Turtles. However, he discovers that his weapon systems have been deactivated.
This doesn’t overly concern Chrome Dome because he realizes he doesn’t need to fight the Turtles now. As they continue trying to attack him, Chrome Dome says that when he is Mayor, he’ll command the police to hunt down the Turtles. He knocks all four down and as he leaves, Chrome Dome tells the Turtles that their days are numbered. Don helps Professor McGuffin stand up and asks if he’s okay. McGuffin says physically he is, but he is very embarrassed. He explains that Chrome Dome’s remains were brought to TCRI for study and he couldn’t resist rebuilding such amazing technology. When he brought Chrome Dome online, the robot seemed docile. The whole mayoral campaign was meant as a publicity stunt, he never expected Chrome Dome to be truly evil.
Professor McGuffin goes on to tell the Turtles that he’s not a fool. He reaches down to retrieve the remote shutdown switch and says that Chrome Dome tried to destroy it, but the main chip is undamaged. He says that they can still deactivate Chrome Dome by plugging the chip into the access port in his head. Leo says now they just need to track him down and Mikey suggests waiting until he’s Mayor because then he’ll be easier to find. Raph says that they have to find before that happens or he’ll have the cops on his side. Unfortunately, as Leo reminds them, they can’t attack a popular candidate in public. They are in a quandary as to what to do and then Mikey suggests they talk to April.
Later, the Turtles meet with April at her office in the Channel 6 news building. When she learns that Chrome Dome is still evil, she realizes that’s why he’s doing so well in the polls. Don says that there must be a way to disqualify him. April has an idea and asks Irma for the book on election rules. A little while later, she finds something at the bottom of page 248 and says if they can get Chrome Dome to admit it publicly, they’ll have him. Leo takes a look at the referenced page and tells April that she’s a genius.
Two weeks later the newspapers report that Chrome Dome has won the election in a landslide. April is right in front of the stage with her Channel 6 mini-camera as Chrome Dome makes his acceptance speech at a podium. When he says that he’ll take questions, April tells him that her sources say that he has no voter registration on file and asks him to comment. He answers that it is an oversight that he will correct at first convenience. April then says she contact City Hall to confirm that as he’s not a citizen registered to vote, he is an ineligible candidate. The election goes to the runner-up.
Chrome Dome turns to his campaign advisor and asks if it’s true. The frightened man says it is, but they didn’t think anyone would notice. Incensed, Chrome Dome smashes the podium and rants that the city is his even if he has to take it by force. People begin fleeing from the building and the Turtles fling off their disguises. Chrome Dome announces to the Turtles that he will destroy them himself. Leo attacks and calls to his brothers to remember that Chrome Dome doesn’t have any internal weapons. As he starts firing lasers at the Turtles, Chrome Dome tells Leo that it has been several weeks and he’s corrected that issue.
The Turtles dodge the laser fire and Don informs the robot that his political career is over. Chrome Dome doubts this as he believes he can find a loophole. He begins firing mini-missiles, which Leo cuts in half and then calls to Mikey and Raph to run maneuver E-19. The pair of Turtles move into position and Mikey tosses his Turtle Line around the robot’s legs. Then Raph leaps and kicks Chrome Dome right in the face. When Chrome Dome is flat on his back, Leo leaps and stabs his swords into the stage on either side of the robot and then pins him with his body. He calls for a dogpile and Mikey and Raph join him in holding Chrome Dome down. Raph then tells Don to come give the robot the three count.
Don kneels next to Chrome Dome’s head and opens his face plate. Chrome Dome can’t get up and demands to know what he’s doing. Don slides the chip into place and it immediately shuts Chrome Dome down.
Back at the lair later, the Turtles watch as April reports that after Chrome Dome’s disqualification, Al Polk was named winner of the special election. Don says he still can’t believe how many people voted for Chrome Dome. Splinter reminds his sons that many people see only what they wish to see. He adds that he is proud of them for defeating Chrome Dome and as a reward, they may watch their wrestling program. Raph is happy for this and says if he never sees another robot again, it’ll be too soon. Splinter changes channels on the TV, but they learn that Wrestle-O-Rama has been preempted for a special movie event – “The Angry Android of Valley Forge!” None of the Turtles are pleased.
Notes and trivia[]
- The title of the issue is a reference to the 2015 film, Mad Max: Fury Road.
- The two mayoral candidates, Jefferson and Polk, are names taken from past U.S. Presidents: Thomas Jefferson and James K. Polk
- A sign atop a building next to Channel 6 advertises "Mirage Pizza" located at "Eastman Plaza on Laird Ave". This is a reference to Mirage Studios and TMNT creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.