Stroke of...Genius? is the comic in the twenty-fifth issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Appearing in Stroke of...Genius?[]
Major characters[]
Minor characters[]
Locations[]
- New York City
- Foot Headquarters
Objects and vehicles[]
Synopsis[]
What begins as an apparent battle between the Turtles and members of the Foot Clan, including Tiger Claw and Rahzar, is actually Stockman-Fly recounting past defeats. He is speaking to The Shredder, who warns him that causing him irritation would be most unwise.
Stockman quickly reminds him that he may be an insect on the outside, he’s still the world’s most brilliant inventor. Shredder suggests he reach his point quickly, if he actually has one. Stockman explains that his point is that through his genius he’s created an unbeatable weapon to destroy the Turtles. He’s taken inspiration from nature, basing his weapon on a turtle’s natural enemy, a predator that devours turtles.
With much fanfare, Stockman introduces the Cyber-Raccoon of Doom. Stockman asks Shredder what he thinks and is provided a demonstration when Shredder slashes the head off the robot. Shredder calls Stockman a fool and wants to know why he didn’t create a real predator, like a shark. Stockman admits he did try a squid and turns to indicate that failed experiment, explaining that on land all it does is flop around on the floor.
Shredder points the blades of his gauntlet at Stockman and orders him out of his sight. Stockman says to wait because he also has another idea. He turns to an object draped by a cloth and says the next weapon is not inspired by a predator from the natural world, but from the Turtles’ most formidable foe. Removing the cloth, he displays a robot which looks like him when he had his human form – the Baxterbot- - of Doom!
Fuming that Stockman actually believes he is the Turtles’ most formidable foe, Shredder slashes the Baxterbot in half. He then tells Stockman that he has had enough. He then presents the Robo-Samurai and Shredder finishes the sentence for him by adding “of Doom?”
Tired of wasting his own efforts to destroy the pathetic creations, Shredder orders his Footbots to destroy the Robo-Samurai. The Footbots surround the robot, which quickly draws a pair of katana blades. The Robo-Samurai quickly dispatches the Footbots and then drops to one knee before Shredder. Stockman tells him the Robo-Samurai’s software is packed with the knowledge and skills of the world’s greatest martial artists (and a few old kung fu movies). Shredder admits that this time Stockman might be onto something. He tells Stockman to see what his Robo-Samurai can do against the Turtles.
Somewhere in the city, the Turtles are on a training session, sent out by Splinter. The only thing on Michelangelo’s mind though is pizza. He is in the middle of arguing with Raphael when Robo-Samurai leaps down from a roof into the alley where they are standing.
As the Turtles face the Robo-Samurai, Leonardo asks Donatello if it is another of his do-it-yourself-robots. Don wonders what its function is, but the question becomes moot when the Robo-Samurai draws its swords. The Turtles draw their weapons in response and Leo asks if anyone else is surprised by just how many martial arts robots there are in New York.
Mikey asks whose turn it is to break the robot and Raph offers. He moves towards it but is immediately, and to his surprise, disarmed. Mikey starts to tease Raph, but is also quickly knocked down. As Robo-Samurai turns to battle Leo, it slashes Donatello’s bō in half. Leo calls on his brothers to stop playing with the robot and all attack together.
All four are flattened by the robot and then a familiar voice comes out of the Robo-Samurai. Monitoring everything from Foot HQ, Stockman tells the Turtles that even their mightiest attacks are useless. Don asks for ideas and Mikey says he’s going to try his devastating, backhand, double-reverse shooting star attack because the robot won’t be able to handle it. However, when Mikey throws a trio of shuriken at Robo-Smaurai, it blocks them with its swords.
Raph can’t believe they’re getting beat by a robot. Stockman announces their final defeat will be at the hands of his Robo-Samurai of Doom. Leo says he thinks he knows who built the robot, and it’s not because of the brilliance of the concept, as Stockman believes. It’s because of the whole “of Doom” thing that Leo knows it’s Dexter Stockcar. Mikey disagrees and says his name is Jackster Stinkbug.
Stockman becomes enraged by their mocking and switches the Robo-Samurai’s controls to manual. He is determined to crush them with his own hands – or at least with his hands on the robot’s controls.
Under Stockman’s control, the robot swings a sword and misses, but nearly falls down in the process. Don notes that it has suddenly gotten awkward and Leo says possibly because it’s now under the control of someone with no martial arts training. He then tells Mikey to take it away – which means Mikey moves very quickly around the robot, teasing it the whole while. Don observes that its weak spots appear to be in its joints and proceeds to demonstrate by smacking the back of one knee.
Raph asks about the neck as he uses a sai to strike that spot. Robo-Samurai falls and its head pops right off. Stockman can’t believe that the prized weapon of his genius has been defeated, but Shredder asks if that’s the same genius that thought a raccoon would be an effective weapon. He then asks if that’s the same genius that decided to turn off the programmed skills of a dozen martial artists and attack with no training whatsoever. Shedder orders him to come forward so that he can give Stockman the reward his genius deserves. Stockman takes to flight to escape him, but even then insists he has a new idea – a robot badger.