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Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids. |
THE END-STAGE BEGINS! As the Armageddon Game reaches its iniquitous climax, the Rat King must take special care to keep his masterfully woven tapestry of anarchy from unraveling too quickly—a feat proving more and more difficult in the wake of mistakes made by his petulant and impatient puppets. No matter—chaos IS the name of the game. Meanwhile, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have regrouped in the city and are ready to go on the offensive…and this time they have reinforcements. Will the added strength of allies new and old be enough to stop the Rat King from bringing on the apocalypse, or will they meet their doom in the perilous game?
Appearing in #6[]
Major characters[]
- Baxter Stockman
- Ch'rell
- Donatello
- Herman
- Jennika
- Man Ray
- Michelangelo
- Null
- Null Turtles
- Old Hob
- Raphael
- Rat King
- Utroms
Minor characters[]
- Braunze
- Cherubae
- Cudley
- Darkwater
- Earth Protection Force
- Leonardo
- Kara Lewis
- Kleve
- Krisa
- Luna Azul
- MetalKrang
- Montuoro
- Mushroom
- Nova Posse
- Oroku Saki
- Padilla
- Regenta Seri
- Zanna
- Zara Flood
- Zink
Locations[]
Objects and vehicles[]
Story So Far[]
Unbeknownst to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Colonel Ch'rell once an Utrom loyal to Krang’s cause, challenged the general and seized control of the Utrom military forces. With absolute power, Ch’rell is resolute in his quest to decimate the Utrom’s enemies…beginning with the Regenta Seri!
Having successfully completed the mission given him by Oroku Saki, Michelangelo returned home only to find Mutant Town (and the Church Lair) under siege in a full-scale Utrom Invasion! Luckily, his brothers Donatello and Raphael survived the assault.
As Leonardo and Saki race back to Earth with a new ally, the other Turtles regroup and Old Hob and his band of Mutanimals push forward with plans of their own.
All the while, the Rat King revels in the utter chaos he has wrought…
Synopsis[]
Open on Burnow Island. Colonel Ch'rell tells his troops that their enemies will soon arrive. He sees those enemies, including the Turtles, as hypocrites who call themselves righteous, yet seek the complete annihilation of the Utroms. Ch’rell sneers at the idea that their enemies believe they can win, and delivers a spirited speech on how the Utroms are soldiers who know how to make war. They will not quit, or surrender or fall. His soldiers vow that they are with him all the way and ask for his orders.
Ch’rell tells Lieutenant Kleve to tell the forces attacking Mutant Town to continue until no mutant is left alive. When Kleve asks about the humans, Ch’rell says that all wars have collateral damage. He then tells Corporal Montuoro to begin defensive preparations and adds one more order, for the remains of the traitorous MetalKrang to be removed from his command center.
Sergeant Winter and Detective Lewis race into City Hall. Lewis tells Winter that he has to know they are being lied to, that the alien invasion on top of all the other weird stuff can’t be a coincidence. Winter admits he doesn’t know what to think anymore. They are met on an upper floor by Colonel Knight, who asks for a sitrep. The answer is that the E.P.F. isn’t the only one going after Mutant Town. Lewis wants to know where the Mayor is and is told he’s in his office making a important call to Null Industries before they move into the situation room. Lewis reiterates to Winter that they are being fed garbage.
Baxter Stockman is in his office having lunch and watching live coverage of the massacre in Mutant Town. He is having a three-way conference call with Madame Null and the Rat King. Stockman rants about how they gave Krang a highly-upgraded completely subservient host and he repays them with a full-scale invasion. He says that he thought the point of their team-up was the subjugation, manufacture, and sale of mutants, not their slaughter. Null tells him he was correct, that slaughter was never part of the game plan. Rat King reminds them that chaos always was part of the plan, and that chaos begets chaos and that Krang did not receive a grand homecoming.
Stockman is surprised that the Rat King could know that Krang’s not leading the attack. Rat King assures him that he knows many things, such as the fact that there is always opportunity to be found within a maelstrom of chaos. They merely have to identify and exploit it. Stockman sneers that other than banal commentary, what value Rat King does actually offer. Rat King says that bringing together their team was the start. He explains that in his family’s long game for the world, there are rules that must be followed. The Pantheon are the players and their chosen few are the performers – and his have performed their parts in exemplary fashion. Null tells him to save the flattery, she wants specifics on how they should proceed next in this so-called game before the prize is destroyed by the imbecilic Utroms.
Rat King says that it’s time for Null to unleash the Gang of Four. He turns to Stockman and says that General Krang has served up a terrifying new problem followed by widespread public reaction and it’s up to him to offer a solution – sweet dessert for the fearful masses. Never let a crisis go to waste.
In Mutant Town, four of the Turtles watch as Utrom Sky Strikers continue blasting buildings. Raphael says there’s no way they can fight that unless they magically sprout wings. Donatello tells them that crazy as it sounds, the best thing they’ve got going for them right now is the E.P.F.
Meanwhile, the E.P.F. ground forces are being bombarded. Director Braunze shouts for his air assets and Major Padilla responds that they are inbound. The Utrom turn all Sky Strikers to the attacking enemy aircraft. The Earth infantry forces have been softened up and the Utrom Ground Strikers are given the go to engage. As the Utroms advance on the ground, the E.P.F. soldiers rush out to intercept.
With something on the ground that they can reach, the Turtles leap into the fight against the Utrom. Don yells for them all to stay close and watch each other sixes. Jennika jokes that Don is starting to sound like Leo and Michelangelo says he hopes Leo is okay. He adds that he misses him and Raph says as much as he hates to admit it, he’s starting to miss Hob and his crew, too.
In another area of Mutant Town, Old Hob, Herman and the Weasels follow Man Ray. Old Hob says he hopes Ray knows where he’s going. Man Ray says it’s a little farther and it looks like they have a clear path. Suddenly they are fired upon by Utroms who are shouting “kill the mutants”. The mutant group ducks behind a car, which is being ripped apart by Utrom lasers. Then Herman yells that he’s got this and opens fire with his mounted cannons. He completely destroys the enemy and then Man Ray spots their destination. He punches in a security code on a garage door and opens it to reveal a truck. There is a tarp over something stacked in the bed and when Man Ray pulls the tarp back, he reveals crates of explosives. Old Hob then says that he, Ray, and the Weasels are taking the truck and driving to the wall to take care of some overdue business. He tells Herman to take his pent-up anger back to Mutant Town City Hall and help Mayor Sally take care of business there.
As the fight continues in the skies, the E.P.F. and the Turtles are smashing the Utrom ground forces. Mikey starts to gloat about winning, but Raph tells him stop celebrating and start kicking more Utrom butt – and not to jinx them. Jennika agrees that they shouldn’t get ahead of themselves and Don says that they don’t know what other surprises Rat King has planned for them. Suddenly someone opens fire on them and the Turtles race for safety. Don thinks it’s the E.P.F. but then realizes that it’s not, it’s the Gang of Four. They are heavily armed and Don says he guesses they’re done pretending to be ninjas.
The Turtles charge and the Gang opens fire. While dodging bullets, the Turtles quip back and forth about imitation being the sincerest form of flattery and Mikey says he sincerely wishes the imposters would go away. Then he asks who brings a gun to a ninja fight, just before one of the Gang hits the back of Mikey’s head with a rifle butt. The same one turns and shoots a sai out of Raph’s hand, saying they’ve played by their stupid ninja rules long enough. While the two groups are fighting, a group of armed mutants spot them. One says it’s the Splinter Turtles who attacked Stockman, but another wants to know if it’s them, who are they fighting? A third mutant says he doesn’t care and that the ninja turtles have been nothing but trouble for the rest of the mutants and he thinks they all have to go.
Raph ducks for cover as the imposter Raphael fires on him. Another of the Gang slashes Jennika with his Ka-bar and a third blasts Don’s bō in half. The fourth of the Gang of Four stands over Mikey, holding a rifle to his face as he partners hold the other Turtles at bay. He tells Mikey that the Gang has now taken the bull by the horns but when Mikey smiles, he demands to know what’s so funny. Mikey tells him not to have a cow… but the joke’s on him. In the sky above them is Cudley.
Suddenly the other mutants begin firing on the Gang of Four, intent on getting rid of all Turtles. The Gang of Four decide to flee from the flying cow head and crazy civilians, saying they’ve made their point with the ninjas like the boss wanted and they didn’t sign up for this. Cudley delivers his passengers – Shredder, Cherubae and Leonardo – who says it looks like they made it just in time.
Meanwhile, the Nova Posse arrive on Burnow Island. Trip says the ship’s sensors are pinging hot and that the Utroms are expecting them. Commander Luna Azul responds that’s no surprise, Ch’rell is insane, but not a fool. Regenta Seri adds that he’ll be dead when she gets through with him. Luna Azul says they must be smart about it and Rave asks about the plan. The Commander says it will be a two-pronged assault and rescue. Seri, Grotto, Exeen and she will take the fight directly to Ch’rell. Rave will lead Trip and Zebulon to free the Triceratons being held prisoner. Seri asks if they will also rescue the good Utroms like Ma’riell and Luna Azul says yes. She also adds that the Utroms might know they are there, but they still have plenty of surprises up their sleeves.
Elsewhere on the island, Metalhead lies in a heap on a garbage pile. Suddenly the lights in its visor come online as the host unit is reactivated. It completes a software and hardware diagnostic, which shows it has 94.7 percent functionality. A symbiotic analysis indicates 0.0 percent life functions from the parasitic element. Metalhead shocks Krang in order to reanimate him and then reads 52.4 percent life functions. Eyes wide, Krang states that is more than enough to finish what he’s started.
See also[]