| “The Evil League of Mutants” | |||||||
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| Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode | |||||||
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| Season Code: | 025-026 | ||||||
| Episode: | 113 | ||||||
| Original airdate | January 19, 2019 | ||||||
| Written by | Jesse Gordon | ||||||
| Supervising Producer | Alan Wan | ||||||
| Producers: | Vladimir Radev | ||||||
| Directed by | Sebastian Montes | ||||||
| Voice Direction | Rob Paulsen | ||||||
| Supervising Director | Alan Wan | ||||||
| Storyboard Artist: | Julia Braid Kai Lynn Jiang Kevin Molina-Ortiz | ||||||
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"The Evil League of Mutants" is the twenty-third episode (Episode 13) of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It first aired on January 19th, 2019.
Synopsis[]
Baron Draxum assembles a league of mutants to defeat the Mad Dogs.
Appearing in The Evil League of Mutants[]
Major characters[]
- Donatello (Josh Brener) (mutates in flashback)
- Evil League of Mutants (debut)
- Baron Draxum (John Cena)
- Hypno-Potamus (Rhys Darby)
- Meat Sweats (John Lydon)
- Repo Mantis (Fred Tatasciore)
- Sando Brothers (debut)
- Ben (Paul Scheer) (debut)
- Carl (Jason Mantzoukas) (debut)
- Warren Stone (John Michael Higgins)
- Huginn (Timothy Simons)
- Leonardo (Ben Schwartz) (mutates in flashback)
- Michelangelo (Brandon Mychal Smith) (mutates in flashback)
- Muninn (Sam Richardson)
- Raphael (Omar Benson Miller) (mutates in flashback)
- Splinter (Eric Bauza)
Minor characters[]
- Big Mama's assistant (debut) (mutates in flashback)
- Radisson Hotel Bellhop (debut)
- Foot Clan
- JJG (debut)
- Todd Capybara (Thurop Van Orman)
Additional voices by Eric Bauza and Matt Mahaffey
Species[]
- Fish
- Humans
- Altered humans
- Mutant capybara
- Mutant crabs (debut)
- Mutant earthworm
- Mutant hippopotamus
- Mutant mantis
- Mutant pig
- Mutant rat
- Turtles (flashback only)
- Yōkai
Objects and vehicles[]
- 1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish – Dead Fish (debut)
- Foot Shack truck (debut)
- Kuroi Yōroi
- Kusari-fundō
- Ladders (debut)
- Lemonade
- Little Jacob's Ladder (debut)
- Meat tenderizer
- Mystic Ōdachi
- Nunchaku
- Ooze (flashback only) (destroyed)
- Razor Rings
- Tech-Bō
- Tonfā
Locations[]
- New York City
- Bio-Dome (debut)
- Lair
- Radisson Hotel (debut)
- Hidden City
- Baron Draxum's laboratory (flashback only) (destroyed)
- Battle Nexus (flashback only)
- New Jersey (debut)
- Fish market ladder factory (debut)
Plot[]
In a wildlife habitat dome in New York City, the Mad Dogs are fighting against two mutant crabs who are known as the Sando Brothers. They try to combat them with their powers, only for them to backfire in many different ways (Donnie's staff only runs out of power and the shock is what causes him to be down for the count) As the Sando Brothers celebrate, they are suddenly teleported away by a portal appearing beneath them.
Soon after, many other mutant villains the Mad Dogs have faced get brought into the room as well. As the lights turn on, Baron Draxum appears before everyone (Warren Stone comes in on his own terms).
Back at the family lair, everyone is upset that they only seem to be winning their fights because of luck. Raph then proposes that they actually have to train in order to get good, much to the dismay of his brothers. They then wake up Splinter and ask for help, to which he agrees to train them. However, the Mad Dogs are disappointed by his plans to have them watch Lou Jitsu movies and employ "what would Lou Jitsu do?" (W-W-L-J-D). Irritated of their father's "help," the Mad Dogs say him that they needed a real leader and said that he is just a rat, as they go to leave. Hurt and angered by their harsh words, Splinter grounds them and demands their weapons, saying they don't deserve them. The Mad Dogs drop their weapons to the floor and leave the room and Splinter feels regret for punishing them and hurt by their dismissal of him.
Repo Mantis explain to the other mutants why they are here. Draxum arrives and said that it was him. He explains that he brought them to him because they are enemies of the Mad Dogs and plots they work together to destroy "his creations." The evil mutants are left puzzled when he called the turtles creations of his. Huginn and Muninn then explain, in the form of song, that Draxum saw Lou Jitsu compete in the Battle Nexus. Astounded by his fighting skills, Draxum took Lou Jitsu back to his lair and uses his DNA to mutate the turtles to who they are now, but Lou Jitsu escaped, taking the turtles with him. Draxum then proposes, in a song as well, that they all work together to defeat them, and they all agree.
In the night, the Mad Dogs patrol, despite being grounded. They see one of the Foot Lieutenant in a van, but due to low spirits and no weapons, they brush it off. Suddenly, four flyers blow and hit each of them in the face. It was revealed that it was a magic show starting in New Jersey.
The Mad Dogs enter New Jersey outside the building. They enter and meet Draxum and the Evil League of mutants. He said that he has to give the Mad Dogs once last chance to join his side, Leo responded that Draxum once had threw him off a roof the last time in the Grand Nexus Hotel Before he can however, Donnie, spots Todd in the back, because Todd thought that he made new friends. After being launched from the warehouse by the League, the Mad Dogs realize that they are at a fish market ladder factory just like the settings of the Lou Jitsu movies they know so well. They decide to implement Splinter's W-W-L-J-D lesson and weaponize the fish and ladders against the League just as Lou Jitsu would. During the fight Draxum recognizes the fighting style and unusual choice of weapons from Lou Jitsu during his time as a Battle Nexus Champion.
After Raph, delivers the final blow against the League, launching them far away using a ladder, the Mad Dogs try to engage Draxum, but Draxum asks them where they learned their combat style from. They admit they learned from observing Lou Jitsu movies and Draxum explains the Turtle's origins to them of having been infused with the DNA of Lou Jitsu. Believing him, they are left speechless knowing that Lou Jitsu is their biological parent. Right before Draxum could attack them, he is brought by a dark ally and meet Foot Lieutenant and Foot Brute. They all get into their van all having the same goal.
The Mad Dogs return to the lair, only to be comforted by an angry Splinter. He says that he was worried. Leo excitedly tells him that Lou Jitsu is his and his brothers' father, and Splinter wonders how they uncovered that information. The Mad Dogs clarify that, regardless of who their biological father is, Splinter is still their real father. The Mad Dogs apologize to them about their harsh words from before.
Quotes[]
- Warren Stone: Breaking news: you're toast!
- Meat Sweats: Liver toast!
- Ben and Carl: Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
- Hypno-Potamus: As an actual magician, I'm offended by this charade.
- Repo Mantis: I'm about to repo your lives.
- Leonardo: This is why you never go to New Jersey.
Trivia[]
- This is the third 20-minute episode in the series after "Mystic Mayhem" and "Bug Busters".
- This episode features a musical number named "Todd's Lemonade".
- During the musical number, Huginn, Muninn, Draxum, and the Evil League of Mutants sing about the Turtles' (and Splinter's) origins.
- During the song, in one instance, there are four giant turtles seen in the background (possible reference to other incarnation where the Turtles all looked the same).
- The song is a parody of "I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General" from The Pirates of Penzance.
- It was revealed in September 2020 by Rise of the TMNT director and story artist JJ Conway in a Tweet that his storyboards for the scene were inspired by Disney musical numbers "Be Prepared", "Hellfire", "Friends on the Other Side", and most notably "Poor Unfortunate Souls". As well as FernGully: The Last Rainforest's "Toxic Love" and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.[1][2]
- The Lou Jitsu film, 1 Fish, 2 Fish, Red Fish – Dead Fish, Splinter tries to play before training the Turtles is a reference to the Dr. Seuss classic, "One Fish, Two Fish. Red Fish, Blue Fish".
- It is revealed in the lyrics of "Todd's Lemonade" that Draxum created the Turtles by using Lou Jitsu's DNA. This is the first reference made to mutating animals rather than humans.
- Leo's line, "And we need a tiger," when he and his brothers confront Splinter about their ninjutsu training is a reference to Tiger Claw from the 2012 TV series, voiced by Splinter's current voice actor.
- This episode takes place exactly 13 years after the Turtles were mutated as stated in the the lyrics of "Todd's Lemonade".
- There is a Step-into-Reading book based on this episode called "When Mutants Attack!".
- When the Turtles startle Splinter awake, an award reminiscent of an Emmy can be seen on one of Splinter's bedroom wall shelves.
- With the reveal in "Many Unhappy Returns" and "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", Splinter insisting his sons listen to their father and that fathers "know everything" is ironic as Splinter spent his life disregarding what his own father figure advised concerning the Hamato Clan and the Foot and thought he knew better than him (i.e., believed the Shredder was fictional). It wouldn't even be until later in "Shadow of Evil" when Splinter fully recognizes the threat of the Foot.