The Mighty Multi-Mutant is the comic in the thirty-eighth issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Appearing in The Mighty Multi-Mutant[]
Major characters[]
- Donatello
- Leonardo
- Michelangelo
- Multi-Mutant (debut) (death)
- Raphael
Minor characters[]
- Footbot
- Shredder
- Stockman-Fly
- Tiger Claw
- Young girl
Locations[]
- New York City
- Foot Headquarters
Objects and vehicles[]
Synopsis[]
At Foot Headquarters, The Shredder watches as Stockman-Fly puts the finishing touches on his latest experiment. Stockman assures Shredder that the procedure he’s about to conduct on a Footbot is a simple one. Stockman explains that he’s gathered DNA samples from some of the city’s deadliest mutants. His machine will translate that genetic information into digital code and upgrade the Footbot with a database of new abilities, making it Shredder’s most perfect weapon.
In another room, Tiger Claw watches through a window in a control room. The computer shows that some of the DNA being used belongs to him. Tiger Claw is angered that Lord Shredder seeks to bestow his unique abilities upon a lowly Footbot. He quickly yanks loose two live electric cables before entering the lab. Shredder tells him that he’s in time to see the creation of a warrior with abilities even greater than Tiger Claw’s, if Stockman is successful.
Stockman activates the machine and the lab is filled with bright lights and the sharp sound of electricity. The Footbot begins to change and mutant, much to Stockman’s surprise. He tells Shredder that the system is overloading and the mutant DNA is mutating into organic matter. It is growing over the Footbot’s robo-skeleton.
Tiger Claw leaps at the creation, telling Shredder that the most feared assassin in Japan remains unmatched. However, the Multi-Mutant smacks Tiger Claw right out of the air. It then leaps through a glass skylight. In the lab, Shredder lifts Stockman by his shirt front, ready to discuss his failure.
A short time later the Turtles are running the rooftops. Michelangelo is apologizing for leaving his worm collection in a noodle box and apparently Raphael ate some of them. Mikey begins to explain himself but something zips past, almost hitting him in the face. They look down at what Donatello calls some kind of mutant cyborg. It is the Multi-Mutant, who is laying waste to a half-dozen Kraangdroids. The Multi-Mutant roars and grips the head of one of the Kraangdroids, melting it with what the Kraang calls ‘mutagenic acid’.
It turns out that the Multi-Mutant has four arms, two of which are formed from Muckman’s DNA. The other two arms, a large portion of the body and a long tail come from DNA belonging to Leatherhead, the legs belong to the Footbot, and the head is from the DNA belonging to Tiger Claw.
As the Turtles leap from the roof, Mikey is certain the creature’s roar sounds like Leatherhead. Don says it appears to be some kind of Multi-Mutant with pieces of different mutants all scrambled together and growing out of a Footbot’s robo-skeleten. However, Raph is only interested in dismantling some Kraang.
He stabs his sai into a Kraangdroid, drawing the Multi-Mutant’s attention. It tells them to prepare to face their doom at the hands of Tiger Claw. This takes Raph aback, because he thought the mutant was an ally – until the Multi-Mutant’s tail smacks him. Don realizes that the concentrated DNA from all the different mutants contains parts of their personalities as well. It has four different minds all fighting over one robotic body.
Multi-Mutant continues battling Kraangdroids and the Turtles. Katana drawn, Leonardo charges, commenting on a mutant with a Footbot’s speed, Leatherhead’s strength, Mutagen Man’s acid hands and Tiger Claw’s reflexes. This last part is spoken as he’s punched and sent flying into the air. Michelangelo stops directly in front of the Multi-Mutant, distracted by the idea of fighting four dudes with one mind. Multi-Mutant stares at him with a scowl and then its face smooths out as he calls Mikey his “friend”.
A second later, his voice changes from Leatherhead’s to Tiger Claw’s, then Mutagen Man’s, then the computerized tones of a Footbot. Multi-Mutant knocks Mikey down as it races away, moaning about having too many voices in its head. Raph helps Mikey up and scolds him about almost getting smushed. Mikey says that Leatherhead is in there somewhere and they can’t hurt him because he’s their friend. Leo reminds him that the thing is only partly Leatherhead and the rest is too dangerous to be running around loose.
Raph takes off, telling his brothers they can stay there and talk, but he’s going to stop the monster. Leo agrees with him and follows, while Don takes a minute to tell Mikey they have to take care of the situation.
Farther along the street, a young girl is trying to fish her phone out of a street drain where she’s dropped it. A sound turns her to look back over her shoulder and she see’s the Multi-Mutant running in her direction, with the four Turtles clinging to it. The girl falls back onto the sidewalk as the Multi-Mutant grips the drain cover and rips it out of the pavement. Leo calls out that it’s too strong and they need to think of something else. The Turtles are still hanging on when the Multi-Mutant drops into the sewer tunnels. The girl laments not having her phone at a time like this and then her phone flips up towards her. She catches it and thanks Mikey, who tossed it up to her.
In the tunnel, Multi-Man slams Leo to the ground, where he lays unmoving. It then grabs Raph and Don by the throat before reaching for Leo with one of its acid hands. Mikey is on the ground, stunned, as Don yells for Leo to wake up and then yells for Mikey to do something. Mikey calls out to Leatherhead, telling him to wake up. He then proceeds to remind Leatherhead of their many adventures together, holding his position as the Multi-Mutant comes towards him.
Mikey’s brothers are sure he’s about to be pulverized, but then Multi-Mutant drops them and hugs Mikey, calling him ‘brother’. Leo sits up, rubbing his head and wondering what’s going on. Raph is ready to attack again while the thing’s distracted, but Don tells him to dial it back and to look. The acid arms having started to disintegrate and Don says Mikey has started some kind of genetic chain reaction. Leatherhead’s personality has taken over completely, but the other body parts are trying to resist. The interaction is neutralizing the mutation.
Soon all of the mutated parts are gone, leaving only the Footbot. Don tells him to stop hugging it before…. There’s an explosion that destroys the upper half of the Footbot and leaves Mikey covered in soot. He’s amazed that he can make stuff explode just by hugging it and vows to use his powers only for good. Leo begins a speech about the heart of a true warrior being one of compassion, but ten minutes later, when his soliloquy finally ends, he finds that he’s alone.
Meanwhile, his brothers sit atop a roof munching on pizza. Don asks if Leo won’t mind him eating his victory-pizza, but Raph says he’s seen Leo practicing his speeches in the mirror and that he could be down there for hours. Next to them, Mikey is hugging a flowerpot.