Dr. Tyler Rockwell is a character who appears in the 2012 TV series. He is a mutant monkey who was originally a human scientist. He first appears in the episode Monkey Brains.
History
When Dr. Victor Falco reported Rockwell missing on the news, Donatello and April investigate his disappearance hoping to find clues about the Kraang. While in his abandoned lab, they encounter Dr. Falco, who claims that Rockwell had been using mutagen to experiment on monkeys. Donatello also takes a flash drive from the lab containing data on Rockwell's research.
The mutant monkey confronts them later. He attacks and defeats Donatello easily, and is about to harm April, but calms down when she talks to him and then runs away. April and the Turtles later search the city for him. Once they capture him, April realizes that the monkey is Dr. Rockwell. They return him to Falco, who promises to take care of him. But later, while studying Rockwell's flash, Donatello learns that Falco has lied to them about Rockwell and used them to get Rockwell back.
The Turtles return to the lab just after Falco injects the psychic neuro-chemical extracted from Rockwell's brain into his own. Falco defeats all the Turtles easily, but Donatello ultimately wins. The Turtles set the mutant Rockwell free, and he goes in the street. Despite hearing him get into a fight with an angry driver almost immediately, the Turtles decide Rockwell will be fine on his own.
Rockwell is next seen in Metalhead Rewired, as one of the detained mutants in the Kraang prison. After he is freed by Metalhead, he breaks the Kraang droid standing next to his cell, then makes for the portal.
His next apearance is in Battle for New York, where he is shown to be the brains behind Slash's new team the Mighty Mutanimals. He is seen at first being at odds with Donatello about which of them is more intelligent, however after acting out his plan to not only open a portal to Dimension X but also use the portal to teleport the imprisoned New York humans back to Earth while at the same time teleporting the Kraang back to Dimension X Donnie told him that plan was "A stroke of genius."
Powers and Abilities
Rockwell's mutated form is incredibly strong, fast, and agile. In addition to his monkey-like abilities, Rockwell possesses a psychic ability to read emotions and sense a person's intentions. This gives him a distinct advantage in evasion and combat. Thus far, Rockwell is the first mutant we have seen lose his ability to speak, resorting to monkey grunts and howls. He is also never seen in his human form.
In between Metalhead Rewired and Battle for New York, Part 1, Dr. Rockwell was experimented upon by the Kraang, increasing his psychic abilities to the point where he could read others minds, control others minds, and levitate objects through telekinesis. The Kraang's experiments also enabled Rockwell to regain his power of speech and vast Intellect. Granted without his psychic-amplifying helmet his powers weren't as powerful, but even so they are a force to be reckoned with.
Gallery
See: Dr. Tyler Rockwell / Gallery
Trivia
- Dr. Rockwell eyes extend longer when he is angry, and get shorter when he is calm. this trait is based on the vintage cymbol clapping monkey toys.
- The Monkey Goblins in Mazes & Mutants are based on Rockwell.
- He is similar to DC comics Gorilla Grodd,both are Highly intelligent primates with psychic powers and wear an Amplifier Helmet.
- Rockwell was named "Monkey Brains" by Mikey only in the IDW New Animated Adventures comics, he says he thought he had named him already (during the episode).