While the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are famous for studying the ancient art of ninjutsu alongside the old ways of weapons training taught to them by the father and teacher, Master Splinter, their deadliest (and coolest) fighting forms aren’t based on the past, but are fully accepting of the future–and based on the current state of TMNT canon, these Sci-Fi upgrades need to make a comeback.
In the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles canon established by IDW Publishing, Master Splinter and the Ninja Turtles are the reincarnations of an ancient warrior and his sons who learned ninja-fighting techniques from the Foot Clan before they were all murdered by the villainous leader of the Foot, the Shredder. Years later, their spirits were given new life in a rat and four turtles before they were exposed to a mysterious ooze that turned them into ‘mutanimals’. Regardless of their new forms, Master Splinter continued training his sons just as he had in their previous lives. However, they weren’t in feudal Japan anymore–Splinter and the Ninja Turtles were in a fantastical version of the 21st Century complete with mutants, killer robots, and (of course) aliens. So, the TMNT had to adapt by applying their ancestral training to futuristic tech depending on their opponent–and in one issue, the Turtles get an upgrade that they need to get back.
The TMNT Energy Weapons and Jetpacks
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #75 (written by Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, and Tom Waltz with art by Cory Smith, Mateus Santolouco, Chris Johnson, and Damian Courceiro), the Ninja Turtles are on Planet Neutrino in Dimension X, testifying against General Krang who had just been arrested and accused of committing war crimes. However, the Turtles’ trip to this alien world becomes more dramatic than they planned as Neutrino is being invaded by a bug-like alien species known as the Malignoid Swarm. In order to effectively fight the bugs that made it ed Neutrino’s armada of spaceships and onto the planet’s surface, the Turtles were given energy-based versions of their iconic weapons–plus, each of them got a jetpack.
This Sci-Fi upgrade was perfect for the Ninja Turtles as it allowed them to stay true to their original weapons (all of which they have mastered, respectively), while making them much more deadly. Plus, the jetpacks not only gave the Turtles flight capabilities, but also the ability to move in 360 motions–something their ninja-training more than prepared them for. All-in-all, these technological improvements complimented the Turtles’ skills while enhancing them dramatically–something that would be very useful to them, especially now.
The Ninja Turtles Need Their Sci-Fi Weapons for the Armageddon Game
In the current state of TMNT canon, the Turtles are facing off against an elder god known as the Rat King who is hellbent on claiming the world as his own. In his service are some familiar foes of the TMNT, including Baxter Stockman and General Krang–all united under the dark deity. Basically, the Ninja Turtles are going up against a world-ending threat, and they are going to need more than nunchucks and twin sai to come out on top. These Sci-Fi weapons/gear would be perfect for taking on their immensely powerful foes in Armageddon Game, and this issue already proved the Turtles are more than capable of using this level of technology effectively against a different type of world-ending threat. For this reason, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Sci-Fi upgrades need to make a comeback–their world may very well depend on it.
