Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) are four anthropomorphic turtle brothers who were exposed to a mutagenic substance as infants, resulting in them growing up into humanoids with human-level intelligence. Raised by a similarly mutated rat, Splinter, who taught them the ways of ninjitsu (which he recalled from observing his late human owner, Hamato Yoshi), they become vigilantes, taking on the evil Foot ninja clan and their leader, the Shredder. Eastman and Laird founded Mirage Studios in 1983 to self-publish the original comic, intended as a parody/homage to Frank Miller's Daredevil (the Foot clan referencing Daredevil's foes, the Hand), Marvel's New Mutants (hence the teenage mutant aspect of the title), Dave Sims' Cerebus (another self-published anthropomorphic animal warrior) and Miller's Ronin (samurais in the modern day). Its success saw the characters spun off into multiple cartoons, a live-action TV series, anime, additional comics from companies including Archie Comics, two series of cinematic live-action movies, a tabletop roleplaying game from Palladium, and computer games. Some later versions of the turtles have merged the characters of Splinter and his former owner Hamato Yoshi, making the rat variously a mutated form of Yoshi or his reincarnation.

The cartoon movie *Turtles Forever* established that all versions of the Turtles share the same multiverse (or "Turtleverse"), and are therefore canonical to one another.

## Connections IN Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

* **Marvel Universe**TMNT #1 (May 1984) suggests that the turtles share an origin with the hero Daredevil.
* **Usagi Yojimbo** The samurai rabbit Miyamoto Usagi has encountered the Turtles many times, beginning in Turtle Soup #1 (1987). As well as the comics, he has appeared in several versions of the TMNT cartoons.
* **Cerebus** Aardvark barbarian Cerebus first met the Turtles during a time travel adventure in TMNT #8 (1986)
* **Garfield** Jim Davis' newspaper strip cat visits the TMNT's underground lair in an attempt to steal their pizza in *Garfield Meets The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*, a strip written by Davis and inked by Laird, and published in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Magazine (Winter 1992).
* **Rockin’ Rollin’ Miner Ants** The aforementioned Ants teamed up with the TMNT in TMNT volume 1 #40, before going on to their own miniseries.
* **Varmints** In Turtle Soup, the TMNT encountered the Varmints, a trio of anthropmorphic fighters who starred in their own short lived comic.
* **Cthulhu Mythos** The TMNT faced Shub Niggurath in the IDW miniseries *Infestation 2: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*.

## Connections TO Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

* **Destroyer Duck** The turtles make a cameo appearance in *Savage Dragon/Destroyer Duck* #1 (Nov 1996).
* **Savage Dragon** The turtles make a cameo appearance in *Savage Dragon/Destroyer Duck* #1 (Nov 1996).
* **Mars Attacks** In *Mars Attacks Image* Raphael is seen fighting the Martians.
* **Sonic the Hedgehog** The TMNT had an authorised cameo in *Sonic the Hedgehog* #10 (1994), when Sonic runs through the sewers and passes them going the other way. In *Sonic Universe* #29, the TMNT's foes Bebop and Rocksteady have a cameo appearance.
* **Power Rangers** In two episodes of *Power Rangers in Space,* the Space Rangers encounter the live-action version of the TMNT from their live-action show *Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation*.
* **Dan Dare** The TMNT feature in a segment of the 1990s Comic Relief Comic. Though they do not directly meet, space pilot Dan Dare features in another segment of the same story.
* **Doctor Who** The time-travelling Doctor is also present in the story, though like Dare he does not directly interact with the Turtles.
* **Judge Dredd** The Mega-City lawman also appears in the Comic Relief Comic's story.
* **Robocop** The cyborg police officer also appears in the Comic Relief Comic's story.
* **Blackadder** One of the Blackadder family also appears in the Comic Relief Comic story.
* **Marvel Universe** Many characters from Marvel comics also appear in the Comic Relief Comic story.
* **DC Thomson Universe** Both Desperate Dan from the Dandy, and many of the humor characters from the Beano, appear in the Comic Relief Comic story.
* **Flaming Carrot** The TMNT shared an adventure with the unique crimefighter Flaming Carrot in #25-27 of his series.
* **Pre-Teen Dirty-Gene Kung-Fu Kangaroos** Donatello of the TMNT appears in an official cameo in the first issue of this comic series.
* **Equine the Uncivilized** The TMNT cameo in *Equine the Uncivilized* #3 and 6.
* **Grimjack** The TMNT visited Munden's Bar in Grimjack's home city, the interdimensional Cynosure, in Grimjack #26.
* **Boris the Bear** Robotic teddy bear Boris took aim at other anthropomorphic animals, including the TMNT in an unofficial cameo, in Boris the Bear #2. They returned the favor in *Laffin' Gas* #2, beating Boris up.
* **Samurai Penguin** The TMNT guest cameo in *Samurai Penguin* #4, appearing alongside several other anthropomorphic animals.
* **Cold-Blooded Chameleon Commandos** Though they do not directly meet the Turtles, the Cold-Blooded Chameleon Commandos join in the anthropomorphic animals revenge plot in *Laffin' Gas* #2.
* **Miami Mice** The Miami Mice appear alongside the TMNT in *Samurai Penguin* #4, and met them again in Miami Mice #4 (where they also run into Cerebus again).
* **Panda Khan** The TMNT met Panda Khan when both attended Equine the Uncivilized's party in *Equine the Uncivilized* #6.
* **Transformers** IDW's miniseries *Infestation* 2 sees the TMNT face the same Lovecraftian threat as several other heroes, including the Transformers.
* **G.I.Joe** IDW's miniseries *Infestation 2* sees the TMNT face the same Lovecraftian threat as several other heroes, including G.I.Joe.
* **Eberron** IDW's miniseries *Infestation* 2 sees the TMNT face the same Lovecraftian threat as several other heroes, including the heroes from their Dungeons and Dragons comics, set in the fictional realm Eberron.
* **30 Days of Night** IDW's miniseries *Infestation 2* sees the TMNT face the same Lovecraftian threat as several other heroes, including characters from 30 Days of Night.
* **Danger Girl** IDW's miniseries *Infestation 2* sees the TMNT face the same Lovecraftian threat as several other heroes, including Danger Girl.
* **Image** The TMNT guest star in Gen13 #13b, where they encounter Spawn and members of Gen13.
* **Bone** Fone Bone and the TMNT both guest star in Gen13 #13b.
* **Madman** Madman and the TMNT both guest star in Gen13 #13b.
* **Walt Disney** Michelangelo appeared alongside Donald Duck's nephews in *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.*
* **Alvin and the Chipmunks** Michelangelo appeared alongside Alvin and his fellow chipmunks in *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.*
* **Looney Tunes** Michelangelo appeared alongside Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny in *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.*
* **The Muppets** Michelangelo appeared alongside the Muppet Babies in *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.*
* **The Smurfs** Michelangelo appeared alongside the Smurfs in *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.*
* **Winnie the Pooh** Michelangelo appeared alongside Winnie the Pooh in *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.*
* **Alf** Michelangelo appeared alongside Alf in *Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue.*
* **Mortal Kombat** The Turtles encounter Sub-Zero and Raiden in NetherRealm Studios' *Injustice 2*computer game.
* **Hellboy** The Turtles encounter Hellboy in NetherRealm Studios' *Injustice 2*computer game.
* **Middle-Earth** Michelangelo is in The Lego Movie, as is Gandalf.
* **Harry Potter** Michelangelo is in The Lego Movie, as is Dumbledore.
* **The Simpsons** Michelangelo is in The Lego Movie, as is Milhouse from the Simpsons.
* **Speed Racer** Michelangelo is in The Lego Movie, as is Speed Racer.

## Inter-Universal Connections

* **Ghostbusters** The TMNT met the Ghostbusters in the IDW comic miniseries *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Ghostbusters* and *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Ghostbustes 2.*
* **DC Universe** The TMNT teamed up with Batman in the comic miniseries *Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*. The Turtles have also met the Teen Titans in the cartoons *Teen Titans Go!*
* **Archie Comics**The Turtles are sent to Archie's universe by Cudley the Cowlick in *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meet Archie*.
* **Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa** The anthropomorphic cow gunslingers of Moo Mesa, who originally debuted in their own cartoon, have appeared in the TMNT comics on a number of occasions, beginning with TMNT volume 2 #21's *A (Bull) Wrinkle in Time*.
* **X-Files** While investigating the "Manphibian of Northampton," the Lone Gunmen from X-Files run into the TMNT in IDW's *The X-Files Conspiracy: TMNT* #1. Subsequent issues of the series have the Gunmen meet the Ghostbusters, the Crow and the Transformers, though none directly encounter the Turtles.
* **Creed** The TMNT met Creed in the one-shot comic Creed/TMNT #1.