The Super Shredder

"Bat in the Belfry"

**The Super Shredder** is the twentieth episode of the fourth season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the 98th episode of the series overall.

## Synopsis

For the first time, the Turtles encounter something they cannot defeat... The Super Shredder!

## Characters

* Leonardo
* Donatello
* Raphael
* Michelangelo
* Splinter
* April O'Neil

## Plot

At the Shredder's hideout in the woods, Stockman enters to see how Shredder is doing with his recovery via his mutagen treatment, but Shredder is growing impatient and demands the rest of the mutagen. Stockman tries to warn him that if he does not give him time to stabilize it, it could cause serious problems to Shredder's sanity, but under threat of being ripped apart by Shredder, Stockman goes ahead with the injection, but as Shredder begins to get up, the full effects of the unstable mutagen kick in, causing Shredder to grab his Kuro Kabuto helmet as he mutates completely. Rocksteady arrives to see what is going on, and is shocked alongside Stockman as Shredder reveals his new, mutated form, with only one thing on his mind: Vengeance, once and for all.

In the sewers, the Turtles and April are meditating with Splinter, when Splinter receives a vision of Shredder in his mutated form, causing him to end the meditation session early and discuss a dream he had the night before of fighting Shredder and not surviving the encounter.

Back with Shredder, Tiger Claw arrives to see what happened and immediately demands an answer from Stockman. Despite Stockman's pleas that the mutagen still needs to be stabilized, Shredder demands that they get Rahzar to set the bait for the trap for Splinter.

The Turtles are enjoying watching Bradford's cartoon show before Splinter demands that they do something other than watch television, before the power goes out. Donnie sees that the blackout includes Shredder's old lair, where Karai now is with her Foot Clan, and they all realize she might be in danger.

At Karai's, Shinigami arrives with no word on what led to the blackout, but Karai suggests increasing the guards, before Tiger Claw and Rahzar arrive, before letting in Super Shredder in his new mutant form. Despite the best efforts of Karai, Shinigami, and their Foot Ninja, Shredder is too powerful, and forces Karai into surrender under the threat of hunting down Shinigami if she refuses. Once outside, with Karai their prisoner, Super Shredder is confronted by the Shellraiser, but when Leo tries to run him down with it, Shredder easily stops it in its tracks, and delivers an ultimatum to the Turtles to take to Splinter: If he ever wants to see Miwa again, meet Super Shredder at the last place where Shredder defeated him. With that, Super Shredder tosses the Shellraiser across the street, before using his blades to ignite the leaking fluid from the Shellraiser, engulfing it in flames. The Turtles and April escape before the Shellraiser is engulfed, but April is badly injured from the accident.

Back at their lair, they explain what happened to Splinter, along with Super Shredder's ultimatum, and Splinter agrees to take them and rescue Karai.

Arriving where Splinter and Shredder last fought, Splinter, the Turtles, and April, are unnerved when they see several photographs of Shredder, Splinter, and their past involving Tang Shen and Karai, before the photographs and the room are engulfed in flames. Escaping to where Karai held the Turtles prisoner back in "The Fourfold Trap," they find more photographs that are soon ignited, and as Splinter heads off to save Karai upon hearing her yell, this leads to the Turtles being separated from him by a subway train carrying Rahzar and Tiger Claw. Splinter finds Karai, but soon has to face the Super Shredder, who now looks as if the unstable mutagen has warped his mind even further into insanity with believing Karai is his daughter and Splinter is responsible for everything that's happened to him. As Splinter is forced to use a smoke bomb to escape to somewhere he can better fight the Super Shredder, the Turtles lose Rahzar and Tiger Claw, only for Fishface to reroute their train towards a dead end, forcing them to abandon it just in time before it derails and crashes. As they hurry back to Splinter's aid, Karai gets free of her own restraints, and they meet up with her, only to then be attacked by the Chrome Dome Elite Foot-bots to keep them isolated from Splinter.

Having Super Shredder follow him to the Undercity where he fought the Rat King, Splinter is able to do a pretty good job holding his own against the Super Shredder, but soon Super Shredder has him right where he wants him.

Meanwhile, the Turtles manage to take down the Elite Footbots attacking them, and April is able to locate Splinter via her Aeon crystal and psychic powers. They quickly hurry to his aid, but are blocked from reaching him by more Chrome Domes. As for Super Shredder before he can finish off Splinter for good, his arm begins to act wildly, a side-effect of the unstable mutagen. He soon managing to crush Splinter's foot and prevent him from further escape. Super Shredder is unable to stop Splinter from firing a kunai at a spot where he had set up several explosives to destroy the support for the piece of broken bridge they were on. Super Shredder tries to escape so he can go after Karai, April, and the Turtles, but Splinter manages to grab him in time so both of them fall into the abyss, presumably to their deaths.

With Splinter's sacrifice to stop Shredder, the Turtles, April, and Karai escape to safety as the Elite Footbots begin launching arrows after them. The Turtles refuse to believe that Splinter is truly gone, but know that they will have to retreat for now and regroup. Unfortunately, the doors they just sealed are blown open, and the Turtles, April, and Karai, find themselves facing Rocksteady, Bebop, and several Elite Footbots, uncertain of what to do now...

## Trivia

* Super Shredder is described as a cheese grater, Eastman and Laird were inspired by one to create Shredder's name.
* This was the first of three episodes rebroadcast in a 90-minute feature-length arc entitled *Powers Unleashed*. This arc first aired on December 4, 2016.