Earth's Last Stand

"The Ever-Burning Fire"

**"Earth's Last Stand"** is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the 92nd episode overall of the series.

## Synopsis

As the team finally reaches Earth, Fugitoid reveals a horrible secret about his past.

## Plot

As the Ulixes returns to the Milky Way Galaxy, and Earth's Solar System in the Orion Cygnus Arm of the Milky Way, the Turtles, April, and Casey are happy to be home and reunite with their family and friends, until the Fugitoid reminds them that if they don't stop the Triceratons now, Earth will be lost forever since they can't go back in time again to undo it. Speaking of the Triceratons, their flagship arrives near Saturn and makes its way towards Earth to wipe it out once and for all.

As they past through the Solar System, the Fugitoid has a confession to make: The Kraang were not the creators of the Heart of Darkness: *He* was. Back when he was still a humanoid, Kraang Subprime paid him a large sum of Zemulacks to help with his research in return for converting the Heart of Darkness from an energy generator to the doomsday weapon it now was. Back then, the Fugitoid would do anything to continue his research, not caring what the Kraang would use the Heart of Darkness for, but now, having realized his terrible mistake, he now regrets his actions and wants to make amends. However, having learned the truth, the gang are shocked that the Fugitoid kept that secret from them, Leo and Casey being more furious than the others about it. As a result, as the Ulixes nears the Triceraton flagship as it makes its way towards Earth, having just reached Mars, Leonardo launches a one-man attack on the flagship in the Ulixes' Scout Ship, despite pleas from the others that what he's doing is suicidal. However, blinded by his anger towards learning the truth about the Heart of Darkness being the Fugitoid's creation, Leo ignores their pleas and continues with his suicidal attack.

When Mozar is told of the Ulixes' approach, he decides to hold his fire until they are around Mars, then unleash the entire fleet on the Turtles. Though Leo manages to destroy several Raptors and cause some damage to the flagship, when he attempts to attack the bridge where Mozar is, Raptors ambush him and fatally wound the Scout Ship, causing it to self-destruct, leaving Leo stranded in space. Worse, his helmet cracks and shatters, exposing him to the vacuum of space. Before the Ulixes can rescue him, it is shot down by Rock Rockets and heads for a crash landing on Mars. Luckily, the Fugitoid is able to divert energy to save the ship, and they are able to rescue Leo, but once back aboard, Donnie is forced to use his space bo staff as a defibrillator to restart Leo's heart and resuscitate him. Following his brothers' relief that he's still alive, they head back to the bridge as the Triceratons have already reached Earth, launched Mozar's destroyer from the flagship, and transported the Heart of Darkness down to Washington Square where Triceraton engineers begin activating the detonation sequence, only to be interrupted by the Turtles' past selves, along with April and Casey's past selves and all their allies in the Mutanimals, Mondo Gecko, Muckman, and Master Splinter.

On board his destroyer, Mozar is incredulous as to how the Turtles are already engaging his men and are back on Earth before him. As for the Ulixes, it rounds Earth's Moon and as it approaches Earth, the satellite feed shows the Turtles' past selves when they tried to rescue Mikey from Mozar's destroyer, only for their Kraang Stealth Ship to be destroyed in the process, yet they manage to teleport aboard Mozar's destroyer thanks to a Triceraton teleportation device, and are confronted by Mozar himself. However, when his questions about if they recognize him are met with uncertainty, he realizes that he must be dealing with their past selves, so he'll have to deal with all of them at once.

On the Ulixes, the Fugitoid tells the Turtles, April, and Casey to head down and aid their past selves while he retrieves the Heart of Darkness, having revealed earlier that the Heart of Darkness can only be destroyed by a combination of fusion energy and dark matter. When they refuse to comply, the Fugitoid decides that if they will not follow his plan, they are no longer wanted on his ship, and ejects them, but not without using his tractor beam to save them from serious injury before heading off to get the doomsday weapon.

Meeting up with their past selves, they soon are at the same point when just as Splinter and Shredder were about to disable the Heart of Darkness. That was when Shredder murdered Splinter. Thanks to Leo's warning this time, Splinter evades the fatal blow and is livid that Shredder would break their truce and sacrifice the Earth to kill him. Shredder says that without Karai, his vengeance is all he has left. As the two bitter rivals do battle, Leo blasts the detonator just as it was about to hit zero, damaging it so badly that it short-circuits and explodes, disarming the Heart of Darkness. With the detonator destroyed, Mozar beams down to deal with the Turtles, April, and Casey of the past and future personally, but their combined teamwork is able to overpower him, forcing him to retreat with his men, and return his destroyer to the flagship, with the intent to wipe out New York City, retrieve the Heart of Darkness, and make good on wiping out the Earth completely.

Meanwhile, Splinter is able to overpower and defeat Shredder, forcing Tiger Claw to retrieve his master. Before retreating, Tiger Claw swears that the Foot Clan will be back once Shredder recovers. As the Turtles reunite with their sensei, the Ulixes arrives to retrieve the Heart of Darkness, before blasting off towards the Triceraton flagship. It is then Donnie realizes that the Ulixes' power core runs on dark matter, while the Fugitoid runs on a Fusion Generator, meaning that the Fugitoid plans on not just destroying the Heart of Darkness, but the Triceraton flagship and Mozar as well in a suicidal kamikaze attack. Despite the Turtles' pleas, the Fugitoid offers his deepest apologies and thanks, and as Mozar has the flagship power up its main weapon, the Devastator, he is horrified when he sees the Ulixes flying towards the flagship and one of the Devastator's cannons, intending to take them with him. There is nothing Mozar can do as the combination of the Fugitoid and the Ulixes' power cores creates a cataclysmic explosion that engulfs the Triceraton flagship, creating a bright flash that can be seen on Earth before it fades.

Though the Turtles, April, and Casey are saddened by the Fugitoid's sacrifice, they are still touched by it. They then realize there was still the matter of what to do with two versions of the Turtles, April, and Casey now on Earth together. Luckily, the past version of the Ulixes and the Fugitoid arrives, and without a moment's hesitation, the past Turtles, April, and Casey climb aboard, despite Splinter's reluctance at letting them go without consulting him first. With all loose ends tied up, Splinter would like to hear the stories tomorrow as Slash comments that he has seen some weird things up to now. The Turtles, April, and Casey head home with the Mutanimals, Splinter, and their other allies.

Meanwhile in orbit, there is a debris field left by the destruction of the Triceraton flagship, the Heart of Darkness, and the Ulixes. The Fugitoid's severed head reactivates.

## Trivia

* When the Fugitoid prepares to destroy the Heart of Darkness and the Triceraton flagship as it powers up its Devastator ray, it is a shout-out to the movie *Independence Day* where Russell Case sacrifices himself to fly his F/A-18 Hornet, loaded with an armed missile that was stuck to its launch clamps, into the mouth of the alien saucer's primary weapon before it can destroy Area 51, setting off a chain reaction that destroyed the saucer from the inside out.
* Scenes from the Season 3 finale "Annihilation Earth" were reused in this episode.

## Quotes

**Zorin:** Warp complete, Captain Mozar. We have arrived in the Orion Cygnus Arm of the Milky Way, in Earth's Solar System.**Mozar:** Excellent! Sergeant Zog has located a last Kraang outpost. *(To the crew)* All hail Mozar!**Triceratons:** MOZAR! MOZAR! MOZAR!**Mozar:** Within mere nextons, Earth, home to the vile Turtles, will be destroyed...

**Casey:** *(In regards to the Fugitoid's confession)* That is messed up, yo!

**Leonardo:** Master Splinter! NO!

**Splinter:** I knew you were a snake, but stopping me from saving the world?!**Shredder:** It is because of you KARAI IS GONE!!

*Leo destroys the detonator just in time, disarming the Black Hole Generator***Donnie:** Yes! The timer is down! We're gonna win!*Mozar teleports down behind Donnie***Donnie:** Uh-oh... **Mozar:** (Sees both past and present turtles) So you time traveled back to save your world, which means I destroyed it the first time around did I not? Now Mozar will win the second round!

*Mozar's blaster is disabled by Leo***Mozar:** No matter. I only need these! *(Cracks his knuckles and charges with a roar)*

**Shredder:** I will rid the world of a vile monster!**Splinter:** The only monster here is YOU, Saki!

*Shredder is given a well-deserved thrashing by Splinter, leaving him unable to move as Tiger Claw runs to his aid***Tiger Claw:** Master Shredder! *(Growls at Splinter before picking Shredder up)* You have won this time, but don't count the Foot out for long.

**Casey:** *(To his past self)* Hey, you're not too bad for a time clone!

**Fugitoid:** Let it be known: That you are my friends, and I love you all. *(His last words)*

*Mozar sees the Ulixes approaching the Triceraton flagship and realizes the Fugitoid's intentions***Mozar:** Oh, no! *The Ulixes explodes, engulfing the Triceraton flagship in a cataclysmic explosion.***Mozar:** NO! *(His last words)*

**Past Casey:** So, uh, what are we going to do about this? The Earth isn't big enough for two Casey Joneses.**Casey:** Hey, back off, punk!**April:** I don't know. I always kind of wanted a twin sister.**Past April:** Wow! Me too! This is actually kinda cool!