How do you feel about the origins of Splinter in the FW series?

[MsMarvelDuckie]

This is only partially accurate. It was stated many times that they were still cold-blooded, and being reptiles they were also hairless. They can also swim very well as shown more than once. And just to point out a minor detail, turtles can hear just as well as humans. They have no external ear features(nor do other reptiles, but that hardly makes them hearing impaired), but still have fully functional internal ear structures. For that matter, turtles can smell water up to two miles aways so their sense of smell would be better than a human's.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

I don't think you're necessarily wrong in the details you've provided, its just that overall, I'd say the Ninja turtles are more like humans than ordinary turtles.

Alot of the things you have stated (being good swimmers) I think can be attributed to humans as well while other details such as them calling themselves Cold Blooded I doubt is more than a gag or a part of a Pun, especially when they have been shown to sweat and jump around and be active in snow which would normally cause ordinary reptiles to slow down.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

It wasn't just a gag though. They have even used that trait more than once to help them defeat an enemy who forgets that reptiles don't create their own body heat. (And as turtles, of COURSE they are good swimners! They LIVED in water! In contrast, most humans are only passable swimmers unless trained Olympic-level athletes.)

In essence, they are turtles evolved to a more advanced form- much like birds from theropod dinosaurs. There is an episode of Star Trek Voyager that dealt with something like this, where a saurian species (Igaunodons) evolved into a bipedal and sentient race of reptilian spacefarers so far from Earth that they forgot where their home ever even was. Basically the TMNT hyper-evolved to something similar, through spliced DNA via the mutagen.

The sweating is more of a gag than anything, tbh. Reptiles don't sweat(no sweat glands) and since they have explicitly shown them as cold-blooded, neither should they. Although some reptiles (specifically sea turtles) ARE capable of maintaining body temperature through sheer mass. Basically they are so big that they do not lose much heat even in colder environments. Some scientists believe dinosaurs had the same ability. Bigger bodies retain heat better.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

hmmm, about the turtles defeating their enemy by taking advantage of their cold bloodedness, was that an episode of the FW series? I can't seem to recall.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

hmmm, about the turtles defeating their enemy by taking advantage of their cold bloodedness, was that an episode of the FW series? I can't seem to recall.

Yep, in the episode where napolen bonafrog turned into a monster. Shredder had a heat-seeking weapon, and it went after him, bebop, and rocksteady instead because the turtles and frogs are cold blooded

[MsMarvelDuckie]

There may have been other instances as well but that was the one that I thought of first. I know Donatello mentioned it once or twice as well.

[pferreira]

I preferred Splinter as a human changing into a rat. It seemed more believable within the context of that universe. Not rubbishing the mutated rat origin as that's the original but I always felt that human to rat origin was an improvement.

Originally Posted by Panda_Kahn_fan

Weirdly enough, and even when he was offered the chance to go back to being human, he was reluctant to do so, because of all the sensory and reflex advantages he had as a mutant. And when the mutagen cure wore off and he became a mutant rat again, he didn't seem too bothered.

In Splinter No More it's not that he's bothered, it's more he's upset he'll never become human but learns to accept who he now is plus his sons need him. He knows he can't defend them as a human.

Originally Posted by MsMarvelDuckie

He was indeed in hiding. Saki had basically framed him for trying to kill a GRANDMASTER.

Y'know it just came to that the whole scene in question could have been avoided if Yoshi embarrassed himself. Shredder pins Yoshi with the knife and then when Yoshi can't kneel he takes the knife out from his back and waves it in front of the grandmaster. I mean what he should of done was just saw the prank through and ripped himself off the knife. Yeah it would have been absolutely hilarious with everyone hearing a massive ripping sound as they knelt and would have caused Yoshi to have a massive hole on his back but it could have avoided his 'disgrace'.

Then again if that happened there would be no story so...

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

As for why they didn't have a furless Splinter, it would look hideous.

Originally Posted by neatoman

Basically, why don't he look like a shaven rat with a human face? I know that sounds horrifying but that's essentially how the turtles mutated. If they had mutated the way Hamato Yoshi did, then they would be crawling on all fours, have pink skin, lips, noses and possibly tufts of hair on their scalps.

Are you crazy?! You wanted this???

[Ulisa]

I’ve always preferred Splinter originally being Hamato Yoshi as I feel it makes more sense for both his skill and it makes his connection to Shredder more personal. I do like how the other versions make Splinter wanting to avenge his master and that can certainly work but I think the human versions add more opportunities.

As for the way he was mutated as opposed to the turtles, well, if there’s one thing the mutagen is consistent about it is that it’s inconsistent. It’s mentioned several times to be an unstable mixture so it doesn’t surprise me at all that how it works one time may not be how it works other times. It seemed to me that it just combined the essence of two animals into one and how it did that could vary and change.

I always pictured the turtles and the frogs (and I suppose Mondo Gecko too) as being mesothermic as opposed to cold or warm blooded because they are a blend of cold and warm blooded creatures as opposed to Splinter/BeBop/Rocksteady who were a blend of creatures who were both warm blooded. So that’s how I rationalize that their environment does have some effect on temperature but they can partially control it it bus sweat/shivering.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I think it should be two forms of mutagen:

*Green mutagen = Growing formula (mutating the turtles)
*Purple mutagen = transforms whoever touches it into the animal he or she last touched (mutating Hamato Yoshi into Splinter)

[itwouldntwork]

As others have pointed out, it's quite obvious Splinter's origins were changed simply to avoid having all that murder in the first episode. It doesn't even make sense for him to be living in the sewers - it's just a superficial swap-around.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by itwouldntwork

As others have pointed out, it's quite obvious Splinter's origins were changed simply to avoid having all that murder in the first episode. It doesn't even make sense for him to be living in the sewers - it's just a superficial swap-around.

Why not? Accused for murder in Japan, no habitual residence in the USA. Would have to hide anywhere.

[PizzaPower1985]

I don't care for the FW show but I do like a lot of the concepts and by extension the mythology that FW built into the franchise. I prefer Splinter as Yoshi. It makes a lot more sense and is a lot more concise and succinct than the origin given in Mirage #1.

[Danetello]

Personally I prefer Yoshi turning into a rat. I don't mind the other origin, and I have no other reason than I just prefer it being him. I guess if I REALLY thought about it, it sits better in my head, and is a little less convoluted, but that's about all.

[ProphetofGanja]

I still think the IDW version of Yoshi and the Turtles' origin is the the best there will ever be. It streamlines things and makes the Yoshi/Saki vendetta more personal

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Agreed. I like how they took the best of both versions and made them mesh so well.

[Sumac]

I am OK with either origin, but Yoshi as Splinter is much more interesting to me. It gives him more personal connection to Shredder and adds more drama to the character.