Question about Splinter

[cMac44111]

Alright this was bugging me when I was a kid and since I just saw the pilot for the OT recently I gotta ask.

So in the OT the mutagen made transformed whatever creature touched it into the last creature they came in contact with. The turtles obviously were in contact with Yoshi, but wouldn't Yoshi have been in contact with the turtles last? He did wipe one of them off before he was transformed. So shouldn't Splinter have been a turtle?

[Revan]

Splinter tells us that he was most recently in contact with the rats. He must have touched the mutatgen before touching the turtle. He either entered the room having just been with the rats and stepped in some mutagen barefoot before touching a turtle, or the turtle he was holding was covered in mutagen and that mutagen contacted his skin before the turtle did.

[Leonardo87]

that is a good question, i noticed that myself, but Splinter was a rat in the comics and it would not make sense if he randomly turned into a turtle.

[johnnyblaze]

it was just a screw up on the OT end

[triplexxx]

Originally Posted by Neutrino

Splinter tells us that he was most recently in contact with the rats. He must have touched the mutatgen before touching the turtle. He either entered the room having just been with the rats and stepped in some mutagen barefoot before touching a turtle, or the turtle he was holding was covered in mutagen and that mutagen contacted his skin before the turtle did.

That's basically the answer, he touched the mutagen brfore he picked up the turtles and wiped them off, and before the mutagen had touched the rats last. Touching the turtles afterwards wouldn't make any difference.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

In versions where Splinter starts his life as a rat, how can he bee able to read? In all versions I know, he names the turtles after renaissance names.

[Mr._Mutant_Man]

Originally Posted by Johan Sweden 1982

In versions where Splinter starts his life as a rat, how can he bee able to read? In all versions I know, he names the turtles after renaissance names.

The ooze caused his intellect to increase as well, hence being able to read, and speak for that matter.

The rules for the cartoon mutagen seems a lot more complicated than the comics, with the whole last animal someone touched rule. In the comics, like other fictional radioactive goo it just made things into odd creatures, in this case making animals larger and smarter.

[oldmanwinters]

One story that has never been elaborated on to my knowledge is how Splinter developed his attraction to the Renaissance artists. It makes the most sense in the OT where he is an art loving man of culture. I think this would make a good basis for a comic someday. Someone should explore Splinter's link between the Eastern mysticism of his Japanese roots with Western civilization.

[General Traag]

Originally Posted by Johan Sweden 1982

In versions where Splinter starts his life as a rat, how can he bee able to read? In all versions I know, he names the turtles after renaissance names.

After i saw the rat training ninjamoves in its cage i stopped asking any questions
(the movie that was though).

[Ninjinister]

Originally Posted by General Traag

After i saw the rat training ninjamoves in its cage i stopped asking any questions
(the movie that was though).

And the comic, and 2K3....

[Scandia]

Who knows if Hamato Yoshi himself had always been fond of Renaissance art, and Splinter would see the books and posters he had, as well as watched and listened to the TV shows on Renaissance art.. Who knows if Yoshi even snuck in Splinter into a traveling exhibit at a museum. A colleague of mine took her pet rat to the movie theatres to see Ratatouille- imagine a rat as intelligent and well-behaved as Splinter was.

[General Traag]

Originally Posted by The S

And the comic, and 2K3....

Wait, so that is like...the original story then? Löl.

And the old toon is goofy...right.

[odupianist]

The rules for the cartoon mutagen seems a lot more complicated than the comics, with the whole last animal someone touched rule. In the comics, like other fictional radioactive goo it just made things into odd creatures, in this case making animals larger and smarter.

They went more in depth with the new toon as well. Saying how the ooze affected sub atomic particles and such for the Transmat device. I thought that was cool

[Ninjinister]

Originally Posted by General Traag

Wait, so that is like...the original story then? Löl.

And the old toon is goofy...right.

http://www.ninjaturtles.com/comics/mirage/one/pg11.htm

[Revan]

Yoshi steps into the mutagen before coming into contact with the turtles. See here, he is standing in mutagen and has not yet picked them up. He had most recently been with the rats before entering the room and seeing the turtles covered in the ooze.

[Sage Ninja]

soooo...by that logic shouldn't have Splinter turned into a mutant turtle/rat hybrid?

[odupianist]

I agree with Sage Ninja on that. It should technically be a rat/turtle hybrid.

[Spike Spiegel]

Originally Posted by odupianist

I agree with Sage Ninja on that. It should technically be a rat/turtle hybrid.

That would be a sight to behold

[Revan]

Originally Posted by Sage Ninja

soooo...by that logic shouldn't have Splinter turned into a mutant turtle/rat hybrid?

No. Splinter said the ooze caused whoever touched it to take the form of the last animal they had been in contact with... not the last two animals. If Yoshi touched a rat then the ooze, then a turtle, it wouldn't matter because he touched a rat first, then the ooze.

[Shredder]

Originally Posted by Neutrino

No. Splinter said the ooze caused whoever touched it to take the form of the last animal they had been in contact with... not the last two animals. If Yoshi touched a rat then the ooze, then a turtle, it wouldn't matter because he touched a rat first, then the ooze.

I agree with this as far as why OT Splinter is a rat, not a turtle. Also, I've always found the comic version of the Splinter/Hamato Yoshi story to be a little strange, with Splinter learning ninja moves as a regular rat. Personally, I like the Yoshi is Splinter OT version better, but I'm probably in the minority on that.