Ch'rell: Brilliant Scientist or Strong Minded Semi-Psychic?

[Casual Matt]

I've been thiinking about something... Ch'rell's use of the Utrom exosuit and his mastery of Ninjitsu within it.

Now to me, this poses the question... how exactly do the exosuits work? In the old toon, I remember seeing all kinds of switches and buttons in Krangs little cockpit, but we don't really see anything like that in the new toon's suits. And it's obvious that at least some Utroms have some kind of psychic abilities. Could it be the Utrom exosuits are controlled by thought?

Either way, I seem to remember the first Utrom exosuit in the episode Secret Origins. The Utrom using it had trouble I think. But Ch'rell took it and was able to use it with little problem. Does this mean he was smart enough to figure out exactly how to use it quickly, or is he strong minded enough to control it easily?

In either case, he was able to master ninjitsu in the suit. That's an impressive feat in either case. I wouldn't imagine I'd be able to not only figure out how to use an advanced robot suit, but control it well enough to use something as precise and intricute as ninjutsu. I mean the first Utrom using an exosuit proves that wearing one doesn't automatically make you a great warrior. If the suit is controlled by some kind of unseen control board, then Ch'rell must have some impressive technological skill to use it so well, and even if it works through some psychic means, then that means Ch'rell can think as fast, if not faster, than a human ninjutsu master and make the suit do exactly what he wants, when he wants.

This all just strikes me as impressive. Now I know by the time the turtles meet him, Shredder has had centuries to get used to the suit, but if I'm not mistaken, didn't he pretty much have mastery over it fairly early on? It's been a while since I've seen Secret Origins and I don't have that DVD to check.

Anyway, I guess I just wanted to remind myself that the Shredder's strength isn't just in the suit, but also in Ch'rell's mind, and his ability to use it. Afterall, a weapon is only as effective as the warrior wielding it.

[Coola Yagami]

If I recall, the Utroms were kinda skipping ahead in chapters of their life when they were telling their story to the Turtles. I mean, first it showed how they crash-landed on Earth, then they kinda fast forwarded to when they made the first exo-suit, then they fast forward to when the first Shredder appeared. So for all we know, it could have taken Ch'rell a few years to have updated the stolen exo-suit into the first version of the Shredder.

[Revan]

I see where you're coming from. Think about how many electrical impulses travel from your brain to your muscles just for the simplest movement. Now think of how many movements are necessary in effective ninjitsu.
I doubt chrell controlled his body with nothing more than levers and buttons. That would be a lot of button pushing.

How about this one. How do the utroms see what's going on if they are housed in the stomach area? :ohwell: Can they see through the exosuit and clothing?

[Mr. Stay Puft]

I do recall in one of the "Secret Origins" episodes, that when Mortu was scratching his own head with his tentacle, his exosuit was scratching its head, leading me to believe that, at the very least, the current exosuits are controlled by neural impulses. As for Ch'rell's original suit. No idea.

[gobo]

This makes me think it's even more likely that Ch'rell made some sort of deal with The Ninja Tribunal. Perhaps The Tribunal's involvement with the alien bug was even deeper than that though. I mean, it's one helluva coincidence that he had a preexisting purple scar or tattoo of the 'three-toed symbol of the dragon' over his left eye before he came to Earth (if that actually was his first time on Earth shown in "Secret Origins").

[Coola Yagami]

This makes me think it's even more likely that Ch'rell made some sort of deal with The Ninja Tribunal. Perhaps The Tribunal's involvement with the alien bug was even deeper than that though. I mean, it's one helluva coincidence that he had a preexisting purple scar or tattoo of the 'three-toed symbol of the dragon' over his left eye before he came to Earth (if that actually was his first time on Earth shown in "Secret Origins").

You know... I forgot about Ch'rell's Foot tattoo on his face... I used to think the Foot used that symbol because of it.. and then the Tribunal comes along with Demon Shredder and whatnot that changes all that... but still... Ch'rell has that tattoo.... and let's not forget that apparently Shredder, wether it was Ch'rell or Saki or whoever had won a Battle Nexus....

Seems we're not completely done with the Shredder story until all these loose ends are tied.

[VaughnMichael]

How do we know it's a Tattoo? I always thought it was a Scar.

[gobo]

Perhaps the possessed Oroku Saki had somehow abducted Ch'Rell centuries ago and branded him with The Shredder's essence in foresight of his fall at the hands of The Ninja Tribunal, and that's what started the wheel of fate turning.

[Mr. Stay Puft]

Yes but the original Oroku Saki had the symbol of the Foot on his shirt even before they were given the banner or had even fought the Tengu. Someone explain that.

[Casual Matt]

Yes but the original Oroku Saki had the symbol of the Foot on his shirt even before they were given the banner or had even fought the Tengu. Someone explain that.

It was a story told to the turtles. They were imagining everybody as they knew them.

I don't believe the original Oroku Saki wore the same clothes as Ch'rell, and I don't believe the Ninja Tribunal looked quite like that before they had their mystical training. That's just how the turtles envisioned them because that's how they knew each of those people.

Either way, the official canon explanation for the origin of the Foor symbol in this series is that it's the upside down version of the symbol given to the Five Dragons by the emperor. Until anything else is said, I really just consider Ch'rell's scar to be a coincidence. Honestly I never even noticed that it looked like the foot symbol before.

[Revan]

Check this out.

When Ch'rell's character was first designed and this scar was drawn onto his face, the writers probably did not have the "ninja tribunal" in mind. They would have had to have been planning this "lost season" since the beginning.

I think shredder's symbol was meant to be original and that canon was switched after the writers decided to go in the ninja tribunal direction.

I mean because would the writers have really been thinking as far ahead as 5 seasons during character design development? Pry not.

[odupianist]

I agree Neutrino. Instead of being a tattoo or birthmark, the writers could say it's a scar and one hell of a coincidence.

[Scandia]

I had not noticed that Ch'rell's scar was shaped like the Foot's trademark till y'all mentioned it.

I think it is just a scar. Trying to make him look more badass- and not in a good way.

Anyhow, psychic is not the word to describe Ch'rell. Psychopath is the right term.

[Utrom Shredder]

This makes me think it's even more likely that Ch'rell made some sort of deal with The Ninja Tribunal. Perhaps The Tribunal's involvement with the alien bug was even deeper than that though. I mean, it's one helluva coincidence that he had a preexisting purple scar or tattoo of the 'three-toed symbol of the dragon' over his left eye before he came to Earth (if that actually was his first time on Earth shown in "Secret Origins").

It also seems an odd coincidence that Ch'rell himself is shaped and colored almost exactly like the Foot symbol. He's red with 3 spikes on his head, just like the Foot symbol. Before the Lost Season and after Secret Origins, I had just assumed that Utrom Shredder designed the Foot symbol in the shape of his own body.