The Turtles Living Among Society

[Cipher]

Almost every version of the mythos shows the Turtles entering society at some point.


In the Mirage comics, the Utroms open up alien relations in 2002 allowing the Turtles to go public and live 'normal' lives.

In the 1987 cartoon the Turtles become public heroes (and sometimes outlaws) and even have their own mansion and museum in the future.

In TMNT Adventures, Michealangelo becomes a major media fixation and in the future the Turtles have grown famous and wealthy through Donatello's Turtle Co.

Sometime after the end of the 4Kids series Donatello helps create O' Neil Tech, opening up alien relations so that, again, the Turtles can lead normal lives.

And even in the Palladium TMNT and Other Strangeness fiction, the Turtles stand up as major figures when a bomb creates a post-apocalyptic world filled with mutant animals.


So, given the prevelance in TMNT fiction for the Turtles to begin as freaks living in the shadows, and eventually be able to go public, how does everyone feel about the idea? How well do you think it's played out in different versions?

Personally, I'm a fan of public Turtles. You can only do so much with isolating them, and the contrast of them finally being able to walk around opens up a lot of good character stories. Unfortunately the only version to really touch on the significance has been the Mirage comics, and even then only fleetingly.

[hudemx]

Sometime after the end of the 4Kids series Donatello helps create O' Neil Tech, opening up alien relations so that, again, the Turtles can lead normal lives.

When did they say that? (I haven't seen all episodes yet)

But back to Topic:
It's played out pretty well, but in the 80's cartoon I somehow had never the feeling that the turtles tried to hide pretty hard (yeah I know they got their costumes - dah!) for example in the episode Case of the Monsterpizzas while the great contest for the 4 free Pizzas is held the Turtles are just standing behind the big crowd in Daylight - What were the thinking?

[Cipher]

When did they say that? (I haven't seen all episodes yet)It's the entire premise for season six AKA Fast Foward.

[Raph's Girl]

Sometime after the end of the 4Kids series Donatello helps create O' Neil Tech, opening up alien relations so that, again, the Turtles can lead normal lives.

Well... we know that Donatello helped to create O'Neill tech and that he invented Donatellium. But we don't know what happened to the turtles after this. It was Bishop who opened up relations between aliens and humans, not the turtles. Yes when the turtles went to the future via time travel they were out and about amongst humans. But everyone believed them to be aliens.

This is also the case with TMNT vol 4. People just think they're aliens and not natives of earth.

The future timeline seen in that one ep of the original series was just one POSSABLE timeline and not the true future.

The Future Turtles timeline where they were out and about with Turtle Co and such. Mutant animals were simply the norm by 2095 so nobody really thought much of the turtles.

[Kendamu]

Sometimes I feel like the Turtles being in the open is like Batman admitting to the world that he's Bruce Wayne. At other times, seeing the Turtles allowed to be in the open is kind of interesting. Luckily, there are enough facets to the franchise that new material based on both types of scenarios comes out on a regular enough basis for me that I can read whichever based on what I feel like reading.

[oldmanwinters]

Sometimes I feel like the Turtles being in the open is like Batman admitting to the world that he's Bruce Wayne.

That is pretty jarring, isn't it?
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/slimer2erasmus/batmanexposed.jpg

[Coola Yagami]

Wtf????? When did that happen???!!!!

[oldmanwinters]

Wtf????? When did that happen???!!!!

Well, technically it didn't. It's from an Elseworlds issue: Shadow of the Bat Annual #2. The story is called "The Tyrant," in which a Bruce Wayne of an alternate universe is manipulated by the Scarecrow after his parents' murder to naively do his bidding. Batman's identity is revealed early in his career, so he embraces it. Batman cleans up the city almost completely thanks to the Scarecrow's dark plans to identify criminals before they commit the crimes. The most revered day in Gotham becomes the day of the murder of the Waynes. Every night Batman addresses the people of Gotham via television. It's a pretty neat story, with a tragic ending.

Still, that scan is pretty shocking, if nothing else!

[hudemx]

It's the entire premise for season six AKA Fast Foward.

Ah Havent seen this season! thx ;)

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I like it to. It shows increasing tolerance in society.

[plastroncafe]

I think I would have enjoyed Topside Turtle Acceptance stuff more had there been a gradual build in that direction. Sort of ease the universe and audience into it simultaneously.

As it stands though, I prefer the hiding from society at large trope more.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Also remember many science fiction shows and films having people from different planets walking around together on the streets of town on Earth in the future.

[Candy Kappa]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56/slimer2erasmus/batmanexposed.jpg

Does not compute!



anyway. I liked the way they did it in volume 4 since people think they're aliens and not locals

[Warhorse]

I prefer the Turtles in shadow.

[SSSS]

I've somehow never felt the Turtles were entirely hidden from society. Lots of other humans other than Casey and April have seen them, such as the random lady in the street they save or the thugs they fight, etc.

I would like to think their existence (through the adventures they have, their run-ins with the Foot and such) would already be 'felt' in the city and actually appreciated (or at least tolerated) by the residents.

As for going entirely public, like appearing on TV and stuff, I'd prefer that not to happen, as they are ninja after all, shadow warriors who 'strike hard and fade away'...etc, so I'd prefer to have them remain in the shadows, somewhat.

[Coola Yagami]

I've somehow never felt the Turtles were entirely hidden from society. Lots of other humans other than Casey and April have seen them, such as the random lady in the street they save or the thugs they fight, etc.

I would like to think their existence (through the adventures they have, their run-ins with the Foot and such) would already be 'felt' in the city and actually appreciated (or at least tolerated) by the residents.

As for going entirely public, like appearing on TV and stuff, I'd prefer that not to happen, as they are ninja after all, shadow warriors who 'strike hard and fade away'...etc, so I'd prefer to have them remain in the shadows, somewhat.

By the 3rd or 4th season almost anyone (typical average New Yorker) was like 'whoa, you're the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!', not 'AHHHHH!!! A MONSTER!!!"

[Cipher]

As for going entirely public, like appearing on TV and stuff, I'd prefer that not to happen, as they are ninja after all, shadow warriors who 'strike hard and fade away'...etc, so I'd prefer to have them remain in the shadows, somewhat.I think my preference as far as mingling in the open goes is not to have them be major figures, but rather, as with Volume 4 and Fast Foward, have them be able to walk around like normal citizens.

And I'll never say that the Turtles are better when they're out in the open. The isolation is a part of their characters. But, after enough isolation in any given version, it's refreshing to see them come out in the open, and it opens up a lot of story/character opportunities to have that contrast. I think the most ideal way to go about it is what Mirage has done by creating an anthology series. That way both types of stories can be told.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I've somehow never felt the Turtles were entirely hidden from society. Lots of other humans other than Casey and April have seen them, such as the random lady in the street they save or the thugs they fight, etc.

I would like to think their existence (through the adventures they have, their run-ins with the Foot and such) would already be 'felt' in the city and actually appreciated (or at least tolerated) by the residents.

As for going entirely public, like appearing on TV and stuff, I'd prefer that not to happen, as they are ninja after all, shadow warriors who 'strike hard and fade away'...etc, so I'd prefer to have them remain in the shadows, somewhat.

In the 1987 cartoon, that was tooned down after som seasons, since the TMNT became heroes.

[Jelly Bean]

By the 3rd or 4th season almost anyone (typical average New Yorker) was like 'whoa, you're the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!', not 'AHHHHH!!! A MONSTER!!!"

true dat. But the season eight changed that.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I would also like to see Casey Jones' farm around in the 1987 cartoon.