Are too many mutants a problem?

[neatoman]

So I have heard a lot of criticism towards IDW and Nickelodeon (and to some extent the FW cartoon and the Archie series, but most people seem to give those a pass out of nostalgia), claiming they're overusing the mutant concept.

And in fairness, while mutant characters can be creative, most of them are just humanoid animals and the more of them there are, the more it seems like the uniqueness of the Turtles seem like it could be changed with a quick visit to the pet shop...

That and the fact that nearly all of them share the same science goop origin, which is kind of lazy to be honest.

So what's the right amount of mutants? Should most who are just humanoid animals be scrapped? Or should there at least be more creative origins for them?

[Warhorse]

The only major problem I see with it, is that it kind of detracts the uniqueness of the Turtles.

[Aaronardo]

IMO, the Mutanimals should be the only mutants besides the TMNT (and Splinter, ofc)

[Powder]

It's fun to have a big toyline full of zany creatures, but beyond that, I'd like there not to be too many, ideally. In a series that is tonally more dark & serious, I'd rather they their cast follow suit. IDW's book is fairly adult, yet they were really quick to cozy up to ridiculousness by throwing in all manner of colorful beast, which is somewhat off-putting to me. & Nick's show was very grounded, I felt, until they started doing the Mutant Of The Week stuff, too. I just hate that the inclusion of more mutants seems to usher in a change of tone, as well. Things tend to get goofy, or goofier, anyway. I still love everything, though. I can at least appreciate that Nick's angle is to make better use of some of Playmates' stronger character concepts/designs & to give fan favorites their time in the sun, that's cool.

[CyberCubed]

I'm mixed on this, because on one hand I really like a lot of mutant characters, but on the other hand seeing the Turtles battle mutants all the time instead of humans, ninja's, etc. can get tiresome.

IMO the only "important" mutants in TMNT history besides Turtles/Splinter are:

- Leatherhead (in every incarnation)
- Baxter fly (in the incarnations he becomes a mutant)
- Bebop/Rocksteady, especially now that they've made comebacks in IDW and Nick
- Slash (incredibly popular, a foil to the Turtles)


However nowadays you can probably add Rahzar, Old Hob (for IDW), and a lot of the Mutanimals in this list as well, even though they're not in every series.

[Warhorse]

Is Tigerclaw a mutant?

[Papenbrook]

Is Tigerclaw a mutant?


Yes. It should reveal his mutant status in his concept art.

[Shark_Blade]

Not really.

Too many aliens like in 2k3, now that's a problem.

[Warboss74]

Like with anything it depends on how it's executed. When there's a ridiculous proliferation like the Nick cartoon they fail to get the proper development. It's the same thing with any other type of character, though. If there's a proliferation of mobsters, aliens, or monsters, people would feel the same way that they tend to do with mutants.

[Metalwolf]

So what's the right amount of mutants? Should most who are just humanoid animals be scrapped? Or should there at least be more creative origins for them?The right amount would be mainly Shredder's mutants, Turtles and Splinter, and the main 'outliers' like Leatherhead and Slash. After that point, they can feel annoying if there is too many of them, because there isn't a 'healthy' mix of what types of critters to deal with and it become boring. Some of the mutants like Malachi, Mutagen Man and Spiderbytes would in my opinion have been much better off being some person that discovers them, and the Turtles having to convince them not to reveal their secret (and they become potential allies.) That would have been much better then having a ton of mutants thrown at us, some rarely seen or forgotten and never seen again.

[Cryomancer]

Since they scattered a ton of canisters everywhere, the Nick show should logically have a lot of mutants, unless they were mostly recovered intact I suppose.

It might make the turtles less unique, but if that's the direction they're going, then whatever, that's the direction. Not like a kids show on Nick is going to get into the deep stuff about being the only 4 of your kind or anything like that anyway.

[Redeemer]

I definitely think having too many mutants is a bad thing for TMNT, because as others have said before having more mutants takes away from the turtles themselves. They are no longer unique. Too me at least, they are no longer outcast which I feel is a cornerstone in the fiction of TMNT.

[Eurydemus]

It's just easier to write/create mutant baddies because the franchise lends itself well to that particular type of villain. This is especially the case in 2K12 where mutagen figures so prominently in the first two and a half seasons.

But now the Kraang are gone and we (presumably) have Shredder, Hun's Purple Dragons, and maybe the mob front and centre, perhaps we'll get more non-mutant side stories to tie in with the main arc.

[Allio]

So long as the mutants are used and not wasted (nick) then it should be fine.

I'd like to see mutants try to live normal lives along side the normies

[stormbringer]

Didn't the Kraang mention mutating humanities ancestors,which lead to humans? If that's true,the whole planet is overrun with mutants!:lol:

[jenna]

Personally, I much prefer it when there are no other mutants / monsters / aliens. To me, the appeal of TMNT is that they are unique and alienated. The fact that the turtles defend and protect the city, despite the intolerance of the majority of the humans, and still feel compelled and dedicated to the city and its inhabitants is a really strong theme and makes the turtles so special in my eyes. It's a world they can never really be part of, and yet that doesn't lessen their need to belong to it. Heartbreaking in a way. Other mutants and monsters and aliens just dilute the impact.

Sorry, may be rambling... I'm a tad drunk right now.

[neatoman]

Didn't the Kraang mention mutating humanities ancestors,which lead to humans? If that's true,the whole planet is overrun with mutants!:lol:

Well considering that "Dimension X time" crap I kind of doubt that story. If it's true then the Kraang have been failing to take over Earth for billions of years, that's a little too incompetent...

[Kite]

I think mutants are my favorite part of the series. It wouldn't make sense if there was a way to make mutants and only four turtles and a rat were mutated. The more mutants = the more realistic the show. All the mutations are my favorite part of the Nick series. You never know what's gonna happen!

[Eurydemus]

TMNT 2K3 did a somewhat better job of mixing things up once in awhile. I'd like to see the guys tackle some "mundane" villains like crime lords, serial killers, and terrorists, but those antagonists might be a wee bit heavy for the TV turtles.

On a somewhat related note, my dream crossover would be the TMNT and Hellboy/BPRD. It'd be an awesome way to expand the number and types of baddies. Suppose the Bureau uncovers the turtles' existence and brings them on board as enhanced talent agents. You can then pit the turtles against all sorts of supernatural monstrosities like the Ogdru Jahad (and 2K3 already featured a Lovecraftian-inspired horror, not to mention IDW's Infestation II event).

[neatoman]

I think mutants are my favorite part of the series. It wouldn't make sense if there was a way to make mutants and only four turtles and a rat were mutated. The more mutants = the more realistic the show. All the mutations are my favorite part of the Nick series. You never know what's gonna happen!

Well considering that the original depiction of the mutation was a complete accident, and the mutagen itself was never intended to be anything other than teleportation fuel according to the 4kids series, it would make sense if it was rare...

[Sahtori]

In my opinion, I think they are getting with to many mutants ...
I agree with what you guys are writing. It takes away their uniqueness.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

I always felt that there was more to the Ninja Turtles than the mutant aspect. Humans give the turtles more of a realistic aspect. They could use more human enemies as well as more ninjas to fight against.

[Panda_Kahn_fan]

I totally disagree with the 'too many mutants makes the turtles less unique'. HOW does it do so? If there were a lot of turtles around, I'd say yeah. But ll of these different types of mutants- most with no ninja training at all, have no bearing on the TMNT's uniqueness.

And has been stated before, if mutants are kept out of the plot, aliens are used as a substitute. Every version has done this, even Mirage. Humans as the main adversary, with no powers or anything special, can get extremely boring after awhile.

[jenna]

I totally disagree with the 'too many mutants makes the turtles less unique'. HOW does it do so? If there were a lot of turtles around, I'd say yeah. But ll of these different types of mutants- most with no ninja training at all, have no bearing on the TMNT's uniqueness.

And has been stated before, if mutants are kept out of the plot, aliens are used as a substitute. Every version has done this, even Mirage. Humans as the main adversary, with no powers or anything special, can get extremely boring after awhile.

I suppose it depends on the individual and what it is about TMNT that appeals to them. For me it is the alienation theme. I don't dislike the "weird" stuff, but for me the theme that's bonded me to TMNT is more potent when the turtles are the "freaks" in a realistic setting. By virtue of them being the only oddity this theme is stronger. And it's not a conscious decision I've made. The films and episodes which I've enjoyed / related to are those which strike that chord, such as the Steve Barron film, "New friend, Old Enemy", "Meet Casey Jones" etc.

Ultimately it is what resonates with the individual that will determine whether or not they like multiple mutants / aliens / monsters. It's a personal choice.

But then I got into TMNT around the time that other girls at school started to tell me I couldn't be in "the gang" because I had red hair and the gang was "blondes only". And as the only class redhead, that kinda sucked. No wonder it's the "freaks stuck in the real world" aspect of TMNT which spoke to me.

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Are too many mutants a problem? Absolutely yes... but it depends on what franchise.

OT: Yeah, because we'd get them popping up all the time just to sell toys. Groundchuck and Dirtbag who?

Nicktoon: Definitely...

But in IDW, NO. The mutants are being handled perfectly. So far, mutants fall into three camps:

The Turtles and Splinter
Old Hob, Slash, and their Mutant Army (which they have created themselves)
Shredder's Hench Mutants (Alopex, Koya, Bludgeon)

The original accidental mutants were the Turtles, Splinter, and Old Hob. Hob's creation makes sense, and is just as random and accidental as the Turtles (barring Pantheon manipulation).

Once reports of mutants get out, the Foot make their own (Alopex), specifically designed to hunt down the Turtles. Stockgen does the same, creating Slash.

Old Hob is the one who makes the remaining mutants, getting what animals he can (hermit crab, pidgeon, gecko)... and rescuing a couple of experiments from Null Group.

Meanwhile, Shredder continues to make mutants only when he needs them for his specific purposes. Koya is created to track down the Turtles after Alopex's betrayal and to cover long distances. Bludgeon is only created when Shredder is going to meet with Krang in the middle of the ocean.

And Bebop and Rocksteady? Karai's own contingency plan, also Foot hench mutants.

I think IDW is handling mutants (both creation of and utilization of) perfectly. Not a single extraneous mutant yet.

[Wolfie65]

They're not really doing anything other TV shows aren't. For example, The Vampire Diaries started out pretty good, with 1 Vampire in a 'small town' in Virginia. Add his brother (also a Vampire), and suddenly, you've got more unexplained bodies drained of blood than even New York City could handle, never mind Mystic Falls, VA. By the middle of season 1, half the population turns out to be Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, what have you....yet, life continues as if normal......
More recently, we have iZombie, which starts with 1 girl who wakes up a Zombie. Soon, a fellow Zombie guy pops up, then, they find a Zombie woman living in a sewer, now - halfway through season 1 - there are Zombie police, Zombie rocker boyfriends, Zombie rich girls.....Zombies, Zombies & more Zombies all over Seattle. Which does not seem to faze their non-Zombie fellow Seattleites one bit.
Too much of too much is ALWAYS a good thing, as far as TV execs, marketing pros and advertising sharks are concerned.

[ABrown]

I don't mind a lot of mutants if they're handled properly. I like for their existence to add to the overall story. Let's use the Nick series as an example. Bebop and Rocksteady becoming mutants add to the overall story. Muckman is just a mutant of the week.

[Huzzah]

That's like saying, are superheroes less special because there are thousands of them in somewhere like New York. If handled properly the characters are still unique, each with their own story, rogues and obstacles.

In all honesty, in the case of the Turtles, the likelihood of all of these characters always intermingling with each other would be unlikely, unless designed to be in regular contact. New York for example has a population over 8 million, so in all likelihood, theses Mutants could and should exist without ever meeting, or knowing of others existence.

15 or 20 unique Mutants in a population of 8 million would probably rarely, if ever interact.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

Which version would you guys say is the worst offender when in comes to the addition of mutant characters?