TMNT #99 Preview and Discussion
 

Oh nooooo...

Hey, so you know that scene in Day of the Dead where Rhodes gets ripped apart by zombies and tells them to choke on his organs? What are the chances something like that's going to happen to Hob this issue?

I doubt it would go that far.

Welp...bye, Harold...

As I said before, I hope there are at least a few character deaths after this arc ends to raise the stakes. And not minor characters like those two Elite Guard that Natsu gunned down.

Karai and her mutants and Natsu should not get away with what they've done, I'm still predicting Hun might die or sacrifice himself for Casey (maybe?), and I think Metalhead might blow up. Besides that I don't think Hob will die but he'll be an outcast among the rest of the Mutanimals now and of course the Turtles.

If I may say so, I think you guys are way off the mark with Hob in this and the #98 thread. Yes, what he did was wrong. Yes, there should be some sort of consequence for his actions. But... His plan from the get-go wasn't to just mutate a bunch of humans for ***** and giggles, it was to give the humans a glimpse of how the other half lives. He said as much in previous issues when he was keeping an eye on the progress of Stockman's campaign. And from there, I believe he wants to change the way mankind views and treats mutants. It's pretty much an issue of animal rights if said animals could talk, think complex thoughts, and were previously humans. This isn't him lashing out over Slash's death. It's him showing foresight and carrying out a long-term plan.

Imagine some of us were to wake up tomorrow forcibly turned into a different gender, or skin color, or sexual identity, or what have you. And that the change is permanent, as far as we know. And that we're then told who was responsible for it. Would you go after that individual? How would you feel? Any less of a person for suddenly not looking like you used to? Sure, anger is the expected primary emotion. At first. But, I mean... Mutants are pretty much a minority. Or a metaphor for IRL minorities. Is it that bad, that wrong, to belong to a minority? How many people feel they've been biologically forced from birth to take on a different identity than the one they'd be most comfortable with? Should they gang up on their parents and tear them limb from limb too...? Bear in mind, I detest SJW sentiment. But this is genuinely one of the few times when it's entirely justified to address the subject of minorities and their treatment by others.

What we know is that there is now enough of a mutant population in New York City to warrant the creation of Mutant Town. Hob wanted to show the humans how their kind treats mutants. So far, so good: the newly mutated humans are being rounded up and put in a ghetto. Hob will face a reckoning, no doubt, but what about after? He was always thinking long-term. He truly cares about mutants. He wasn't going to do what he did at the campaign just to die shortly after, at the hands of his own "children" to boot. After the initial rage against him has subsided and those people realize how unjustly they're being treated for being different... After the EPF goons come marching by in the night and Null makes her pitch... After the 100th time other humans call them freaks... How long do you think it will take for the mutants to realize, one way or another, that Hob was right all along and entirely justified in doing what he did after all? Long-term, maybe even after he's gone, is there really any other way that this ends other than with a statue of Old Hob somewhere in Mutant Town? Think about it.

Also, the guy is pretty much TMNT's Magneto, as has been said countless times. I can't imagine this series without him. He should be here for as long as the Turtles are. And he should be characterized as their mirror image with a twist, much like how Otto Octavius is Peter Parker without the benefit of being raised in a loving household, or how Batman is just as insane as his rogues gallery but still retains his sense of justice. Hob should be presented as a moral foil. As what the Turtles, and especially Raph, would be like if they hadn't been raised by Splinter. There but for the grace of a mutant rat...

Just my two cents on the whole situation going forward. I hope I managed to make some sense.

You know, I was thinking about this concept awhile ago and realized that I think only 3 major characters have died (in the present) since this series began....Shredder, Krang, and Slash. I mite be forgetting someone, but that's who i can think of. And with the possibility of Shredder coming back to life (again), that would leave Krang and Slash. Personally, i dont view Darius Dun or Hayashi Toru or Victor as major characters, but they would be second tier, i guess, behind major.

I'd agree with you there. But at least Darius Dunn was more of a character than frickin' Victor. :tlol:

Both were fodder to prove the formidably of the Foot Clan under Shredder. Five character deaths at this point along with several one issue characters such as mob figures and foot elite. We may lose someone aside form Metalhead blowing up a second time before #100 is over.

Just give me a good story. I am glad to see the direction with Baxter Stockman. He is still human and while as always under someone's thumb he is his own at the same time. I am interested in seeing what role Rat King is going to play. He seems poised to be a help to Splinter instead of a hindrance to them per usual.

Of course he does, after all back during the feast of the Pantheon he outright said he wants to sabotage Kitsune in the Game. And since Karai's dominance is more or less directly/indirectly the result of Kitsune, Rat King is probably thinking "I wont let her get further along".

I can say though, we should hopefully - finally- get Leatherhead doing something.

With the way he feels about mutation, I'd be disappointed if he doesn't open a big, fat, 5-alarm spicy can of whoop-@$$ on Hob.

Since they are both clearly evil I was not sure if they would be on the same page. Also, Rat King stated the above in #71, while we are at #98 so its been a little while.

For us. They're immortal.

Plus, Kitsune has been pulling Karai's strings all along. Karai winning means Kitsune gets a chance to bring the Dragon back, and Rat King doesn't want that.

So Splinter will bring Oroku Saki back as Karai brings the Dragon back who will not be one and the same? Who else would be the vessel? Or would Oroku Saki be the vessel against his will and have a battle of wills with the dragon and ultimately win, dying for good redeemed?

All very good questions, but I haven't a clue where this is going unless if it's to say that Metalhead probably won't make it past #99.

And speaking of #99... Another little tease of things to come!

What would this 100th issue be without Kitsune? So it looks her and Rat King are both gonna try to help their respective pawns.

Something I've been wondering: what if the current state of affairs was the Rat King's plan all along? I mean, he's the one who pretty much introduced the kids to the Turtles. In a very twisted and roundabout way, mind you. But without the children, Splinter would've just stepped aside for Karai and Kitsune would get a clear(er?) shot at bringing the Dragon back. So maybe Rat King knew what would eventually happen if he rounded up a bunch of orphans, made the Turtles save them, and let them think it was their own idea all along to take in the kids in order to cause a split in the Foot further down the line and a reason for the Turtles to move against Karai. Whatever the case may be, I'm sure we'll see at least a passing reference to them during Splinter and RK's pow-wow.

I mean, that would certainly explain why Leo was able to defeat him so easily.


Because he LET him "defeat" him.

I'd be cool with the Rat King taking the role of the big bad after the Dragon.

I definitely agree with you, especially when you you take into account that Leo and Splinter were the only two who mysteriously had the same vision (at the same time) of RK leading people to their deaths off a bridge. Way back in #36, RK implied he would use the two of them for his moves when he needed them. And what better way to create chaos and possibly even throw some chaos into Kitsunes plans (tho the whole thing has helped Kitsune so far then anything).

Splinter will be killed very soon! And i will take my revenge!

In the meantime, take your medication.

More new glimpses of the escalating conflict!

Turtles and Mutanimals vs the EPF! What is Karai doing? What are Casey and Jennika doing? Could this wait be any harder?!

That accounts for Herman, but where is Mutagen Man?

Secret operative for the EPF :lol:

He’s kindof a liability in the field with his glass dome head. Arguably more than Pete. I’m honestly curious at this point if Seymour is ever going to demonstrate some unique ability for the group or if he’s just there as the mascot and sympathetic freak. Null was quite upset about losing him back in the Mutanimals mini, was it ever established why?

I think because he was one of the more extreme experiments they were putting together?

But yeah, he would be kept aside doing other things to keep him safe. Same with Pete.

Maybe Rat King is like Q in Next Generation, reckless in some senses but not truly evil.

I like that this version of Rat King is like his Mirage counterpart in the sense that he and Splinter are tied together by some cosmic force and he actually does have Splinter's best interests at heart die to him being a rat.

A good king has the best interests of his subjects at heart.

Plus, RK out right said back in the Feast of the Pantheon that he wants to throw chaos into Kitsunes plans. I'm guessing he probably wants Splinter to escape to throw chaos into Kitsunes plans since, I'm sure, Splinter being imprisoned is probably something Kitsune would like (probably even Splinter dead) as she implied way back to Karai right before she met with Splinter, when things were good.

You know...it strikes me that since the IDW Turtles have canonically teamed with the Ghostbusters, they really should ask for their opinion on how to handle supernatural threats like the pantheon. Or did they address that?

Edit: Doh, never mind, separate dimensions. I really need to actually read that crossover.

That said, Donnie incorporating Ghostbuster tech into something to deal with the Pantheon would be neat.

Chi-You of the Pantheon was the first one they met and orchestrated the events of the TMNT's first encounter with The Ghostbusters.
https://turtlepedia.fandom.com/wiki/Chi-You

First look:

Oh, man, I love that insight into his character and backstory! Still two weeks away, though... :cry:

I still hate brain baby midget rocket Bishop.

But that's still pretty damn good. :tcool:

Boy, they put that Utrom back together pretty well after dissecting it "piece by piece", didn't they???

Still waiting on those "monsters" that spooked the president so badly though.

I'm guessing these come immediately after those Bishop Jr. pages.

The lemur guy!

One moment, Jeffery Horvitz an officer of the law, chasing mutants that endanger his world. In the next moment, he becomes one himself, along with some of the civilians he was sworn to protect.
Yet another strange event...in the Twilight Zone.

At least now that we know what he mutated into, it'll be easier to keep an eye on the guy. :D

And boy, Bishop really was dumb enough to attack those civilians... Mutant or not, they're still American citizens. Victims of a terrorist attack, even. There's no way this will end well for him once the President hears about it. I see the EPF being disbanded in the very near future.

So I wonder how many promenate business people were in that crowd? Sophie really hope you do a 5 issue spin off mini series following some of the people in the crowd. And is that mona lisa behind the bear?