What's your opinion on mutant outbreak stories?
 

With Season 2 of the Nick cartoon apparently going to be about this, I'm wondering how you feel about mutant outbreak stories in NYC?

The 4kids series did this in Season 4 where most of New York got contaminated by mutants which led to Bishop's forces created a cure, which also saved Donatello from his mutated gamera form.

I don't believe the original toon ever did this, despite mutants popping up in Season 8's HAVOC that we've never seen before. What are your thoughts? This isn't just about Shredder or whomever creating mutant henchmen, but mutant outbreaks in the streets.

I'm not sure I would qualify Season 4's arc as a mutant outbreak story. It's a story where there's a mutant outbreak, sure, but that's merely a background element for the real story, which is what it causes the various players to do.

And basically, that's how I think that sort of story works best. Mindless monsters are not really all that interesting on their own: stories with them--even really good ones like Doctor Who's Weeping Angels-- require the human factor, which is what I think has been missing from, say, the Nick show's own mutant of the week episodes.

I like them. They have tons of cool mutant designs.

I think it'll work good. I'm just waiting for Leatherhead. It would be nice to get Mondo Gecko too.

Personally not a fan, not because I don't like mutants. But I rather more focus on the other villains before we toss some more new ones into the mix, a few here and there is nice but too many overshadow all the old ones Xever is currently my favorite Nick universe exclusive so far.

I'm fine with more mutants in season 2. I just hope that they don't Go overboard with it. I'd like to see Snakeweed and The Rat King again. But otherwise it's all cool with me. 8)

Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter had an outbreak, and a mutant hunter was called in.

IMO this isn't a bad idea since H.A.V.O.C. only lasted three episodes; having perhaps up to a full season of this not only has the potential to have some of these mutants be old favorites; imagine that some of the mutagen released on The Mutation Situation unleashed Rocksteady, Bebop, Tokka, Razhar, Slash, Groundchuck, Dirtbag, Man Ray, Null, and every other classic mutant composed even if some die off screen. It becomes a great adventure that will likely lead to many "We've got the last mutants under control" but then lead to many more to avenge. However, I don't want it to intrude too much as to put the Foot or possibly any other story arcs (Dimension X, Triceratons) on the bus. Also, don't do these stories if Peter Laird isn't in the house.

Uhh, we got Leatherhead already.

Bishop would have a field day.

Yes, yes, YES!! Absolutely this!

I love the way 2k3 handled it. I hate the way Nick is presenting it.

For starters, I'm really just not a huge fan of excess mutants. Nick is setting itself up so episode after episode can feature a new mutant and that's just...boring. I'd much rather see humans and and actual solid villains making a mess of things as opposed to monster after monster that needs to be caught. 2k3 dealt with this nicely because the rogue mutants weren't the main focus of the plot. Not to mention it really bothers me how all this crap is going down in Nick, yet the average Joe on the street doesn't even seem to notice. We got a little bit on the news coverage when aliens were invading, but who wants to bet all these random new mutants running around (on top of the many already out there), are miraculously not going to draw any focus on themselves.

Not to mention, an entire season (as I'm assuming is the route Nick will go) is going to get boring really fast. 2k3 let the issue span a few episodes, but it certainly didn't consume a majority of a season.

I don't know of any other mutant outbreaks to compare these to. Anyway, that's my take on them.

I mostly agree with this. I prefer the exposure to rampant mutants be gradual and suspenseful rather than just plunging the human world into it so early, as it appears to be heading in the Nick series. Otherwise it's "jumping the gun" so to speak, and then immediately the thematic dilemma of humans vs. mutants is brought up, while the theme of solitary existence and the self-reflective perspective of that is completely lost, due to the abundance rate of mutants being generated so quickly that it actually diminishes the uniqueness of the mutants' existence.

I kinda agree, I fear Season 2 of Nick won't be as good as the first if they continue on with the mutant formula. Its way too early to tell, but I don't have a good feeling about it.