The mystery of the Rat King

thesaintofkillers · 03-27-2006, 12:09 PM

I've yet to see his first appearance in the new show (missed the episode, but i'll change that very soon), but i've read tales Of the tmnt vol. 1 issue 4 and the city at war storyline and I was wondering about him.

When I was younger, his character in the old show and the video games always fascinated me, even if I didn't know much about him.

I read several years ago City at war, and I had no idea what to think of him anymore. I mean, he was a spectre, or something. He seemed cool as hell, though, cooler than ever. Heck, he was instructing Splinter, the mother of all instructor. He was mysterious, and rejected his humanity. But at the end, we learn he was dead the whole time, or at least, that's what it seemed like.

Yesterday, I finally got my hand on tales vol. 1 issue 4. (and I was glad to see art from the old Jim Lawson of those early days I used to love).

Anyway, I was disappointed, of course. Rat King is a loser in that comic. I mean, he's just a guy dressing like a bum, with control over nothing. And at the end he falls to his dead, and gets eaten by rats (which it would seem he never controled).

That would have explained his skeleton in city at war. And why he was dead (but not how he became a cool spectre, and knew everything he knew, and became so wise).

But then, the last page has him alive, and with his rat. Which means he might not have died. Or maybe he broke his leg, and would die alone there afterward ? Not sure (then again, that would explain once again how he became a spectre).

OR he never died. He learned from his battle with the turtles that he was a loser, and that his existence was rather sad. He went on to spy on the turtle (since he knew about splinter in city at war), and put the skeleton of someone else in the pit Splinter fell.

Or I missed somewhere another comics which featured him. Are these two comics (forget about the archie comics, since they're not the same version of course) the only times he appeared in the turtles timeline ?

(btw, the very first time we see him in the comics, this pic below, he looks oh so awesome, a monster disguised in human form. That's the Rat King I like)

03-27-2006, 12:09 PM	#1
thesaintofkillers Mouser Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 6	The mystery of the Rat King I've yet to see his first appearance in the new show (missed the episode, but i'll change that very soon), but i've read tales Of the tmnt vol. 1 issue 4 and the city at war storyline and I was wondering about him. When I was younger, his character in the old show and the video games always fascinated me, even if I didn't know much about him. I read several years ago City at war, and I had no idea what to think of him anymore. I mean, he was a spectre, or something. He seemed cool as hell, though, cooler than ever. Heck, he was instructing Splinter, the mother of all instructor. He was mysterious, and rejected his humanity. But at the end, we learn he was dead the whole time, or at least, that's what it seemed like. Yesterday, I finally got my hand on tales vol. 1 issue 4. (and I was glad to see art from the old Jim Lawson of those early days I used to love). Anyway, I was disappointed, of course. Rat King is a loser in that comic. I mean, he's just a guy dressing like a bum, with control over nothing. And at the end he falls to his dead, and gets eaten by rats (which it would seem he never controled). That would have explained his skeleton in city at war. And why he was dead (but not how he became a cool spectre, and knew everything he knew, and became so wise). But then, the last page has him alive, and with his rat. Which means he might not have died. Or maybe he broke his leg, and would die alone there afterward ? Not sure (then again, that would explain once again how he became a spectre). OR he never died. He learned from his battle with the turtles that he was a loser, and that his existence was rather sad. He went on to spy on the turtle (since he knew about splinter in city at war), and put the skeleton of someone else in the pit Splinter fell. Or I missed somewhere another comics which featured him. Are these two comics (forget about the archie comics, since they're not the same version of course) the only times he appeared in the turtles timeline ? (btw, the very first time we see him in the comics, this pic below, he looks oh so awesome, a monster disguised in human form. That's the Rat King I like)