Is Baxter even a good villain?

[saul]

I mean, he's just so stock.

In the original comic what was his motivation? He was just a typical megalomaniac mad scientist. Wow. How original.

In the original show he was just a blatant rip-off of the movie "The Fly".

The only cool thing about Baxter was his robots, namely the Mousers. Other than that, what's so great about his character?

[***First of Two Latin Kings***]

God, I am going to have f&ckin field day with this topic.

Baxter is the reason that I love Jeff Goldblum's character so much in the remake of "The Fly." I would be interested in seeing what others have to say on this topic.

Also, nothing is ever truly "original." Even when the Greeks were coming up with Mythological characters, they were simply combining elements that already existed. There's really nothing "original" regarding the concept of the TMNT. Laird and Eastman just pasted a bunch of ideas together that came from somewhere else, and those ideas came from somewhere else, etc, etc, etc. Anything an artist creates can be dissected and understood for what it is if the right theory is applied. Artistic merit has less to do with being "original" and more to do with how one chooses to tell a story/create meaning through art.

[Samhain]

Everybody copies everybody. Nothing is original. The real question is ''Could you have created a more original character?'' No, didnt think so.

[Cipher]

TMNT began as, and will always boil down to, a bunch of mish-mashed homages.

So Baxter's pretty fitting. Also, I dig fly Baxter. Fly Baxter needs a serious interpretation, because seriously? That's a pretty f*cked up villain.

[Shellsweet]

I don't know, I mean, for what they did for 2k3 Stockman, I thought his Character had some meaning and motivation throughout the whole series.

Especially in "insane of the membrane" in Season 4.

Heh, I believe he came back more to bite the turtles then the Shredder did in that series.

But other then that, his character in general isn't that original.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by saul

I mean, he's just so stock.

In the original comic what was his motivation? He was just a typical megalomaniac mad scientist. Wow. How original.

In the original show he was just a blatant rip-off of the movie "The Fly".

The only cool thing about Baxter was his robots, namely the Mousers. Other than that, what's so great about his character?

In the 1987 cartoon he at least had an ambition, to get people interested in his invention, but as pest control companies fear unemployment he decides to work with the Shredder who's at least interested instead.

[Vivi]

I think Baxter has the potential to become a great super villain - he's an unhinged genius.

[Luzmagica]

Originally Posted by Vivi

I think Baxter has the potential to become a great super villain - he's an unhinged genius.

Im agree.... Baxter is the genius evil role, someone that can give a bad surprise in every moment to our TMNT!

[CyberCubed]

Baxter is the tragic villain of TMNT.

Even though he's evil, you always end up feeling sorry about what happens to him. Will we ever have a Baxter that isn't mutilated/mutated/turn into a cyborg?

[ooglafina]

Originally Posted by samhain88

Everybody copies everybody. Nothing is original. The real question is ''Could you have created a more original character?'' No, didnt think so.

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9

That was my way of agreeing.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Will we ever have a Baxter that isn't mutilated/mutated/turn into a cyborg?

Hmm. I had never realized that pattern before, to my own surprise. Thats quite odd, no?

[Granitor]

Originally Posted by Oroku_CJJ

God, I am going to have f&ckin field day with this topic.

Baxter is the reason that I love Jeff Goldblum's character so much in the remake of "The Fly." I would be interested in seeing what others have to say on this topic.

Also, nothing is ever truly "original." Even when the Greeks were coming up with Mythological characters, they were simply combining elements that already existed. There's really nothing "original" regarding the concept of the TMNT. Laird and Eastman just pasted a bunch of ideas together that came from somewhere else, and those ideas came from somewhere else, etc, etc, etc. Anything an artist creates can be dissected and understood for what it is if the right theory is applied. Artistic merit has less to do with being "original" and more to do with how one chooses to tell a story/create meaning through art.

Exactly, being an artist myself (graphic artist) I have grown to enjoy and love art for what it really is. I had never been one to think and ponder about things but once i started to really get into art that all changed. The thing with art is normally you dont find something someone has never done before. If you do happen to be the genius to create soemthing new and fresh, well you will be graced as the new picasso of our time. Breaking down art is really not all that hard, just as everyone said before me it all comes back to someone. You take someone else's work that you like and make it your own, within reason! You legally cannot take the exact same thing but you cant take the general idea, say mutated turtles and call them the 4 great artist of our time. Make then fight crime and kick butt while living a hidden life only known to a few humans. Even movies do this, look at how many spin off movies or how many well I have seen that before movies come out. Its just what we as humans do. When we like an idea we break it down and try to think of other ways to approach that same idea with our own opinions which in return can make something completly different that has come from that 1 original idea.

[The Stryker]

No. Not in the comics. He's atleast visually interesting in the OT.

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Baxter is the tragic villain of TMNT.

Even though he's evil, you always end up feeling sorry about what happens to him. Will we ever have a Baxter that isn't mutilated/mutated/turn into a cyborg?

I sure felt sorry for Baxter in the comics when he voluntarily planted his brain in a robot body, shot an innocent man to death, and commented on his own lack of remorse afterward. Truly, a misunderstood character.

[Shred87]

Originally Posted by Cipher

I sure felt sorry for Baxter in the comics when he voluntarily planted his brain in a robot body, shot an innocent man to death, and commented on his own lack of remorse afterward. Truly, a misunderstood character.

I have to agree... I do remember feeling bad for him in the OT tho...poor guy gets smacked around by Shredder all the time and then gets turned into a fly. Talk about a rough week.

I don't think Baxter is a good villian..unfortunatly though I think you'd have to put him in the top 5 for TMNT villians.

[shuriken]

Originally Posted by Cipher

I sure felt sorry for Baxter in the comics when he voluntarily planted his brain in a robot body, shot an innocent man to death, and commented on his own lack of remorse afterward. Truly, a misunderstood character.

LOL. I loved the whole CyborgBaxter in the Comics. It really showed you how much of a heartless monster this guy really was. I honestly think he is a great villain. In the OT he was a tragic villain that was just at the wrong place at the wrong time and got screwed over by the Shredder. In the Comics he was a heartless bastard that would do whatever it took to get what he wanted. In the 2K3 toon he was an egotistical madman that turned into a cyborg-Zombie-Robot-thing. Although he was so twisted at the end of the show they just decided to give him a happy ending.

[Candy Kappa]

Originally Posted by saul

I mean, he's just so stock.

nono he's stockMAN

[TheCanadiandrome]

i thought he was decent enough. just didn't get used enough really

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Baxter is the tragic villain of TMNT.

Even though he's evil, you always end up feeling sorry about what happens to him. Will we ever have a Baxter that isn't mutilated/mutated/turn into a cyborg?

I would like to see that, just keep him as a mad but dangerous scientist.

[BentonGrey]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Baxter is the tragic villain of TMNT.

Even though he's evil, you always end up feeling sorry about what happens to him. Will we ever have a Baxter that isn't mutilated/mutated/turn into a cyborg?

Yeah, in the 'toon he was a great change of pace in terms of villains. He was a weak-willed little guy who got pulled into events much too large for him. While he started out as a genius, the gradual decay of his intelligence was actually pretty interesting and tragic in its way. I've always felt like he's a great villain, and if used properly, he could be fantastic.