Best method of undoing mutations?

[neatoman]

While I don't normally advocate for cheap reversals as solutions, as consequence is an important part of any story telling, there are sometimes massives massive mistakes that need to rectfied... Ahem...

So far and as far as I can tell, these are the methods shown for reversing mutations in the franchise:

• A Ray Gun.
• An Anti-Mutagen substance.
• Pumping the Mutagen out of the system.
• Genetic repair through crystalisation.
• Visiting an alternate universe where the mutagen can't exist.
• Personal timeline reversal.
• Magic.
• It simply wears off.

If there are any that I missed feel free to point them out. But anyway, which one do you prefer?

Personally I'd say the genetic repair through crystalisation. The others generally tend to come across as a bit cheap, like why don't you just restore them right away? The FW and Nick versions of Splinter essentially just remained rats to preserve the status quo, not because there was any need for it. Nick Splinter could have easily been cured halfway through season 3 given what was going on, and FW established that Ray Gun in season 1 which could have been recreated. And pumping the mutagen out... Well now you don't need anything more advanced than a dialysis, do you? If it just wears off, well... As long as you have time to wait it's not going to be a problem, is it?

With the crystal thing, it takes time, needs special resources and can't be used as a weapon. There could easily be some risk to it, like if the crystal breaks before it is done.

Anyway, just vote.

[Leo656]

I don't know, I never really gave it a ton of thought, but out of all the options for some reason "pumping the mutagen out of the system" seems like the least-likely to actually work. Partly because I don't think the mutagen quite works like that in the first place.

I mean I know the entire premise of TMNT is based on complete junk science anyway, but I doubt it works like that. Like drugs, for example, even when injected directly into the bloodstream cycle themselves out after several hours, they don't become a permanent part of your system; if mutagen worked that way then a creature would only be a mutant for like a couple of days at most and then it would be passed out like a waste product and they'd go back to normal.

Again, I know it's all junk science but some things just completely don't make any sense.

[IndigoErth]

The retro/anti-mutagen angle. At the very least, that can be given obstacles that it's hard to come by and/or difficult to create. It might even risk being formulated wrong and cause worse genetic damage/mutation. This one has something to build on.


Not a fan of the suggestion that they permanently have mutagen in their system/blood forever and it can just be drained out. How do you not kill them in the process. Looking at you 2014. (Imagine the heart attacks and strokes someone would have with having something of that consistency pumped through organs and veins!)

A ray gun is too easy, with the science of it conveniently and inevitably ignored, and doesn't really seem like it should have a systemic effect.

Genetic repair...eh... maybe. What is this from, need more input.

Visiting another universe wouldn't really undo you though, there just wouldn't be another you and would be a better escape from enemies that would have never been after you in the first place.

Time travel and magic (in a world that has those) and wearing off are too easy and anticlimactic.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

Genetic repair...eh... maybe. What is this from, need more input.

Visiting another universe wouldn't really undo you though, there just wouldn't be another you and would be a better escape from enemies that would have never been after you in the first place.

The genetic repair is from the underground city episodes of 4Kids.

The inter-universe travel is the explaination for why the Batman villains didn't remain mutants in the Batman crossover.

[Leo656]

I'mma go with Holy Water.

[Coola Yagami]

Originally Posted by Leo656

I don't know, I never really gave it a ton of thought, but out of all the options for some reason "pumping the mutagen out of the system" seems like the least-likely to actually work. Partly because I don't think the mutagen quite works like that in the first place.

I mean I know the entire premise of TMNT is based on complete junk science anyway, but I doubt it works like that. Like drugs, for example, even when injected directly into the bloodstream cycle themselves out after several hours, they don't become a permanent part of your system; if mutagen worked that way then a creature would only be a mutant for like a couple of days at most and then it would be passed out like a waste product and they'd go back to normal.

Again, I know it's all junk science but some things just completely don't make any sense.

That's what never made sense about bloodsucker, literally sucking enough blood out of Raph to mutate himself and demutate him. Like normal turtle Raph had to bite into him and suck the blood back out to return to normal. Wtf.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by neatoman

The genetic repair is from the underground city episodes of 4Kids.

Ah, right, thank you. Guess that one was a little too obscure to easily recall.