What if the TMNT Brotherhood premise was changed?

[Refractive Reflections]

In most depictions, if not all (except The Next Mutation) the Turtles had all grown up together as brothers. (Yes in TNM they were not brothers, but grew up together. But that's beside the point in this thread. ) How would you feel if the Turtles discovered their brotherhood after the fact they were trained as ninjas? ...Let's say, each from a different individual master/sensei? ...Or if we were to push it even further...maybe each trained in a different martial art besides ninjutsu?

Take for example if the four Turtles were somehow separated, similarly in the OT to Mondo Gecko's situation, with Splinter being able to find less than 4 of them. And the other one to three Turtles grow up with other "adoptive" parents/siblings (other mutated animals, by themselves [like the Punk Frogs], or humans [Mondo Gecko's situation]).

It would put an interesting "monkey wrench" on the TMNT premise itself? What do you guys think?

It could be an intriguing twist, since in the end, it could make their brotherhood bonds even stronger upon discovering it since they each would have known how it felt to be alone and without siblings. It's one thing for one to face the world with a group of siblings (the original TMNT premise), but a far harsher experience when one is all alone facing the world.

Interesting....concept?
Tell me what you guys think!

[Zachatello00]

IDW did something "like" this with it's TMNT comic, where Raph was seperated from the others just prior to their mutation (but after being covered with ooze). You should check that out if you haven't. I don't want to spoil it for you, but you do see something that looks a shade like what you're proposing here.

[CyberCubed]

In IDW they were still brothers prior though.

[Drose18]

Originally Posted by JLS

In most depictions, if not all (except The Next Mutation) the Turtles had all grown up together as brothers. (Yes in TNM they were not brothers, but grew up together. But that's beside the point in this thread. ) How would you feel if the Turtles discovered their brotherhood after the fact they were trained as ninjas? ...Let's say, each from a different individual master/sensei? ...Or if we were to push it even further...maybe each trained in a different martial art besides ninjutsu?

Take for example if the four Turtles were somehow separated, similarly in the OT to Mondo Gecko's situation, with Splinter being able to find less than 4 of them. And the other one to three Turtles grow up with other "adoptive" parents/siblings (other mutated animals, by themselves [like the Punk Frogs], or humans [Mondo Gecko's situation]).

It would put an interesting "monkey wrench" on the TMNT premise itself? What do you guys think?

It could be an intriguing twist, since in the end, it could make their brotherhood bonds even stronger upon discovering it since they each would have known how it felt to be alone and without siblings. It's one thing for one to face the world with a group of siblings (the original TMNT premise), but a far harsher experience when one is all alone facing the world.

Interesting....concept?
Tell me what you guys think!

Go write a story! Howabout shredder raised raph ancient one raised leo mike was raised by some ex conman martial artist in the ex cons dojo and don was raised by a scientist whos wife was a martial artist. Splinter comes in somewhere.
EDIT: Don was raised by stockman!

[Refractive Reflections]

Originally Posted by Zachatello00

IDW did something "like" this with it's TMNT comic, where Raph was seperated from the others just prior to their mutation (but after being covered with ooze). You should check that out if you haven't. I don't want to spoil it for you, but you do see something that looks a shade like what you're proposing here.

I'm unfamiliar with the IDW comics, but I guess I was looking at it from them being trained and grownup all separated from each other and through coincidental encounters/fights (at least to the characters ) as teenagers, they start to slowly discover their mutation/brotherhood backstory, on top of already fighting the "bad guys" or possibly each other.

Hmmm...I'm just throwing out this idea, since I don't have a clue how close my idea and the IDW's storyline are. Plus I was wondering if it would change any of your interest in a particular TMNT reinterpretation, if it started this way in a cartoon/comic/movie?

Originally Posted by Joshdonnie

Go write a story! Howabout shredder raised raph ancient one raised leo mike was raised by some ex conman martial artist in the ex cons dojo and don was raised by a scientist whos wife was a martial artist. Splinter comes in somewhere.
EDIT: Don was raised by stockman!

LOL I'm already writing a time-consuming fanfic, but not about this though. I have seen some other fanfics write about it, but I was curious what you more devoted fans thought about this concept if it were an official reinterpretation...

[Bossa Nova]

I personally don't particularly care for those types of what-if situations. I can see how they would be interesting for others to explore, but it's not something I'd like to become widespread canon. A huge part of the appeal for TMNT for me is their intricate family bonds, their complex dynamics as both brothers and a fighting team that comes from having grown up for at least fifteen years with no one else for comfort, support or protection. It's extremely intriguing to me on a psychological and emotional level, and taking that away from their storyline by separating them all at birth changes that entire dynamic dramatically, not to mention I'm sure their personalities would shift noticeably as well since they were shaped by their experiences having grown up together, and without that I honestly wonder if Leo would have such a strong honor code or morals, if Raph would still have his passion to protect and defend, if Don would lose his sense of humanity or if Mike would still have such an ingrained compassion for others and the desire to be with them. I feel like these things are all produced from their time having grown up as brothers and without that, one would have to essentially rewrite their characters from scratch, in which case I would feel as though I was reading about OCs as they would be so far removed from who they've always been.

[Slade]

Are they mutated at the same time? If not why would four brother turtles be separated and still become mutated? Idk I just don't see how that works.

[Refractive Reflections]

Originally Posted by Raph_tha_Dude

Are they mutated at the same time? If not why would four brother turtles be separated and still become mutated? Idk I just don't see how that works.

Um... hmm, how to spin a backstory.

Maybe we would have Chet give away one Turtle (Leonardo) to a friend (in which the whole mutagen TCRI accident happened to Chet's friend), while returning back the 3 Turtles to the pet store. Then one person buys one Turtle (Raphael) and lives near a failing nuclear power plant (maybe even something drastic like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima....I don't know... ) Then one genetic scientist buys the other 2 Turtles and splits them with an associate and they plan to mutate the Turtle with their own good or bad intentions (Donatello). But...one of those scientists get abducted from an Utrom/alien and steals one of the pre-mutated Turtles and experiments on it. The Utroms/alien considers its a "botched" experiment (Michelangelo) and dump the mutated Turtle back on Earth, to the discovery of another martial arts master.

...I don't know... It's all crazy hypothetical storytelling I'm coming up with here...

[BabyTurtles]

IDK........XD...
.....I don't think any of them would tolerate the other if they weren't STUCK as brothers XD

Raph would be walking out every second XD
Leo would be looking for another team to lead
Mikey would be even less motivated to train XD
and Donnie.....he'd keep all the neat machines to himself XD
(but thats the extreme)

their personalities are so different and conflict like crazy XD but thats the best thing about it! cause they are brothers and have to deal with it (and they make it work~)

[Candy Kappa]

sounds like a bad fanfic.

as for not being brothers in TMN, the bio cards in the Playmates toys had them listed as being from different pet shops, not being biological brothers there either.

[Shreddhead]

I didn't mind what IDW did with Raph, but i think it would be way too coincidental if they all got ooze poured on them and were then found by 4 different martial arts masters. Even as a kid i had trouble understanding why Splinter had been hanging out in the sewers.

But I do think there is something to the idea of Shredder finding and raising one of the turtles who was separated after being exposed to the mutagen. In fact I rather like that idea. Raph for instance( ill use him as an example because he seems to be the go to guy who would fit the best with a teacher like Oroku Saki) would fill the Slash/Karai role for the first season/storyline. Then begin to question Shredder's motivations after being exposed to the nurturing family dynamic of Hamato Yoshi, and eventually join his brothers to combat his former clan.

I am not a fan of fanfiction, and I'm not saying this would be an instant classic, but I do find this idea intriguing.

[BubblyShell22]

While this idea is intriguing, I don't know how the heck it would work that way. Besides as others have said, the brotherly bonds are what make the Turtles who they are. I'm not saying you shouldn't write something like that, but it would take quite a bit of effort on your part to see how it would come out.

I do like the idea of one of the Turtles being raised by Shredder. I've read a fan fic like that by Sewer Slider where the Turtles were raised by Shredder and Yoshi was held captive in the trilogy. It was very well written though.

[MikeandRaph87]

Tristian Jones recently revealed on here that Dan Berger and him were co-writing a reboot that would have taken place mid 2010 after Peter Laird got through roughly #35 of TMNT vol.4 if not for the sale to Viacom. Michelangelo and Raphael were to be dsicovered and rasied by teenager Casey Jones while Hatmao Yoshi/Splinter was to raise Leonardo and Donatello. They would no reuinte until they were roughly 15. When asked about Michelangelo's ninjitsu skills and Raphael's, Michleangelo's athleticism will help him adapt easily in battle and Raphael's weight trainning and brawler trainning would translate into catching up to the other half of the foursome without much trouble. I would PM him about it if you would likehim to explaini it better than I paraphrased. He said he would write a multi-part blog entry about it soon.

[Metropoliskid41]

Originally Posted by MikeandRaph87

Tristian Jones recently revealed on here that Dan Berger and him were co-writing a reboot that would have taken place mid 2010 after Peter Laird got through roughly #35 of TMNT vol.4 if not for the sale to Viacom. Michelangelo and Raphael were to be dsicovered and rasied by teenager Casey Jones while Hatmao Yoshi/Splinter was to raise Leonardo and Donatello. They would no reuinte until they were roughly 15. When asked about Michelangelo's ninjitsu skills and Raphael's, Michleangelo's athleticism will help him adapt easily in battle and Raphael's weight trainning and brawler trainning would translate into catching up to the other half of the foursome without much trouble. I would PM him about it if you would likehim to explaini it better than I paraphrased. He said he would write a multi-part blog entry about it soon.

Very cool, I'll have to check out his blog entries on that when he gets around to posting them.

Speaking of Tristan, I wish IDW would have him tackle a few covers for TMNT, I understand them wanting to keep the design or look of the IDW TMNT different & distant from the Mirage stable of artists, Bobby mentioned that before, but since Tristan has done regular work for IDW with Ghostbusters, as well as the Infestation mini, I'd like to see him tackle some covers on a regular basis.

[Gyt Kaliba]

...Huh. This is a really, REALLY cool idea IMO. I'd love to see something done like this, though I suppose it would kind of break the 'Splinter as their father' thing. Or at least would make that relationship a little different if nothing else.

Hmm...as for a way to make it actually work, perhaps they were all together and mutated as such (keeping more or less in line with the most used origin), but instead of them just...suddenly being teenagers like a lot of material almost seems to do, they're babies at first (like in the first live-action movie). They are then separated from that point, after Splinter names them, to train separately.

This is giving me plot bunnies. I don't need plot bunnies. I have enough stuff to write. Agh!

[Cryomancer]

How about the turtles finding out they have other normal turtle family still alive somewhere? I suppose the normal lifespan for their species makes this more or less impossible but it could be an interesting starting point for something about the ethics of mutation. Some of them could think they should intentionally mutate them, others think they should leave them as is, etc. Someone could run off on a dangerous solo mission to obtain mutagen whether the others want it or not, so on.