With the recent success of X-Men '97, the original X-Men: The Animated Series from the 1990s is receiving well-deserved recognition for its comic-accurate and action-packed narratives. However, the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon, which ran until 1996, also introduced a generation to Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo, becoming more recognizable than subsequent iterations. Despite often being dismissed as children's fare, the original TMNT series, at its best, delivered stories that surpassed those found in X-Men: The Animated Series.
"Splinter No More"
This second season episode explores themes of prejudice and identity when Donatello develops an anti-mutagen to revert Splinter from a mutant rat back to his human form, Hamato Yoshi. Upon returning to the human world, Splinter faces fear and ostracization from the public, while the Turtles grapple with insecurities about his potential desire to leave them for his own kind. The episode effectively portrays the mistreatment of mutants, mirroring the societal bigotry depicted in X-Men: The Animated Series.
The First Season
Considered a cohesive narrative arc, the initial five-episode miniseries, produced by Fred Wolf Studios, lays the foundation for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Funded by Playmates Toys to promote their merchandise, these episodes detail the origins of the Turtles and Splinter, their first encounter with reporter April O'Neil, and the introduction of key villains like Shredder, Krang, Bebop, Rocksteady, and Baxter Stockman. Unlike the later, more comedic tone of the series, these early installments strike a compelling balance between action and humor, establishing the Turtles as formidable wisecrackers and remaining a fan favorite.
"Plan Six from Outer Space"
Leaning into its comedic strengths, this season four episode showcases the dim-witted goons Bebop and Rocksteady in a farcical plot. Disguised as humans, they infiltrate Channel 6, April's workplace, with the intention of installing thrusters to launch the building into space. Their incompetence leads them to instead become heads of programming, a scenario highlighting the show's sharp joke-writing and its capacity for outlandish, sitcom-esque humor. This episode exemplifies the TMNT's ability to craft witty, often fourth-wall-breaking gags, particularly through Raphael's quips and the general buffoonery of Shredder's henchmen.
"The Maltese Hamster"
A season three standout, "The Maltese Hamster" is a brilliant parody of film noir. Donatello narrates with a private-eye cadence as the plot mirrors that of The Maltese Falcon. The story unfolds when April unknowingly purchases a statue containing a powerful explosive formula, making it a target for Shredder and the gangster Tony "The Butcher" Vivaldi. The episode's humor is derived from its faithful embrace of noir tropes, playfully subverted by the presence of mutant characters.
"Turtles on Trial"
Another season three highlight, "Turtles on Trial," directly addresses the public's perception of mutants. Facing a loudmouth talk show host, Clayton Kellerman, who labels them freaks, the Turtles are pursued by an angry mob despite their attempts to stop a crime. Their subsequent appearance on Kellerman's show aims to clear their names, and largely succeeds, shifting public opinion. This episode marks a significant point where the TMNT begin to be widely viewed as heroes, a progression that mirrors the aspiration for human-mutant coexistence often discussed in X-Men, but achieved by the Turtles in their twentieth episode.