Warning! Spoilers ahead for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin # 4!
April O’Neil just admitted the unfortunate truth in The Last Ronin about how prolonged exposure to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can affect others, much like Adrian Veidt’s lie regarding Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen.
Watchmen is both infamous and lauded for the grisly portrayal of crimes against humanity as well as presenting the ethical question that asks whether peace and the betterment of mankind should be achieved through horrific means and maintained by perpetuating a massive lie, thrusting the populace into a state of complete ignorance. Adrian Veidt carries out his diabolical plot by framing Dr. Manhattan for the cause of cancer in those who lived in close proximity to him. Disgusted with himself, the god-like entity distances himself from Earth, allowing Adrian to roll out his true goal of slaughtering three million people to force the world into embracing peace against a common enemy.
Though Dr. Manhattan’s presence didn’t actually cause ill-effects to those near him, the same can’t be said for the Ninja Turtles as revealed in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin # 4 by writers Tom Waltz and Peter Laird, and artists Kevin Eastman, Ben Bishop, Esau Escorza and Isaac Escorza. In the new issue, April O’Neil tells Michelangelo that prolonged exposure to him and his brothers caused her and Casey Jones’ DNA to mutate, which they then passed on to their daughter Casey Marie Jones. Originally, Michelangelo believed that April had actually injected her daughter with mutagen, which would have explained why she kept Casey’s extra abilities a secret from him. But, it’s implied April didn’t want to burden her friend with more unpleasant news during an already trying time.
As of now, there is no confirmation that this particular mutagen DNA is fatal or that it will lead to Casey Marie’s transformation into a mutant animal. This mutant manifestation has only resulted in boosting her strength, speed, and healing capabilities. But it’s understandable why this would be upsetting to Michelangelo. Not only has he experienced firsthand the downsides to living as a mutant turtle, but in the main IDW continuity, he has seen the mental anguish that humans undergo when they suddenly transform, as made evident when Old Hob dropped a mutagen bomb on a large population of New York, leading to the creation of Mutant Town. The inhabitants there have suffered a great deal, from their human families rejecting them due to their appearance to the rest of the world shunning them out of fear. Then there’s the added bigotry from a select few mutants who despise and reject the existence of human-born mutants.
Of course, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can’t perform the same supernatural abilities as the god-like Dr. Manhattan but they naturally affect those around them after prolonged periods of exposure in a similar way as Adrian Veidt had framed the doomed DC hero for causing. Becoming a mutant is by no means as bad as getting diagnosed with cancer, but each of these instances are caused by a mutation at the cellular level and can change the lives of those afflicted in a profound manner. Hopefully, Casey Marie won’t mutate completely and experience the same hardships as so many have before her, not just for her sake, but for the Last Ronin‘s conscience.
