Warning! This article contains spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #146 The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are in a race against time in the ongoing ‘Road to 150’ – or, more accurately, a race against an entity that eats time. After their victory over the ancient god, the Rat King, the Ninja Turtles are immediately pitted against another cosmic threat called Armaggon. Except, this battle won’t be fought in another realm (like the Thin Place), but instead another time – the future, to be precise. While traversing the timeline looking for a way to stop Armaggon, the Turtles are coming into contact with their future selves, each one complete with an interesting new futuristic character design. And now, one more has been added to the mix, as TMNT is about to introduce its new Cyborg Turtle (and ‘90s fans are going to love it).
In the preview page published by League of Comic Geeks for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #148 by Sophie Campbell and Vincenzo Federici, fans are given a look at the cover art for this and the previous issue. The artwork for #147 – done by Federici – depicts a Turtle drenched in purple light, with half of his face altered by robotic/cybernetic enhancements, effectively transforming him into a cyborg.
While it’s not explicitly stated that this Turtle is Donatello, there are a few visual clues that would lead one to that conclusion. The first and most obvious of which is the purple lighting, a color that is all but synonymous with Donatello within TMNT canon. Next is the very fact that this Turtle is a cyborg at all, as it seems to be a pretty clear callback to Donatello’s original role on the team as described in the iconic ‘90s cartoon theme song: Donatello does machines.
2023 Unleashed TMNT’s Next Generation, as 4 New Turtles Got Names & Weapons
2023 saw the TMNT defeat the Rat King in Armageddon Game and challenge Armaggon in the Road to 150, but the biggest news was the rise of the new TMNT.
TMNT’s New Cyborg Turtle Isn’t The Series’ First
Though it may seem like Donatello should have the total rights to the ‘Cyborg Turtle’ aesthetic, there’s actually another Cyborg Turtle running around TMNT canon. In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2023 #1, this Cyborg Turtle was revealed to be an older version of Raphael, who traveled back in time to kill Donatello before he created Armaggon (something that was recently revealed in TMNT #146).
This version of Raph actually made an appearance at the end of the latest TMNT issue – #146 – meaning he’ll likely play a bigger role in the larger storyline than his previous Terminator-esque mission. And now, it seems like this new Cyborg Turtle is about to follow suit – at least, hopefully. There is an undeniably malevolent undertone that engulfs this image of Cyborg Donnie, but hopefully that’s just a stylistic choice made by the artist, and not a reflection of the character’s intentions. But, regardless of his role in the story itself, this new Cyborg Turtle looks absolutely amazing – especially in the eyes of ‘90s kids.
TMNT’s ‘Cyborg Donnie’ Brings The Coolest ‘90s Aesthetics To Life
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise decidedly hit its stride in the ‘90s, but it wasn’t the only thing blowing up in comic book/cartoon media at the time. The ‘90s was an era obsessed with the ultra hardcore aesthetic, including giant guns, intense cybernetic enhancements, and stylishly impractical character designs. The likes of Marvel Comics’ X-Force, Image Comics’ Youngblood, and even Biker Mice From Mars are perfect examples of this. TMNT didn’t really dive into this trope (except for the series’ stint under Image Comics), but now it seems TMNT is making up for lost time with this new Cyborg Turtle.
TMNT was one of the most popular franchises of the ‘90s, and now it has finally adopted the most mainstream aspect of ‘90s aesthetic with its new Cyborg Turtle. The character (who is presumably Donatello) is bound to be incredibly interesting within the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles‘ ongoing ‘Road to 150’ storyline itself, but it’s fair to say that the mere appearance of the character is interesting enough, and is one that ‘90s fans will absolutely love.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #147 by IDW Publishing is available January 24, 2024.
