Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures #38 "United We Stand Divided We Fall" Part 1

Issue Description

Man Ray, Jagwar, Dreadmon, Mondo Gecko, Wingnut and Screwloose have been knocked unconscious by a group of skeletal robots controlled by the evil corporate weasel, Mr. Null - the devilsih dude hellbent on ruling the universe. Leatherhead and a shape-shifter named Azrael are still standing, but the gatorman's gun runs out of ammo and he is overpowered by the cybernetic psychos. Azrael changes into an eagle and escapes.

Before Null can kidnap the Mutanimals, the TMNT, Ninjara and Splinter show up and the fight is renewed. A laser beam that Leo deflects with his swords nicks Man Ray's shoulder which awakens the mutant and he joins the fray. Eventually all of the Mutanimals recover and battle escalates. As laser beams and robot body parts fly, Null manages to capture Azrael when she returns to human form and punches her in the face. Null then carries the unconscious woman through a secret doorway hidden in the nearby rocky hills.

Mr. Null meets with four shadowy figures, the foremost looking like the Grim Reaper, who states that the group is ready.

Meanwhile, with the help of the Turtles, the Mutanimals finish mopping up the Robo-Skeletons. As the group exchanges greetings, Jagwar notes that Azrael is missing. Leonardo points out that Cudley is also gone and wonders if they're together, but Dreadmon states that he saw Azrael flying off in her eagle form.

Man Ray then explains that the Mutanimals have come to this place to search for Jagwar's mother, Juntarra, who was kidnapped by the Grim Reaper. A nearby giant skull is where they believe the Reaper to be - but when they found it, Null's robots attacked them. Thus the fishy mutant surmises that Null is working with the Grim Reaper. Jagwar points out that the stoney desert they're now standing in was a lush tropical jungle before the Reaper arrived. Ninjara notices a fire in the jungle far off and everyone rushes to investigate.

When our heroes arrive, they discover four zombies with torches setting fire to the jungle. Jagwar and Dreamon destroy the monsters quickly. When the heroic mutants turn to look at the fire, four shadowy figures emerge from the flames...

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (1989)

Publisher

Archie Adventure Series

Volume Description

Published by Archie Comics, this comic was based on mainstream version of the turtles. It started out simply retelling episodes of the then popular animated series but with the fifth issue the book branched out into telling it's own stories. Primarily written by Dean Clarrain the stories would often have an underlying environmentalist themes, over time the storylines grew darker and more mature. The series drew negative press when a storyline saw the death of the turtle's allies The Mighty Mutanimals in a massacre.

The three part "Future Shark Trilogy" which saw the turtles, Splinter and their ally Ninjara come to the aid of the older turtles in dystopian future proved popular with fans and elements and characters from the story were revisited many times in the series. For five issues the comic was renamed Cyber Samurai Mutant Ninja Turtles in a storyline that was set soley in the aforementioned future. By now the turtles fad of the eighties and early nineties had faded which meant lagging sales. Mirage wanting to put out their own color TMNT book made the publishers nervous of competition leading them to consider cancellation. Growing frustration of darker storylines came to a head when Clarrain and co plotter and artist Chris Allen submitted a time travel story involving the the future turtles Archie was displeased. The covers for the seven part epic "Forever War" were made with the belief that this would be final storyline of the series. Clarrain and Allen were dropped from the book and it was cancelled two issues later with the final storyline focused on a present Splinter telling the story of how pre-teen turtles picked their weapons written by Steve Sullivan and drawn by Brian Thomas.

Years later Clarrain and Allen would work on the second volume of Tales of the TMNT writing the original turtles for Mirage. It has also been confirmed they are working on completing the final storyline of TMNT Adventures "Forever War" with Mirage publishing it as part of the TMNT's 25th anniversary in 2009.

Collected EditionsTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 1 (#1-4)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 2 (#5-8)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 3 (#9-12)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 4 (#13-16)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 5 (#17-20)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 6 (#21-22)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 7 (#23-27)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 8 (#28-31)Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Vol. 9 (#38-40)

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