Atlantis Awakes

“Atlantis Awakes”
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series) episode
Title screen
Season Code:	07
Episode:	10
Original airdate	December 4, 1993
Written by	David Wise
Producers:
Episode chronology ← Previous Next → "Revenge of the Fly" "Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter"

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1993 Season 1993 List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes

Episodes: "Night of the Dark Turtle" "The Starchild" "The Legend of Koji" "Convicts from Dimension X" "White Belt, Black Heart" "Night of the Rogues" "Attack of the Neutrinos" "Escape from the Planet of the Turtleoids" "Revenge of the Fly" "Atlantis Awakes" "Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter!" "Invasion of the Krangazoids" "Combat Land" "Shredder Triumphant!" 1987 Season – 1988 Season – 1989 Season – 1990 Season – 1991 Season – 1992 Season - 1992-1993 Vacation in Europe sideseason – 1993 Season – 1994 Season – 1995 Season – 1996 Season

Atlantis Awakes is a season 7 episode of the 1987-1996 series.

Appearing in Atlantis Awakes

Major characters

• Leonardo (Cam Clarke)
• Donatello (Barry Gordon)
• Michelangelo  (Townsend Coleman)
• Raphael (Rob Paulsen)
• Shredder (Townsend Coleman)
• Bebop (Barry Gordon)
• Rocksteady (Cam Clarke)
• Krang (Pat Fraley)
• Alim Coelacanth/Merdude (Kevin Schon) (debut)
• Hepax Lagamina (Jeannie Elias) (debut)

Minor characters

• Malathor (Pat Fraley) (debut)

Species

• Human
• Merpeople
• Mutant rhinoceros
• Mutant turtle
• Mutant warthog

Objects and vehicles

• Amphibious Module
• Sewer Party Tube
• Star of Atlantis
• Technodrome

Locations

• Atlantis City
• City sewers
• Technodrome

Plot

The Turtles are floating through an underground sewer river on various watercraft, and Michelangelo goes further ahead on his surfboard. He's rescued from going over a waterfall by a strange fish-man, who introduces himself as Alim Coelacanth (or "Merdude" as Michelangelo deems him). The other Turtles are skeptical of what he says until Alim reveals himself, and reveals that he's from the city of Atlantis, although he's the only fish-person from there and has been away for two hundred years. The Turtles dive into the water to help Alim find Atlantis once again.

Meanwhile, in the Technodrome, Krang picks up unusually strong energy readings from a nearby mountain range. Shredder, Rocksteady and Bebop head off to find it, and stumble across Atlantis. The Atlanteans are unexpectedly delighted to see the villains - or more specifically, Bebop, whom they mistake for their king. According to them, it was prophesied that a "strange creature" would come from the sea and reclaim his throne, and they assume it must be the mutant. Only one person, Hepax Lagamina, speaks against Bebop, and is imprisoned for her words.

Alim and the Turtles arrive at Atlantis and make their way in via the sewers, only to be shocked when they see Bebop on the throne. They escape before the Atlanteans can arrest them.

Shredder finds that Atlantis is powered by a vast gem, the Star of Atlantis, which Krang can use as a focusing crystal for the Technodrome's main cannon. However, he is thwarted by Bebop's increasingly egotistical attitude.

The Turtles and Alim hear Hepax shouting for help, and she identifies Alim as the true king of Atlantis, since he is a "strange creature" that breathes water. They try to free her, but are forced to flee from the city before they can get the cell open. Alim summons sharks, eels and an octopus to save them from the Atlantean soldiers.

Alim publicly declares that Bebop is not the true king of Atlantis, and challenges him to combat in the Atlantean Arena. Unfortunately, he's not very good at fighting, and Bebop has a blaster.

Leonardo and Michelangelo battle Rocksteady and the Atlantean guards in order to free Hepax, while Donatello and Raphael try unsuccessfully to stop Shredder from taking the Star of Atlantis. Hepax is brought to the arena just in time to tell Alim to seize the Trident of Power, which will only work for the king. He glows with power and forces Bebop to declare himself not to be the king.

When the Turtles and Alim try to stop Shredder from taking the Star, Shredder blasts a hole in the dome surrounding the city, causing it to flood. Alim summons a giant squid who seals the hole temporarily, and the five of them swim out to the Technodrome, just as it aims the main cannon at Atlantis. The Turtles manage to redirect the cannon at the last minute, and reclaim the crystal inside.

Alim is crowned king, and he names Hepax his royal counselor. Just then the Technodrome rolls over to destroy Atlantis, but Alim activates The Hammer of Atlantis, a vast and powerful defensive system that drives the Technodrome into retreat.

The Turtles are sent back home on the backs of four giant sea turtles, and Michelangelo creates a new pizza in Alim's honor, covered in seaweed and fish.

See also

• Atlantis Awakes/Gallery
• Atlantis Awakes/Transcript

Notes and errors

• The Turtles don't believe Atlantis exists despite encountering it in The Lost Queen of Atlantis.
• When the Technodrome is first seen moving at the beginning of the episode, its main eye is colored white.
• When Rocksteady is talking to Shredder before they stumble upon the Star of Atlantis, he appears to be gliding across the floor instead of walking.
• Some shots of Merdude show him moving around as if he was walking, as opposed to hopping on his tail (he has no legs). He also appears to be hopping ridiculously fast when he and the Turtles try to stop Shredder from escaping the dome.
• Rocksteady is in two places at the same time: fighting Michelangelo and Leonardo, and with Shredder stealing the Star of Atlantis.
• The cell door that previously held Hepax Lagamina is open when Bebop finds Rocksteady in the adjacent cell, but is suddenly closed after he frees him.
• The key that Bebop uses to free Rocksteady from his cell appears to be inserted into the lock backwards.
• When Krang aims the Technodrome's eye at Atlantis, the hole in the city's dome and the octopus that was preventing the city from flooding from earlier have vanished. Those dome workers must work fast!
• The Turtles are able to breathe underwater in this episode. This is actually a frequent inconsistency throughout the entire series. The Turtles are not sea turtles, as their original real turtle forms had feet and not flippers, which means they shouldn't be able to breathe underwater (and in fact, being reptiles even sea turtles can't breathe underwater and just hold their breaths for up to an hour). Yet in the first episode they are being carried in a fishbowl full of water and clearly having no trouble breathing, and there are numerous times throughout the series when the Turtles are in danger of drowning.

Home media releases

VHS

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder Triumphant!

DVD

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 7, Part 4
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Classic Series Collection