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 YOU'RE NOT ON 
 NICKTOONS 
 ANYMORE! 

Some TMNT stuff really isn't for little kids.

Cudley the Cowlick is a trans-dimensional being who transports individuals in his mouth, taking them to foreign planets, realms, and time periods.

He first appears in Archie Comics' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures issue 7 in December 1989, and reappears in issues 12-14. He later appears in Mirage Comics' Tales of the TMNT as the same entity, crossing over into multiple continuities, featuring in the stories The Crystal at the Heart of the World and All Tomorrow's Yesterdays, both also involving the Wild West C.O.W.-Boys of Moo Mesa.

Cudley makes an appearance in the TMNT comic strips at the end of Magic Turnstone. In the comic strip, Cudley is a female.

Cudley appears in the IDW Comics story arc "The Armageddon Game", arriving just in time to rescue Cherubae after she calls for his help in The Armageddon Game: Opening Moves issue 2.

Cudley also made a small cameo in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series) episode The Ever-Burning Fire, described as a "Cosmic Monster" by Fugitoid and was seen in the background of the Rise of the TMNT episode Raph's Ride-Along.

History[]

Archie Comics[]

Cudley's origins are never explained, and it is unknown when or how he came to be employed by Stump and Sling. His first encounter with the Turtles was directly after they had first come across Jess Harley (Leatherhead). The crocodilian mutant had seemingly fallen to his death, and the Turtles were visited by the spirit of Mary Bones who warned them of further danger.

No sooner than Mary had vanished Cudley, on Stump's orders, abducted the Turtles and transported them to Stump Asteroid. In mid-transit Cudley had somehow stripped the Turtles of their weapons, which was the only reason they reluctantly agreed to accept Stump's invitation to participate in an Intergalactic Wrestling match between Cryin' Houn' for the amusement of the galaxy. Cudley remained hovering near the arena throughout the entirely of the Turtles' unwelcome tenure as wrestlers, speaking only in grunts.

Leatherhead had also been abducted shortly before the Turtles when he fell off the bridge, with Stump describing the incident as "Saved from the jaws of sad death by the jaws of bad breath."

No sooner than the Turtles and Leatherhead won their matches, Cudley tried to speak and accidentally coughed up all of the Turtles' weapons. The Turtles seized the opportunity and threatened Stump and Sling, who quickly capitulated and ordered Cudley to return the Turtles to Earth while Leatherhead remained on Stump Asteroid to continue wrestling. 

Cudley gladly told the Turtles to relax as he did as he was told, but accidentally overshot his target and spat the Turtles onto a Manhattan rooftop roughly 100 years in the future when the earth was suffering from an out of control greenhouse effect. Cudley casually explained that this was just a possible future and wouldn't necessarily happen, and apologized before finally bringing the Turtles to the correct time and place.

Cudley would return later that night to abduct Wingnut and Screwloose who had arrived on Earth looking for Krang. Cudley takes the blame the duo coming to Earth, explaining that when he first abducted the Turtles he had created a dimensional gateway which Wingnut and Screwloose used for their own ends. Cudley then spat out the Turtles's uniforms which they had left on Stump Asteroid, and since the planet Guano had been destroyed by Krang, Stump had ordered Cudley to take Wingnut and Screwloose to Stump Asteroid. When pressed that this was against the duo's free will, Cudley replied "Mr. Stump has his plans, Elsetime Turtles."

Earth cows also have an affinity for him. During Queen Maligna's attack on Earth, Cudley had been shot by the aforementioned alien queen's ship and crashed near the Amazon, home to the Mighty Mutanimals, while carrying Screwloose and Leatherhead from Stump Asteroid. The cows were already there when the Mutanimals discovered Cudley, licking the massive alien's wounds clean, which was suggested to be a sign of respect for Cudley.

When Wingnut, Screwloose, and Leatherhead attacked the Mutanimals for getting too close to Cudley, it was the Cowlick that stopped the violence by shouting at them, demanding they save their energy for Maligna's troopers who were already gestating in cocoons behind them.

Although unable to fight the insectoid warriors, Cudley was the one who transported their unconscious bodies to Dimension X. He is later seen with the Mutanimals, plus Wingnut, Screwloose, Leatherhead, Kid Terra, Mondo Gecko, Raphael, and many of the cows from earlier. Presumably, he returned to Stump Asteroid when the conflict was over.

Personality[]

Cudley is a relatively benign entity. While he does work for Mr. Stump for unknown reasons, he often goes against the wrestling organizer's wishes and transports his friends across space and time.

He is on good terms with the Turtles after kidnapping them to compete in Intergalactic Wrestling on Stump Asteroid and consequently bringing them back to Earth. He is often shown to be very friendly toward the turtles, taking them throughout time and space when asked.

See Also[]

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