| “Night of the Dark Turtle” | |||||||
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| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987) episode | |||||||
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| Season Code: | 7 | ||||||
| Episode: | 4 | ||||||
| Original airdate | October 30, 1993 | ||||||
| Written by | David Wise | ||||||
| Producers: | |||||||
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"Night of the Dark Turtle" is an episode of the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series.
Plot Synopsis
While Donatello and the other three Ninja Turtles debate the issue of brains vs. brawn, Donatello's early warning system sounds its alarm. According to Donatello's readings, The city has experienced a major vibration emanating from the Earth. Naturally, everyone suspects Shredder and Krang, so they set out to investigate immediately.
Donatello's readings lead them to a government research lab, where only moments ago Shredder received a Micro Blaster from one of the resident scientists. The blaster is supposedly the mightiest (and smallest) weapon known to man. Rocksteady and Bebop, of course, immediately damage it.
The Turtles stumble across Shredder trying to repair the blaster, and Donatello attempts to prove his ability to defeat Shredder one-on-one. He accidentally activates some deadly lasers instead, and Shredder slams Donatello into an electrified machine, which knocks him out. While Shredder eludes the security guards (without his Micro Blaster), the Turtles also retreat back to the lair with a semi-conscious Donatello.
When Don emerges from his coma he is not quite the same - his voice is deeper and he's much more aggressive and angry. He also decides that he needs a new, fear-inducing look to fight crime, and creates the identity of the Dark Turtle, a Batman-esque crime fighter. When the others try to stop him, he flings a smoke bomb at them and vanishes.
Meanwhile, three Star Cruisers loaded with Triceratons have landed in the city, claiming the Earth as Triceraton property.
Donatello/Dark Turtle scours the mean streets of the city in search of the Shredder, who is now in cahoots with a local mobster by the name of Wolf Jackson. Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael battle the Triceratons, who are intent upon sending the Earth through their Star Gate and back to the Triceraton Homeworlds where it will be stripped clean.
Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael are helpless without Donatello and his brains. The 3 decide that they have to find Don and bring him to his senses, with only one hour remaining before the end of the world as we know it.
Back to where it all started, Donatello/The Dark Turtle and Shredder are engaged in a final showdown and it looks as if Donatello has the upper hand. In fact, it appears that Donatello really will kill Shredder once and for all!
But Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo arrive just in time to save Shredder's life and cause Donatello to fall and knock himself unconscious again.
When Donatello regains consciousness he cannot remember anything and is confused to find himself wearing a comic book character costume.
Meanwhile, time is running out for planet Earth, but thanks to Donatello's quick thinking, he is able to convince the Triceratons that he is the ruler of Earth and that the animatronic dinosaurs from the Natural History Museum are his minions.
Of course, Donatello's use of Shredder's Micro Blaster also helped to convince the Triceratons that they should get out...
Characters
- Leonardo (Cam Clarke)
- Donatello (Barry Gordon)
- Raphael (Rob Paulsen)
- Michelangelo (Townsend Coleman)
- Splinter (Peter Renaday)
- Shredder (James Avery)
- Krang (Pat Fraley)
- Rocksteady (Cam Clarke)
- Bebop (Barry Gordon)
- April O'Neil (Renae Jacobs)
- Wallet Thief (Peter Renaday)
- Security Guard (Townsend Coleman)
- Wolf Jaxon (Jess Harnell)
- Wolf Jaxon's Goon (Rob Paulsen)
- Triceratons
- Captain Zorax (Jess Harnell)
Locations
- Turtle Lair
- Government Research Lab
- City streets
- Wolf Jackson's hideout
Vehicles
- Turtle Van
- Star Cruisers
Gadgets
Home media releases
VHS
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Convicts from Dimension X
DVD
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season 7
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Classic Series Collection
Notes
Animation errors
- When Donatello picks up the copy of the Midknight Avenger comic book, the H on the title is missing.
- After the turtles enter the government research lab and Leonardo says that they haven't seen any sign of Shredder, Donatello's mouth starts moving before Leonardo has finished speaking, and no words come out, either.
- Upon finding Shredder in the government research lab, the two doors behind the turtles are open despite them only opening one of them when they enter the room.
Trivia
- The Triceratons appear for the first time in the 1987 series. They refer to themselves as the Triceraton Empire.
- An action figure resembling the Dark Turtle, called Super Don, was produced by Playmates Toys in 1993.
- Donatello looks a lot like Batman when he wears his suit. As a probable in-joke, Leonardo says "He's gone totally bats" at one point.