Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150! The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe has never been more treacherous than it is right now during the Road to 150 event. The Road to 150 will mark the end of not only Sophie Campbell’s 50-issue run on TMNT, but the entire current era of IDW Publishing’s TMNT canon, ushering in a new era that will begin with an all-new TMNT #1 from writer Jason Aaron later this year. And now, fans are only one issue away from the Road to 150’s epic climax, which will end its modern era with a mind-bending twist to the Turtles’ origin.

In a preview shared by Looper for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150 by Sophie Campbell, Vincenzo Federici, Dan Duncan, and Fero Peniche, Donatello, Venus, Bob, and Michelangelo (from the not-too-distant future) are fighting the future version of Bob, who was corrupted by Armaggon. The corrupted mutanimal monkey from the future followed his past self, Donatello, and Venus to this version of Michelangelo’s time period. After some fighting ensues, Donatello and Venus travel through time once more, and they end up in a laboratory with four baby turtles in a terrarium – and one of those four little turtles was Donatello.

Donatello and Venus traveled to the past, and end up in the lab where Donatello and his brothers were born, and where they were eventually exposed to the mutagen ooze to become the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Donatello meets the pre-mutated versions of himself and his brothers, which is an absolutely mind-blowing addition to the TMNT’s origin, especially now, right as their current storyline comes to an end. However, this moment isn’t anywhere near as trippy as what’s in store for the Turtles (and fans) on this timey-wimey adventure.

The TMNT Are Going to Meet their Pre-Reincarnated Selves in the Road to 150

The TMNT’s epic finale will take place at their point of origin!

A few issues prior, Donatello and Venus learned that Armaggon’s ultimate plan is to travel back in time to feudal Japan to erase the Ninja Turtles from the timeline before they were ever reincarnated as Turtles to begin with. Armaggon was created by Donatello, and his existence is one of endless misery and suffering. So, to prevent his own existence, Armaggon has to first erase the Turtles from existence – and he’s going to do so at the source.

After learning this, Venus and Donatello decide they have to beat Armaggon to that point in the timeline and finish him off once and for all. So, if fans thought the moment in this preview where Donatello and Venus meet the original Turtles before they were mutated was insane, then they will be blown away when the Turtles go a step further in their personal history, and meet the versions of themselves who are humans, an entire lifetime before they were Turtles at all.

The TMNT are Becoming an Essential Part of Their Own Origin

It’s long-been established in IDW Publishing’s TMNT canon that the Turtles were originally humans, the biological sons of Hamato Yoshi, who were killed by Shredder’s Foot Clan in feudal Japan. The Turtles were made aware of this fairly early in the series, and while it initially made their heads spin, the TMNT accepted that they were once human before being reincarnated as turtles that were mutated to become the Mutant Turtles they are today. However, now TMNT canon is giving the Turtles a chance to not only learn about their strange history, but actively be a part of it.

While fans won’t know for sure exactly how the TMNT will help shape their own origin, or if they’ll even end up time-traveling to feudal Japan, the fact that Donatello met the pre-mutated versions of himself and his brothers makes it fair to assume that the TMNT will succeed in their plan to go to feudal Japan and save themselves from the gargantuan timeline-eating cosmic shark, Armaggon. In other words, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is ending its modern era with a mind-bending twist to the Turtles’ origin – and it will assuredly be even crazier than fans think.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150 by IDW Publishing is available April 17, 2024.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #150 (2011)
	Writer: Sophie Campbell Artists: Vincenzo Federici, Dan Duncan, and Fero Peniche Colorist: Ronda Pattison Letterer: Shawn Lee Cover Artist: Vincenzo Federici

Source: Looper