Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #132After years of rigorous planning, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' old enemy, Rat King has at long last launched his final solution, a multi-layered, multipurpose, multidimensional attack ominously known as the Armageddon Game. The ultimate purpose of this onslaught is the defeat of the Turtles and complete world domination. Since the events of Armageddon Game take place across multiple TMNT titles, knowing who all the players are and their motivations will be important to fully comprehend the storyline.
As one of the Turtles' oldest enemies, the Rat King has a long history of hate towards the brothers. He's been defeated by them, more times than he can count, however. In Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz, and Dave Wachter' s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #84, readers see the Rat King's latest defeat to the Turtles. It's a defeat that forces him to rethink his approach. Then in Tom Waltz and Adam Gorham's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Annual 2020, the Rat King's new mindset begins to take shape. Under this new approach, the Rat King attempts to team up with the Shredder. However, when the Shredder refuses the invitation the Rat King is forced to reconsider this strategy. Fed up with his failures, as detailed in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Annual 2021 by Tom Waltz and Casey Maloney, the Rat King finally seeks out the assistance of his family, a group of eight Immortals known as the Pantheon, but again he is rebuffed. His family no longer has an interest in giving up their power, position, and safety for a game whose reward is no longer worthy of the effort.
Not to be denied, as revealed in Tom Waltz and Fernando Peniche's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game - Opening Moves, the Rat King finds and secures the support of the Turtles' most heinous enemies in what is shaping up to be the most important battle of their lifetimes. Indeed, he's been able to secure the support of long-time Turtle enemies Baxter Stockman and General Krang, as well as Madame Null. Stockman believes the Rat King's offer will help him sideline the Turtles, and give him more opportunities to consolidate his power. Like Stockman, General Krang hates the Turtles and certainly wants to see them suffer. In addition, he wants to get out from being stuck in Leatherhead's body, which disgusts him and keeps him from being able to return to his own dimension. Madame Null is, as Kitsune mentions, the wild card. While her interest in monetizing mutants is well documented, her interest in the Armageddon Game is as clear. She has mentioned her desire that the group's quest for domination goes beyond control over the Earth.
Heroes in the Half Shell Show Their Turtle Power
On the other side of the good-evil divide the Splinter Clan — the four original "heroes in the half-shell," and Jennika, as well as the other friends and colleagues who have fought with the Turtles. In addition, there is also Oroku Sato aka Shredder, the former arch-enemy of the Splinter but, as shown in Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, and Pablo Tunica's Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles (2011) #132, has now become their ally and teacher. His motivation lies in his desire to help his wife Kitsune, and repay a debt owed to Splinter. Kitsune — the Rat King's sister and Oroku Sato's partner — has realized the error of her ways and decided to fight her brother. There is also Sato and Kitsune's granddaughter, Karai, the current leader of the Foot Clan who seeks to reform her family clan for the better.
With such a gathering of powerful forces for the Rat King's evil endeavor, whatever the outcome of the Armageddon Game, the result is sure to be life-changing for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe. Armageddon Game continues in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Armageddon Game #1 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #133.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #132 is now on sale from IDW Publishing.