The legacy of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is vast and ever-growing, including the addition of a slightly controversial fifth Turtle, one which many fans were not even aware existed. IDW Publishing, the comics publisher behind current TMNT comics, posted a fun Tweet attempting to interact with fans by relating different pizza toppings to TMNT members and having fans choose which they like the most. The comments section took a turn from the expected, however, as many fans had no idea who the fifth Turtle even was in the interactive Tweet.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird with the launch of their comic book company Mirage Studios. In the original TMNT lineup, there were four Turtles, Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael, and Michelangelo. The underground indie comic quickly exploded in popularity as fans couldn’t get enough of the uniquely creative and surprisingly gritty series. Before long, the Turtles branched out into Saturday morning cartoons, action figures, and live-action films. As time progressed, so did the development of the TMNT and in their main comic series. So the creative teams behind the book decided that a new Turtle would be added to the team, but it seems as though someone forgot to tell the fans.
In the Tweet posted by IDW, the comics publisher asked fans to comment their favorite pizza topping that corresponded with their favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. The choices were Michelangelo and cheese, Raphael and ham and pineapple, Leonardo and veggie, Donatello and pepperoni, and Jennika and meat lovers. That last one threw some fans for a loop as they had no idea who Jennika is. Twitter user @LocomotiveMonarch commented in part, “THERE’S A FIFTH TURTLE I HAVE NOT DONE WELL KEEPING UP WITH TMNT” in a surprised all-caps response. Another Twitter user, @Idlerthelonely, shared the previous poster’s feelings on the matter writing, “WHOS THE YELLOW TURTLE WHAT?”
The fifth Turtle, whose existence came as quite a shock to some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans, is named Jennika and her origin is much different than the four brothers. Jennika was born a human and was a member of the Foot Clan who eventually came to respect the teachings of Master Splinter and joined forces with the Turtles. Jennika became a mutant ninja turtle herself in IDW’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #95 written by Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, and Tom Waltz with art by Dave Wachter. In the issue, Jennika needs an emergency blood transfusion and Leonardo is the only donor available. After she is subjected to mutated blood, she becomes a mutant turtle herself, cementing her place as the team’s fifth Turtle.
While the shock of her existence took some fans by surprise, Jennika isn’t the first fifth Turtle to join the squad. In the 1997 live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation, a fifth, different female Turtle named Venus joined the team and sported a light blue mask as opposed to Jennika’s yellow. Venus was not well received by fans and never made a return to TMNT lore beyond the short-lived series. Jennika, while unknown by some fans who made their voices heard in the Twitter post, is widely accepted as a cool and fun addition to the ninja group. Her inclusion does not re-write the origin of the Turtles nor does it overshadow the original team. Instead, Jennika is a creative addition to the team, from her original origin story to previously established skills as a ninja before joining the team. The TMNT pizza Tweet left some fans baffled over the identity of the fifth Turtle as she is a new character, though she has proven herself worthy of being called a member of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Source: Twitter