One of the most powerful enemies of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the alien known as Krang is the vicious warlord leader of the Utroms, and often depicted as the vicious force behind other characters such as Shredder and the Fugitoid. However, despite his incredible power, Krang is perhaps best known for the bizarre appearance of his android body in the franchise's wildly successful '80s cartoon.
A small, octopus-like alien, Krang spent the cartoon housed in an android body designed to look like a hulking man in suspenders and trunks. Stranger even than this fashion choice is the fact that Krang is located at stomach level within the suit, despite his obvious visual similarity to a human brain. Many pop culture commentators have mocked this concept since its first appearance, pointing out that despite his supposed genius, Krang is permanently forced to converse with people he can only see at stomach level. However, in the IDW Comics, there's a gut-wrenching explanation for why Krang opted for this design.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 (from Kevin Eastman, Bobby Curnow, Tom Waltz, Dave Wachter, and Michael Dialynas), Krang returns in a new form. This was a particular surprise to fans, as the arch-villain had previously been eaten alive by the mutant alligator Leatherhead. After weeks hearing the alien dictator's voice in his head, Leatherhead is dismayed to see Krang emerge from his stomach, now able to influence his behavior. The disgusting reveal confirms that Krang's Utrom species are parasitic organisms, and it's part of their natural life cycle to emerge from their victims' stomachs.
TMNT's Krang Is Secretly a Stomach Parasite
The twist is a genius explanation for both Krang's return and his android suit, since the '80s armor is now shown to simply replicate the way Utroms have evolved to take over and operate another being's body. The dark 'Leatherkrang' hybrid has caused issues for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since, though Krang has also showed willingness to transfer to a new android form for even more raw strength. In a dark twist, it turns out that while the Utroms have gained enough power to construct perfect machine bodies, the designs still draw on their biological nature as parasites who slowly take control of a predator's body before emerging from their gut.
Krang's Sickening True Nature Revealed
It's a truly dark and thoroughly revolting answer to a pop culture question, but also a satisfying one. Throughout the franchise, Krang is a brutal figure who bends others to his will, so it's fitting that this tactic is part of his being right down to the biological level. It turns out that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' ultimate villain has a sickening trick up his sleeve to avoid death - one that shows his 'comical' android suit was always a tribute to his innate ability to subjugate and control others.