Warning: contains spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin
The official synopsis for The Last Ronin's final installment teases the possibility that the series' finale could bring closure to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' most shocking death -- and it doesn't include Raphael, Leonardo, Donatello, or Splinter. The first sentence of this ambiguous yet exciting summary is the first ray of hope for fans who are still reeling over the excessive and gratuitous death of the mutant snapping turtle, Slash: "Unexpected allies from the past reveal a possible path to salvation!"'
The unquestionable finality of Slash's murder in IDW's main series would make his appearance unexpected, especially as fans would most likely expect that any surprise cameo or plot twist would come in the form of one of Michelangelo's brothers. But more importantly, it's the adorable case of hero worship that Slash had for Mikey which makes Slash's presence not only wanted but mandatory. Add to that the fact that co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird refuse to answer whether The Last Ronin takes place in IDW's continuity, this theory is more plausible than it might seem.
Slash's relationship with Michelangelo (and his brothers) wasn't always the love fest that has come to define their bond. In fact, Slash was mutated from a snapping turtle with the sole purpose of hunting the Turtles and Splinter. Originally, his mutation manifested in the form of an uncontrollable rage that eventually forced Leonardo to impale him with one of his katanas. But even before that almost fatal moment, Slash had begun to form a connection to the Turtles when he tried to imitate their disguises by making one of his own.
After the mutant snapping turtle's aggressiveness was quelled by Mighty Mutanimal's Old Hob, Slash's admiration for Mikey first became apparent when the orange turtle did the most touching act of friendship: he gave Slash a candy bar. From then on, Slash considered Mikey his hero. But all of that came to a screeching halt when Slash later discovered that he had been implanted with a nuclear bomb, an unfortunate predicament that forced him to fly over the ocean and jump into the waves so the explosion wouldn't kill his friends. But before Slash left on his doomed mission, Mikey made the most thoughtfully intense gesture that assuredly caused many a comic book to be drenched in tears: He gave Slash another candy bar.
But there's more to this theory than just Mikey having a special connection with Slash. Slash relinquished the black bandana he wore in homage of the Turtles. Readers will note that Mikey has been wearing a black bandana throughout the entirety of his bloody conquest in The Last Ronin. Sure, him donning a partial facial covering other than his stereotypical orange bandana was originally meant to hide Mikey's identity in an effort to set the stage for the first big reveal of the series. But it could serve another more crucial purpose, further cementing the aforementioned hypothesis that Slash could be making a comeback in the series. Remember, co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird have outright refused to answer whether The Last Ronin takes place in IDW's The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles continuity, so anything is fair game. Compounding this further is that The Last Ronin #2 was the most successful single issue of IDW's history, meaning it would just make plain sense to bring back a character whose death shocked fans across the globe so everyone can get some much-deserved closure, especially Michelangelo.
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