Warning! Spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #118 ahead!
Ever since he was decapitated and later resurrected, the ninja Oroku Saki, better known as the Shredder, has led an honest life, giving up on his war against the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. But upon the death of Splinter, Saki has maintained his distance from the rat's surviving children, only watching over the young shinobi from afar until they need him. Although always hidden from the turtles, the Shredder's presence has also been kept from readers until recently. Now he's taking a more hands-on approach in his endeavor to help the turtles and their allies, while still remaining in the shadows.
The Shredder's surprise 180 from being an outright villain to a protective father figure from afar transpired after Splinter killed him in the first issue of the Turtles' original comic. Being a spirit seems to have provided the fallen Shredder with ample time for some serious soul searching because he later worked with Splinter to resurrect his body and fight together. Since that effort resulted in Splinter's death, Shredder took it upon himself to look over his sons in reverence of their father.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #118 by writer Sophie Campbell and artist Nelson Daniel finds Shredder taking on a much more involved role in caring for Splinter's sons after his sudden appearance the issue before. The shinobi first helps Donatello who is in the midst of writing a book on a laptop that hasn't been backed up. When Donatello leaves the room, a beverage almost falls on his computer, which would have likely resulted in Donatello losing his work had the harmful liquids made contact. But Shredder quickly grabs the computer before this can happen, cleans up the area, puts the computer back and then leaves before Donatello sees him.
Later, Shredder prevents a greenhouse from capsizing on and destroying the plants that Leonardo has been tending. He then gives Jennika some musical inspiration for a particular riff she's been struggling with by whistling a catchy melody in her ear. Next, he turns on a radio in the office of a reporter who has been struggling to cover some positive news about Mutant Town so she can hear Michelangelo's broadcast about an upcoming political rally. And most importantly of all, he saves April O'Neil from some killer mutants.
Many fans welcomed Shredder's change of heart when it happened originally because it brought a renewed focus on other villains while breathing new life into a long-running franchise that has relied too heavily on him. Knowing this, fans will undoubtedly receive Shredder's sudden return warmly, especially after such a prolonged absence. His appearance also adds another level of anticipation for the long-awaited moment when he will finally reveal himself to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. As Shredder mentioned in the previous issue, "They still need their time to grieve their father and master. They need time to rebuild without me in the way...I will make myself known when they've been brought low again, when they'll need me most." Hopefully that new low will come sooner rather than later.
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