"...He's a giant, Kraang-crushing, mutant-alligator, monster!"
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- - Michelangelo defending Leatherhead from Leonardo
Leatherhead is a mutant alligator that was used as a lab rat (or, in this case, a reptile) by the Kraang. He first appeared in the online games TMNT: Dark Horizonsand TMNT: Sewer Run on Nick.com. He later made his debut on the TV show in the episode It Came From The Depths.
Mutant Sewergator
History[]
Early Life[]
As a normal baby alligator, Leatherhead was raised by a kind human boy (whose name remains unknown), until his disapproving parents found out and flushed him down their bathroom toilet into the sewers. The Kraang found him, and brought him back to Dimension X, where they performed horrifying experiments on him, but, through all of it, they never broke his spirit. He escaped his captivity and returned to Earth using the Kraang's dimensional portal, at the same time stealing the Power Cell that ran it. Without this cell the Kraang cannot pass between Earth's dimension and their own, and if it were returned, they will be able to start their invasion. So, Leatherhead returned to the sewers and kept the power cell locked away for the next six months, swearing to keep it out of their reach, even at the cost of his own life.
Season 1[]
It Came From The Depths : When Leatherhead makes his debut in this episode, the Turtles find him in a pitched battle with a squad of Kraang. Michelangelo lead the charge to help him. Leatherhead was rendered unconscious and Mikey convinced the others to take him back to the lair. Leatherhead attacked the turtles repeatedly, but Mikey was able to befriend him and earn his trust. When the other turtles recovered the power cell and Leatherhead saw what they had obtained, he flew into a rage and attacked all of the turtles. Splinter was able to defeat him and drive him off. Mikey immediately rushed out to find him, and found Leatherhead at his own lair in an abandoned subway car. The other turtles then arrived, believing that Leatherhead had malicious intentions. However, Leatherhead pleaded with them and explained his origins. The Kraang attacked the subway car, and Leatherhead entrusted the power cell with Mikey, and faced the attacking Kraang, giving the turtles time to escape. In the end, a Kraang said they had to tell the other Kraang about the power cell but Leatherhead wouldn't let them tell anyone, anything.
TCRI : The turtles seeked Leatherhead's help in retrieving the power cell after the Kraang stole it, only to find him asleep. Leatherhead awoke, only to grab Donnie by the face again. He snaps out of it, and the Turtles told him about losing the power cell. He flew into a fury and grabbed Donetello's face once more, before snapping out of it and giving them all of the information he posessed about the Kraang and the portal. The Turtles then used him as a distraction to allow the gang to get to the top of the TCRI building. He fought Traag, and dragged him through the portal to give the turtles time to escape.
Season 2[]
Mazes & Mutants: Leatherhead appears as an illusion of a fire breathing dragon. The turtles end up defeating him by believing that their weapons are magical.
Into Dimension X : Due to the time differential, Leatherhead has been in Dimension X for decades gaining gray skill as well as scar around his eye. He escapes from the Kraang with a Kraang Communication Device, which he uses to message the Turtles, warning them that the Kraang have completed the Mutagen and were going to invade. The Kraang find him, and a fight begins, ending with Leatherhead being knocked out. The Turtles go and and save him from what looks like the Technodrome, where he's kept prisoner and tortured. He then shows them where the Kraang portals are, and helps in the battle that follows. Before the battle ends, he offers to stay in Dimension X and hold off the Kraang, but Mikey doesn't want him to be stranded again and kicks him through the Earth portal. At the end of the episode, he agrees to help the Turtles stop the invasion, and high fives the Turtles.
The Invasion : Leatherhead saves Master Splinter from a few Kraang that had ambushed the latter in the sewer. Splinter thanks the mutant alligator, and the latter asks were the Sensei's sons are. Master Splinter states he doesn't know, and asks Leatherhaed to help search for them. He agrees and they head for the surface. After the two split up, Master Splinter engages in battle with Shredder, and is almost killed, when Leatherhead bursts through a wall and saves him. He then fights Shredder, until the villain gains the upper hand and throws him down the sewers. His fate is unknown after that.
Season 3[]
Battle for New York: Sometime the Kraang's invasion, Leatherhead is shown to have survived where he's later found by Jack Kurtzman, who brings him in alongside Dr. Tyler Rockwell, Slash, and Pigeon Pete to repel the Kraang invasion on New York City as the Mighty Mutanimals. He's the team's second-in-command of the group. The team makes their debut together rescuing the Turtles from the Kraang and he and Michelangelo share a heartfelt moment together.
Clash of the Mutanimals: Leatherhead and the other Mutanimals attack Tiger Claw at a chemical with the Fulci Twins at the docks but he defeats them all and takes Slash and Dr Tyler Rockwell to experiment on them. Leatherhead and Pete run to the Turtles saying that Slash and Rockwell got taken by Shredder. Later in Shredder's Lair, he watches as Karai tried to break out by smashing the glass but failed and then Stockman-Fly says he made the Mind-Control Serum to use on Karai but then Shredder says to test it on Slash and Rockwell. After being bit by the worms, they break out as the Foot are running after them. They return to the Turtles but then Slash and Rockwell attack, as the Turtles and the remaining Mutanimals help them. They return to the Shell Raiser which Donatello says its fixed after being destroyed by Kraang Subprime. They chase the two rogue mutanimals and set the traps that the party wagon has. Leatherhead makes a extra door to break into Shredder's lair and then attack Shredder, Stockman-Fly , Tiger Claw, Raph, Rockwell, and Slash. They restore Rockwell, Slash and Raph's mind and attack Shredder but failed until Slash and Leatherhead drop a big statue on him.
Annihilation Earth: Leatherhead and the other Mutanimals help the turtles fight the Triceratons, but are killed when Earth is destroyed.
Season 4[]
Journey to the Center of Mikey's Mind: Leatherhead made a cameo in Mikey's imagination.
Earth's Last Stand: Leatherhead made an appearance resting after earth was saved.
Requiem: When the Mighty Mutanimals base comes under attack Leatherhead splits up from the rest of his team and during a confrontation with Rahzar he tackles the villain into the water drowning him.
Owari : He attends the funeral of Master Splinter along with turtles and their other allies.
Appearance[]
Leatherhead is a mutated alligator. He resembles a crocodilian with humanoid arms, legs, and the power to speak and reason. He is immensely large, has a long tail, sharp claws, and large mouth like all crocodilians do (long, narrow, V-shaped and teeth of upper and lower jaw showing when mouth is closed). He has a tough, armored hide that is extremely resistant to attacks, even from Kraang laser blasts. He possesses a third eyelid, which all crocodilians have so that they can see underwater. This third lid locks in place whenever Leatherhead goes into a rage. He starts out with dark green scales on top and white scales on the underside. In "Into Dimension X!", his scales have dulled to lighter of greenish grey on top and a more dirty cream white on the underside due to age and has a scar across his left eye.
Personality[]
Despite his monstrous form and appearance, Leatherhead has a surprisingly gentle soul and doesn't really wish to hurt anyone. He suffers from severe self-loathing from a life of horrific abuse and everybody around him fears him as a monster. He also has periodic bouts of rage in which he can lose complete control of himself which befits him as he is an alligator and he has taken a lot of abuse from the Kraang. When he awakens later, he is always contrite and regretful for the things he has done. Because of his horrific treatment by them, he has an everlasting hatred for the Kraang and simply hearing the word "Kraang" will throw him into a rage. So far, only Mikey has been able to calm him from these rages. Leatherhead has established a lair for himself in an abandoned subway car, where he keeps his few belongings; a stuffed crocodile, a record player with an old jazz record that he uses to calm his rage, and the Kraang power cell which he guards with his own life. He has proven to be a very strong ally to the Turtles, even saving them from Traag by throwing the rock monster and himself into the portal to Dimension X.
After spending time in Dimension X he seemed to have gained better control of his rage.
Bio[]
Uncontrollable and fearless, Leatherhead is The Kraang's worst enemy and creation. After being mutated from a reptile into a living monster, he promised himself to spare the world from their evil and captured their power cell. A powerful ally in the Turtles's fight against the Kraang, Leatherhead's raw power and brute strength make him a force to reckon with!
Powers[]
From normal alligator to mutant his abilities were enhance to be a perfect powerhouse.
Aquatic: Just like real alligators, he is able to swim under water for long periods of time.
Death Roll: He uses an alligator move in combat where he rolls along the ground and able to crush his opponents with his weight and sharp back plates.
Nictating Membrane: He possesses a third eyelid, which all alligators and relatives have so that they can see underwater. This third lid locks in place whenever Leatherhead goes into a rage.
Laser-Proof Hide: His tough, armored hide is almost unpenetrable to Kraangdroid blasts but it is shown that it still hurts.
Enhanced Strength and Combat: He is an extremely powerful fighter, even defeating all four turtles in combat, beating Traag and brutally injuring Shredder. Though even with his large size and amazing strength he lost in a short, but brutal fight against The Shredder and he also lost against Splinter in very quickly defeated because of his aggressive temper. With his powerful jaws that is able to rend steel. His strength has shown he able to lift car and toss it over short distance.
Unbreakable Willpower: He seems to have an unbreakable amount of willpower, as he would never give into the Kraang no matter what they did.
Spiritual Rage: Like Raph, Leatherhead has a high temper which can be used to make him stronger, in the right way, but it can leave devastating results as it causes him to go into an uncontrollable amount of rage, endangering anyone, even those he cares about.
Immunity to Dimension X Air: He is shown to be able to resist the toxic atmosphere of Dimension X.
Weaponry: He's immensely large, his long and powerful tail, sharp claws, armored body and bone crushing jaws can be used to full effect in combat along with his sharp teeth but it was shown to be lack agsint the Shredder armor.
Intelligence, Communication and Reasoning: It seems his time with the Kraang enabled him to gain knowledge and learn what he can about them. Like the majority of the mutants, he has the powers to speak and reason. Despite his long snout, he is actually able to speak quite eloquently, though his voice is very deep and gravelly. He still able to make noises of alligator such as his hiss, growl, bellow and roar.
Stamina and Endurance: His armor body is endurable to saved the Turtles from Traag and was able to take some of the attacks from Shredder. He was one of a few, who stood a chance against Shredder and even almost defeated him. Only with his blades and agility and knowledge of pressure points, Shredder was able to bring him down.
Speed and Agilitiy: He proven to be able to run near or evenly as Slash. With his body shape has proven that his agility is great as he able to use his tail whip and long arms to swing around.
Episodes Appeared In[]
- It Came From The Depths (Debut)
- TCRI
- Mazes & Mutants (Illusion only)
- Into Dimension X!
- The Invasion
- Battle for New York
- Clash of the Mutanimals
- Dinosaurs Seen in Sewers!
- Annihilation Earth
- Journey to the Center of Mikey's Mind (In Mikey's imagination)
- Earth's Last Stand
- Mutant Gangland
- Requiem
- Owari
Character Interactions[]
Leatherhead (Character Interactions)
Trivia[]
- Leatherhead has a deep scar on his left pectoral muscle from when he escaped from The Kraang.
- When he is angry, Leatherhead's eyes are covered with white transparent nictating membranes that are naturally used as a third eyelid to see underwater for alligators and crocodiles.