Recommended music: Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal
It’s #TurtleTuesday, so let’s check out the NECA Toys Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smash!
The second season of the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series kicked off with “Return of the Shredder,” originally airing on October 1, 1988. In this episode, Shredder comes back to Earth after being stuck in Dimension X and wants revenge. He puts together a new group of human Foot Soldiers from a shady karate school to take down the Turtles. His plan ultimately fails, forcing him to reunite with Krang and the Technodrome. While most of that is a typical plot for a TMNT story, “The Crooked Ninja Turtle Gang” is definitely the most memorable part of the episode to me.
The gang’s leader, Smash, is a street thug who tries to ruin the Turtles’ reputation. He and his criminal crew dress up in turtle costumes to pull off a bunch of robberies, hoping to frame the real Turtles. His plan falls apart when the real Turtles show up, proving that fake costumes can’t beat real ninja skills. Smash was voiced by Peter Cullen, better known as the voice of Optimus Prime from The Transformers, Eeyore from Winnie-the-Pooh, Predator, King Kong, and many others. Unfortunately, Smash never appeared in any other TMNT media, aside from an Archie Comics adaptation of the episode.
Luckily, NECA Toys included Smash in a two-pack with Zach “The Fifth Turtle” in 2022, and the figure looks just like he did in the 1987 cartoon. I’m really happy they didn’t pair Smash with any regular gang members, since those are great for army-building (like in the photo). Smash comes with an extra unmasked head, another set of fists and karate-chop hands, his martial arts weapons, and removable red armbands. Even though he was only in one episode, it was a memorable one, and I’m glad NECA added him to the line.
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Dale's Toys 