| “ | I guarantee! | „ |
| ~ Leatherhead's catchphrase in the original cartoon. |
| “ | I let my rage consume me... I let my reptilian rage overwhelm my human intellect... ...and in my blind rage I have hurt other sentient beings... | „ |
| ~ Leatherhead in the Mirage Comics. |
Leatherhead is a mutated alligator and a minor character from the 1987, 2003, and 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons, comic books, and video games. In the former series, he was a villain. In the latter two series, however, he is an anti-hero. In the Mirage Comics and Archie Comics, he was an anti-hero, and in the IDW Comics, he was a anti-villain.
Leatherhead was voiced by Jim Cummings and Peter Renaday (Night of the Rogues) in the 1987 animated series, F.B. Owens (Seasons 2 and 3) and Gary Lewis (later seasons) in the 2003 animated series, and Peter Lurie in the 2012 animated series.
Biography
Mirage Comics
Leatherhead appears as a supporting character in the original Mirage comics as an anti-hero.
1987
In the 1987 cartoon, he is a mutated villain who made slaves out of the Punk Frogs until he was captured by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles who came to save the frogs. He escaped thanks to Shredder, Rocksteady, and Bebop. Then, he went to New York City to get revenge on the turtles, but got captured by the Rat King, and later freed himself and tried to wrestle him down until they made an alliance to capture the turtles and send robot-rats and android alligators to kill them. However, this failed. But they later worked together again, along with some other villains one time with Shredder to capture them.
Leatherhead also kidnapped April O'Neil and her coworker/frenemy, Vernon, numerous times throughout the series, sometimes separately and sometimes together. His main method of capture was simply shackling someone's neck into a neck chain and dragging them along behind him.
Archie Comics
Leatherhead appears in the Archie comics as a former villain turned into a member of the Mighty Mutanimals.
2003
In the 2003 animated series, Leatherhead has a different backstory: He was once a baby alligator that got mutated. He was found by an alien race called the Utroms and became their top scientist. Later, he went wild and escaped. He was then found by the Turtles to be an ally. There are two sides of his personality, a brilliant being and a wild monster.
2012
Leatherhead started life as a baby alligator who had been secretly raised by a child. But the child's parents found him, and flushed him down the toilet. He ended up being banished to the sewer drains, where he was found by the Kraangs. The Kraang, upon discovering him, took him in and subjected him to several tests. But he escaped and revolted against the Kraangs. The turtles saved him, but the damage had already been done. His hatred runs so deep that even hearing the word 'Kraang' sends him into an uncontrollable rage. Later, he became a valuable ally to the Turtles.
IDW Comics
Leatherhead appears in the IDW comics with his character being a mix of the 1987 (his being an enemy of the Turtles), Mirage Comics/2003 (the fact he is brilliant, but can also easily fall into an uncontrollable rage), and 2012 incarnations (his hatred towards Krang) but is far more vicious than previous versions as his hatred towards Krang extends to the entire Utrom race (to which he was responsible for murdering several Utroms and later Krang himself) and he believes it is goal to protect all normal animals from Mutants to whom he believes should not exist. Also like his Archie Comics/2012 series incarnations he was approached for membership in the Mighty Mutanimals but rejected it due to his and Old Hob's opposing beliefs.
Trivia
- In most incarnations Leatherhead was captured and subjected to various tests to which he develops a personal hatred against the one responsible, namely Agent Bishop in the 2003 series, the Kraang in the 2012 series and Krang (and by extension all Utroms) in the IDW Comics.
