April O'Neil

Few characters in the Copper Age burst onto the scene with quite the staying power of April O'Neil, who made her comics debut in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #3 in 1987, brought to life by the legendary creative duo Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. Over nearly four decades of publication — stretching all the way to 2024 — she's proven herself one of the most enduring human presences in the TMNT universe, sharing pages with iconic figures like Splinter, Shredder, and Oroku Saki across Archie's beloved run. Her footprint is wide enough to anchor her own dedicated series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Presents: April O'Neil, a testament to how compelling a character she became in her own right. With two key collector issues to her name and 55 catalog appearances, she's an absolute must for any serious TMNT shelf.