April O'Neil

April O'Neil is a human ally and close friend of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, introduced in the very first TMNT story. In the original Mirage comics, she works as a computer programmer whose chance encounter with the Turtles draws her into their dangerous underground world.

Few characters have proven as enduringly essential to their franchise as April O'Neil, who made her debut alongside the Turtles themselves in the legendary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 back in 1985 — a Bronze Age origin story created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird that collectors still prize as a key issue. Over nearly four decades, April has kept extraordinary company, sharing adventures with Raphael, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Splinter across a remarkable range of titles — from the gritty Mirage originals to crossover territory as unexpected as Detective Comics and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles X Stranger Things. Her presence across 39 years of publishing speaks to something rare: a supporting character who became genuinely indispensable to one of comics' most beloved universes. If you're building out your TMNT collection, April O'Neil is absolutely worth tracking down.