Michelangelo

One of four baby turtles accidentally exposed to a mysterious radioactive mutagen in the sewers of New York City, Michelangelo was raised and trained in ninjutsu by the rat sensei Splinter, growing into one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Few characters capture the freewheeling spirit of the Bronze Age indie comics explosion quite like Michelangelo, who burst onto the scene in 1985's Raphael, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle #1 — a Kevin Eastman creation that helped launch one of the most unlikely publishing phenomena in comics history. Born from Mirage Studios' scrappy, black-and-white underground energy, this turtle has endured for over four decades across titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Urban Legends, racking up key issues along the way that collectors still prize. He shares his pages with icons of the TMNT universe — Splinter, April O'Neil, Casey Jones — a rogues' gallery of allies that speaks to how richly populated his world has always been. With 41 years of continuous publication and no signs of slowing, Michelangelo is living proof that a bold idea from two passionate creators can carve out a permanent place in the comic book canon.