Michelangelo (TMNT)

Michelangelo
Artwork for the cover of TMNT Micro-Series vol. 1, 4 (December, 2011).Art by David Petersen.
Publication information
Publisher	Mirage Studios
First appearance	Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Created by	Kevin Eastman Peter Laird
In-story information
Full name	Michelangelo Hamato
Partnerships	Horridus, Lee Hamato
Notable aliases	Turtle Titan
Abilities	Highly skilled in ninjutsu agility, speed, and strength Master of stealth Mastery of kobudō Master of twin offensive nunchuck Chi Gong Talented chef

Michelangelo, often shortened to Mike or Mikey, is a fictional character and one of the four main characters of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media.

In the Mirage/Image Comics, all four turtles wear red bandanas, but in other versions he wears an orange bandana. His signature weapons are dual nunchucks, though he has also been portrayed using other weapons, such as a grappling hook, manriki-gusari, tonfa, and a three-section staff (in some action figures).

More fun-loving than his brothers, and the youngest of the group. Michelangelo was given a much bigger role in the 1987 cartoon series, directed at a younger audience, than in the more serious original comic books which were aimed at an older audience. He often coins most of their catchphrases, such as "Cowabunga!". Like all of the brothers, he is named after a Renaissance artist; in this case, he is named after Michelangelo Buonarroti. The spelling of the character's name varies from source to source, and he has been alternately shown as both Michelangelo and Michaelangelo.

In these original comic books, Michelangelo was initially depicted as fun-loving, carefree, and, while not as aggressive as Raphael, always ready to fight. He is much more serious-natured in the comic book than in the film incarnations, which have labeled his character a permanent "dude" talking pre-teen. It was Michelangelo's one-shot in this series that fleshed out most of the traits that have become synonymous with the character, such as his playfulness, empathy, and easygoing nature. In the one-shot story, Michelangelo adopts a stray cat (which he names Klunk) and also stops thieves from stealing toys meant for orphaned children.