In 1984, comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird changed the face of pop culture with the release of their superhero parody series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Since then, the Heroes in a Halfshell have continued to enthrall fans with their hilarious, action-packed adventures. Exposed to a mysterious substance called Ooze, four ordinary turtles were mutated into humanoid youths. Trained in ninjutsu by their adopted father, the mutated rat Splinter, the four have faced many foes in defense of New York City, with the alien Krang, the ninja warlord Shredder, and a number of mutant underlings causing the greatest headaches for the young heroes.
Given their massive popularity over the last 40 years, many of the greatest minds in comic books have sought to capitalize on this bizarre but beloved pop culture phenomenon. With the IP changing hands several times over the last four decades, the TMNT have had the chance to work with some of the greatest heroes in modern comics. Everyone, from Batman to Street Fighter’s Ryu, have fought beside and against these fan favorites. The following 12 are only a selection of some of the Turtles’ best crossovers in comics, video games, and animation, showing the colossal potential of these reptilian superheroes.
12 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meet Archie (1991)
After the success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series in 1987, Archie Comics began releasing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, a series aimed at the younger audience of the show. With these licensing rights in hand, the crossover comic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meet Archie was released in 1991. This anthology book contained four stories, though only one saw the Turtles teaming up with the Riverdale kids. In “Green Legs and Gams,” the Turtles were transported to an alternate Earth by the trans-dimensional being Cudley the Cowlick. Here, they join forces with Archie and his friends to rescue a kidnapped Veronica.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meet Archie Is a Short but Fun Riverdale Excursion
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meet Archie is a weird crossover, bringing together the more realistic hijinks of Archie with the lighthearted heroics of the Turtles. Really, it shouldn’t have surprised fans with its absurdity. After all, it opens on the turtles being spit out of the mouth of a floating cow’s head. Still, it is a fun twist on both properties.
The crossover itself could have benefited from a few more pages. It is little more than a single short story in a Turtles’ focused anthology, so it loses some of its impact compared to some of the other entries on this list. Still, as a bit of ’90s pop culture history, this bizarre team-up cannot be overlooked.
11 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Savage Dragon (1993; 1995)
Savage Dragon is a character released by Image Comics co-founder Erik Larsen in 1992, though the character debuted years earlier in a self-published comic. Working as a superpowered police officer in the Chicago PD, the Dragon encounters the Teenage Mutant Turtles in two separate crossover events. In 1993’s Savage Dragon/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dragon teams with the TMNT to stop the villainous Virago from bringing stone statues to life in Chicago, while 1995’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/ Savage Dragon sees the heroes teaming up yet again to rein in the Turtle’s horrifying enemy, Complete Carnage.
The Savage Dragon and TMNT Perfectly Capture ’90s Comic Storytelling
For those only familiar with the Turtles’ animated ventures, it may surprise you to learn that the Turtles’ original comic incarnation was intended as more mature and action-packed. In this way, their team-up with the Savage Dragon makes a lot of sense. While the TMNT thankfully avoided his far more adult years, with highly explicit nudity and sex earning The Savage Dragon a mature readers banner, the team-up managed to showcase the high-intensity storytelling that both sets of characters had aimed for. These are dark stories, and though they have plenty of quips and funny moments, these crossovers are broody, bloody ’90s comics in a nutshell.
10 Power Rangers In Space – “Shell Shocked” (1998)
The closing of the Zordon Era, Power Rangers In Space was the culmination of five years of storytelling. With Zordon captured by the forces of Dark Specter, the Rangers begin an intergalactic voyage to save their mentor and the entire universe. In the episode “Shell Shocked,” the villainous Astronema travels to Earth with a plan to infiltrate and destroy the Astro Megaship. Warping the minds of the Earth heroes known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Astronema sends her new pawns to trick the Rangers and earn their trust, but her plan backfires when the Rangers find a way to reverse the mind control, forcing Astronema to face two teams at once.
Shell Shocked Was One of the Most Exciting Moments for ’90s Kids
Kids of the ’90s lost their minds when this crossover hit the small screen. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles tokusatsu series had plenty of issues from the start, but for those who grew up with both franchises, this iteration of the team showing up in In Space was extreme wish fulfillment.
It was like dumping out the toy box and letting the action figures duke it out. Was the storytelling all that good? Not at all. The mind-controlled hero arc was an overused trope in Power Rangers at the time, and the episode asked too many questions about the Turtles’ place in Ranger continuity. Still, it led to one of the most thrilling moments in ’90s pop culture.
9 Injustice 2 (2017)
In 2013, the producers of Mortal Kombat struck gold with their smash-hit video game Injustice, which told the story of an alternate universe Superman’s takeover of Earth. Injustice 2 takes place two years later, with Batman’s Insurgency attempting to restore order as a new threat appears from the depths of space. DLC allowed players to control new characters, with Netherrealm Studios pulling many from outside of DC’s sphere. Players could even assume the role of each of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to take on DC’s biggest and baddest superheroes, utilizing their individual martial arts prowess to dominate the competitive sphere.
The TMNT Play a Minor But Exciting Role in Injustice 2
Admittedly, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles play almost no part in the world or lore of Injustice 2. They are just a cameo fighter meant to spice up the competitive gameplay of the hit game. With that said, their appearance in the game is incredibly enjoyable, giving players a glimpse of what their interactions with these characters might be through the intro cinematics.
Their cameo may have no impact on the storyline, but their appearance is a testament to their impact on pop culture. Appearing next to Hellboy and Raiden, even in a minor role, is no small feat, and it showcases just how far the brand has come.
8 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters (2014)
When there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who’re you gonna call? The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! In 2014, IDW Publishing released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters, a crossover comic bringing together two of their hottest licensed properties, and the first series’ success saw a sequel released in 2018. When an interdimensional transporter goes haywire, it sends the TMNT to an alternate New York infested with ghosts. With Chi Yu, a demigod from the Turtles’ past, transported with them, the brothers will have to join forces with the Ghostbusters to stop the threat and find a way home before they fade from existence.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters Captures the Feel of Both Franchises
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Ghostbusters is a great, spooky, action-packed romp. The Turtles and the Ghostbusters were ’80s icons, so this crossover was decades in the making. However, it’s one thing to bring two beloved franchises together, but it’s something else entirely to actually tell a good story with them. Thankfully, Tom Waltz knocked it out of the park, telling a story that managed to hit all the notes that defined each franchise.
The story is fast-paced and full of references, and with the sequel bringing the Ghostbusters to the Turtles’ world, you can be sure that there are plenty of spooky hijinks to entertain any reader.
7 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vs. Street Fighter (2023)
The most recent entry on this list, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vs. Street Fighter is a crossover comic pitting the heroes in a half-shell against the fighters of Street Fighter 6. Released to promote TMNT-themed skins within the game, the five-issue series is set during a fighting competition in Atlantic City. Excited at the prospect of testing their skills, the Turtles sign up for the tournament, only to be faced by Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, and the other fighters’ new Psycho Forms. With the fighters disappearing, the Turtles and the fighters will have to put their differences aside to find the tournament’s mysterious benefactor and put an end to his machinations.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Vs. Street Fighter Comics Do What Injustice 2 Doesn’t
While the Turtles play a small role in the Street Fighter 6 video game, similar to their DLC appearance in Injustice 2, the difference is in their impact on the game’s lore. While the comic’s canonicity isn’t entirely clear, the fact that the Turtles have, in universe, actually battled the characters of Street Fighter gives their game appearance that much more weight.
The series is also exciting in that it is the first crossover appearance of the newest Turtle: Jennika, the claw-wielding former ninja who was mutated by a blood transfusion with Leonardo. It’s a small step forward for the new character, but it helps cement her in the new status quo of the franchise.
6 The X-Files: Conspiracy – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)
In the seminal sci-fi thriller series TheX-Files, the Lone Gunmen were major side characters that aided Mulder and Scully. These conspiracy theorists were so popular with the fan base that, in 2001, they received their own spin-off TV series. After IDW got the rights for The X-Files, the publisher set the Lone Gunmen to star in The X-Files: Conspiracy, a four-part crossover event that saw the team coming face-to-face with the publisher’s most popular licensed properties. One of these issues saw them investigating rumors of a quartet of humanoid turtle monsters living in New York’s sewers, fighting crime and evil mutants using ninjutsu and martial arts.
The Lone Gunmen Meet The ’80s Most Popular Heroes in The X-Files: Conspiracy
The X-Files: Conspiracy is fun, pure and simple. Given that the wacky trio only get a single issue to interact with the Transformers, the Ghostbusters, the Crow, and the TMNT, the adventures aren’t exactly groundbreaking, but they are an exciting twist on The X-Files formula.
Mixing the continuities of these five different franchises is a bit much, leading to some hard questions of canonicity, but at the end of the day, it is easy to look past this for the sake of pure enjoyment. The Turtles admittedly played a small role in the events of this story, but they somehow manage to fit right in with the rest of Mulder and Scully’s science-fiction adventures.
5 Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; Batman vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2015; 2019)
One of the more well-known entries on this list, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an intercompany crossover between IDW and DC that was released in 2015. The series sees the Turtles wisked away to the mean streets of Gotham City, where they are forced to join forces with Batman in order to find a way home and defeat a growing coalition of their shared enemies. The comics’ popularity resulted in a sequel in 2017, which sees Batman going to the Turtles’ New York in order to stop Bane, and more recently, in 2019, the original comic was adapted into a DC Animated Universe film titled Batman Vs. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Batman’s Team-Up With the TMNT Shouldn’t Work… but Succeeds on Every Level
No one expected this comic to work, so imagine readers’ surprise when they got their hands on it, and it was actually superb. The team-up between these two sets of animal-themed superheroes, with a focus on martial arts, was an exciting thrill ride. The series focused on the comic book version of the Turtles, meaning that they could fit in with the darker, more grounded work of the Dark Knight.
This isn’t even to mention the brilliant storytelling and artistic choice to turn Batman’s villains into mutant monsters using the Ooze. With a sequel and an animated adaptation, it should be obvious that this series is easily worth your time.
4 Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures (2016)
Releasing in 2016, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures is another crossover between Batman and the TMNT, but these are very different versions of the title characters. Pulling from Batman: The Animated Series and the 2012 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles CGI series, the comics see Batman investigating the sudden disappearances of a number of his villains. Believing it to be a mass escape, he soon discovers that they have instead been warped to another dimension. With the Shredder recruiting several of the Bat-Family’s worst rogues, the TMNT are forced to join forces with Batman, Robin, and Batgirl in a multiverse-spanning adventure.
Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures Brings Some Fun to the Superheroic Beat-Down
While not the first time the Turtles teamed up with the Bat-Family, Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures provided a wholly unique experience from its predecessor. Its roots in kid-friendly, animated adventures gave the comic series a more lighthearted appeal.
This series feels like a Saturday Morning Cartoon brought to life, with plenty of zany action and punny quips to balance out the fascinating story. It even provides some fun references that bridge the gap between Batman: The Animated Series and Batman: The New Adventures, providing some (loosely) canon elements that you don’t normally see in this type of crossover.
3 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things (2023)
One of the most recent crossovers on this list, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles x Stranger Things began releasing in July 2023, with a series of toys coinciding with the release. The series sees the Max, Eleven, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Mike taking a vacation to New York City, but they are shocked to discover that creatures from the Upside Down have made their way there as well. Thankfully, they have some new friends, and with the help of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, they may just be able to discover the source of this new supernatural infestation.
TMNT x Stranger Things is the Crossover You Didn’t Know You Needed
Given Stranger Things’ basis in ’80s pop culture, this crossover only makes sense, even if it is still a little bizarre. The creative team of Cameron Chittock and Fero Pe made the brilliant choice to utilize the original Mirage comics’ iterations of the characters, planting the series firmly in the late ’80s and playing with the TMNT’s history in fun new ways.
There are a lot of teenaged hijinks going on as the teams separate, but that chaos leads to some truly unexpected (but not unwelcome) moments among the large cast. Whether you are a new fan of the Netflix original or a long-time fan of the heroes-in-a-half-shell, this is a must-read series for you.
Stranger Things
- Release Date
- July 15, 2016
- Main Genre
- Sci-Fi
- Seasons
- 4
- Studio
- Netflix
2 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2019)
Boom Studios has become a powerhouse in modern comic book publishing, and their Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series, a reboot modernizing the franchise for original fans, is one of their biggest hits. In 2019, the publisher surprised fans with the release of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/ Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the immense positive reception for the series saw a sequel released in 2023. The original saw the Rangers traveling to New York to track down a missing Tommy Oliver. However, after discovering that Tommy had betrayed them and joined Shredder’s Foot Clan, they team up with the TMNT to find out the truth.
MMPR/ TMNT is An Incredible Thrill Ride for Long-Time Fans
With the massive success of Boom Studios’ comic reboot of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, it was only a matter of time before this morphinominal crossover took place. This is one of the most exciting team-ups on this list, bringing together explosive action with brilliant storytelling.
It blends the two in a way that none of these other crossovers truly accomplishes, giving each team access to the other’s powers. Whether it be the introduction of the Mutant Rangers, the Dimension X Rangers, the Metalhead Megazord, or a Green Ranger Shredder, there are so many incredible moments throughout this two-part event to excite fans of both franchises.
1 Usagi Yojimbo
Created by Stan Sakai in 1984, Usagi Yojimbo is a comic book series set during Japan’s Edo Period. It is a historical drama, though all the characters are anthropomorphic animals. Miyamoto Usagi is a rabbit ronin, traveling the countryside on a pilgrimage and defending those who can afford his services. First appearing alongside the Turtles in the original 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, Usagi has since made appearances in nearly every iteration of the characters, teaming up with the Turtles across animation, video games, and even within the pages of their comic books.
Miyamoto Usagi is the Ultimate TMNT Crossover Character
Usagi is so intertwined with the story of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that some may not even know it is a separate property. The character has crossed over with these heroic reptiles so often in so many varied forms of media that he is now a key piece of their lore. This is a crossover that has made perfect sense since their original team-up, and it is one that is still exciting fans to this day.
While this isn’t a ranked list by any means, Usagi would take the top spot if it were for consistency alone. He is one of the Turtles most important allies, and he will likely make many more appearances in Turtles media for years to come.
