One of the things that always stuck out to me as a casual fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is the running gag about the untapped potential of Michaelangelo. The lackadaisical youngest turtle brother never took to training seriously, unlike his older brothers.
But, The Ancient One and Master Splinter always said that he had the most aptitude for ninjutsu if he only stuck to it. So, growing up, I always wondered, "what would happen if Michaelangelo tapped into that potential?"
Many years and several live-action adaptations, comic books, animated shows, and games later, a five-issue miniseries that came out in 2020 somewhat answered this question.
In a nutshell, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin is a comic book series set in an alternate future where, as hinted by the name, only one of the four turtle brothers survived. After teasing about identity of the surviving turtle (prior to the reveal, most thought it was Donatello or Raphael), readers found out that it's none other than Michaelangelo.
Gruff, disheveled, and lacking the carefree attitude that once defined him, this future vengeful version of Michaelangelo had realized his ninjutsu potential by force with only one goal in mind - to avenge his fallen family.
