Questions About the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

In the sewers of New York City, four innocent turtles found themselves covered in "ooze" and they transformed into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. When they took this human-sized form, the became superheroes who battled the evil forces of Shredder and audiences of their television show and movies enjoyed their adventures. But there are unasked questions that need to be asked.

With their new found forms, can they really be called turtles? They are turtles in origin, but with their mutation, they formed hands, the ability to talk, the ability to learn martial arts, order pizza, and much more. Could they in essence be considered more human than turtle now? If so, then could they be considered citizens of the United States? Do they have the same basic rights as any other human?

Assuming they are teenagers, it would be a while before they get to the senior years, but without social security, 401k's, or pensions, the turtles have nothing to live on when they get older. How would they be able to afford the rising price of pizza? Maybe they'll eventually work as greeters at Walmart. At least Splinter has the turtles to help him in his older years.

Eventually the turtles will presumably have to move out of the sewers too, otherwise their health could be in jeopardy with the accumulation of filth that has collected in the surroundings of their home. One could presume that April O'Neil would invite the turtles to live with her, but that would be too strange if she found true love and had kids with her husband. As a bachelorette, it's feasible that the turtles could live with her, but not afterward.

Also with their new found human-like forms, can the turtles fall in love with a human female and mate? If so, what would their children's biology be like? Would one turtle falling in love before the others possibly break up the group like Yoko Ono?

While the turtles have had more than their fifteen minutes of fictional fame, no one has asked the right questions about their future. The turtles may be brave heroes, saving the city of New York from Shredder, but they have not amassed any type of fortune to live off of in their golden years. Perhaps, like many teenagers, they believe that they are indestructible and will be virtually guaranteed a happy life in their older years.

Photo: Promotional photo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie released in 1990