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Warning: This post contains SPOILERS for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
The Mutant Turtles have returned to their roots in animation withinTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem—after a poorly received attempt in 2014—helmed by Jeff Rowe and Kyler Spears of The Mitchells vs the Machines fame, with actor Seth Rogen penning the script.
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Showcasing a battle between the Turtles and an army of mutants in New York City, Mutant Mayhem has received critical acclaim for its charm and art style designed for fans old and new, and even the villains are getting praise across the board for their comedy. Here’s everything you need to know about Leatherhead.
Leatherhead is one of the mutants opposing the Turtles, and she’s a humanoid alligator rocking a cowboy hat with an Australian accent. Leatherhead has a relatively short role in the film serving as a member of Superfly’s mutant gang.
Leatherhead, Scumbag, Bebop, Rocksteady, Genghis Frog, Ray Fillet, Wingnut, and Mondo Gecko end up turning against Superfly in the movie’s third act because they cannot condone the destruction of humanity. Superfly turns into a kaiju by way of his ooze machine, and he also manages to absorb a number of animals from the zoo whilst transforming.
After defeating Superfly by administering anti-ooze, Splinter and his partner Cockroach open up the sewer in order to rehouse Superfly’s former crew, including Leatherhead, which sees a happy ending for the comical villains.
First appearing in Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #6 in 1988 and created by Ryan Brown, the mutated humanoid alligator Leatherhead is a popular villain from TMNT comic books from Mirage Comics, Image Comics, and IDW Publishing’s runs, as well as the plethora of animated shows and video games under the franchise.
Throughout all of Leatherhead’s various appearances across mediums, the villain has always been portrayed as male, making the character’s Mutant Mayhem appearance the first female iteration of the villain. Leatherhead’s origin in Mirage Comics sees him escape a pet store during a robbery which leads him to the sewers, and after being captured by the Utroms—an alien species in the Turtles universe—Leatherhead was exposed to a mutagen that turned him into a humanoid and gave him intelligence.
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Leatherhead later joined the Foot Clan in order to create the Transmat Device—a piece of tech that would help the alligator travel to the Utroms home world—and subsequently encountered the Turtles, who helped Leatherhead after realizing the Foot Clan were working with the alligator for sound reasons. However, after the Transmat Device was complete, the device blew up before Leatherhead could reach the Utroms' world, and a fit of rage led the alligator to seek revenge on the Turtles because he was convinced they interfered with him returning “home.”
In Image Comics' run, Leatherhead is held hostage by King Komodo and his minions but is later freed by Leonardo, and in IDW’s series, the alligator appears briefly in the 49th issue providing his mutagen as an antidote for Donatello. The 1987 animated series saw Leatherhead return as a villain against the heroes in a half-shell and later teamed up with the Rat King. However, in the 2003 animated series, Leatherhead was introduced as a friend to the Turtles, who was later hunted by the game hunter Mr. Marlin. Within video games, however, Leatherhead has always appeared as a boss to conquer.
Leatherhead is voiced by Australian actorRose Byrnein Mutant Mayhem, and the actor has become a staple performer in both the horror and comedy genres during her career, which began back in the early 90s.
Byrne has accumulated a number of roles in film and television, including The Boys and X-Men: Apocalypse; however, a number of movie buffs may remember Byrne from her blink-and-you’ll-miss-it roles in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of Clones as Dormé, Padme’s assistant, and Briseis in 2004’s Troy. The actor also appeared in cult classics Sunshine, 28 Weeks Later, and Knowing, starring alongside Nicolas Cage, preceding her genre-defining roles in Insidious as Renai Lambert and Bridesmaids as Helen. Both roles paved the way for Insidious sequels and a growing career in comedy that lead her to parts in Bad Neighbors and Spy.
