Michelangelo is disappointed to learn that his favorite comic, Bugman, has been cancelled, but he's reminded that the real superhero exists. Which is good, as New York City comes under attack by a swarm of genetically-modified termites controlled by a mysterious new supervillain. Can Michelangelo track down Bugman in time before the city's reduced to ashes?
Tropes
- 10-Minute Retirement: Brick Bradley decided to become a pacifist after casting away his past life as a superhero. Unfortunately, his help is needed to control the termites that are destroying New York City, so Michelangelo drags him there so he can get him angry enough to transform into Bugman again.
- Achievements in Ignorance: After Michelangelo makes a few unsuccessful attempts at angering Brick Bradley into his Bugman form, all it takes is April insulting his toga outfit without even trying, which he takes as a personal offense.
- Berserk Button: April effortlessly breaks Bugman of his serenity by insulting his outfit.
- Captain Ersatz: The Swatter is an in-universe example, specifically of Shredder himself. Naturally, the Turtles laugh at his cheap knockoff of a costume upon seeing him. It's justified, too, since it's actually Jerry Spiegel in an attempt to get the Turtles' attention so he can make a comic based on their lives.Raphael: Just wait until Shredder sees this!
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Michelangelo nearly breaks Bugman of his zen at the thought of April dying in a collapsng building.
- Ignored Epiphany: Spiegel had ruined Bugman's life and put his publishing company through a lawsuit after publishing every detail of Bugman's life. This episode has him try to do the same to the Turtles, even destroying entire buildings with mutant termites just to get their attention.
- Irony: The Bugman comic's publisher said to a disguised Michelangelo that it was the most original idea of all time. The author, Jerry Spiegel, actually studied Bugman's life in secret to make it. To add even more irony, Spiegel is named after a celebrated real-life comic book author!
- Lack of Imagination: When asks why he couldn't just make a comic without stalking people, Spiegel admits that he's never had an original idea in his life.
- Self-Deprecation: The Turtles all laugh at the thought of a Ninja Turtles comic book.
- Sequel Episode: To "Michelangelo Meets Bugman".
- Stalker without a Crush: Jerry Spiegel, the author of the Bugman comic books, once spent his time prying into Bugman's life in order to draw it, to the point that Bugman himself declared a lawsuit against the publisher for unauthorized usage. After it got cancelled, he turned his attention to the Turtles and their lair, to their dismay.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: This episode explores the consequences of having an in-universe superhero comic book, as Bugman's true identity and whereabouts were exposed to all, leading to being evicted from his apartment by the landlady, since people didn't stop coming to learn about him (not to mention the would-be supervillains that wanted to take on him). This has caused him to relocate outside of the city.
- What Were You Thinking?: When interviewing the scientist who modified some termites so that they could eat any material, April questioned conducting the experiment at all as a stupid idea, since they could be destructive if they were let loose.
