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Recap / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2012 S 1 E 16 The Pulverizer

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The Turtles meet their first fan when a teenager decides to dress up and fight crime as "The Pulverizer". First aired on February 15th, 2013.


This episode provides examples of:

  • Actually a Good Idea: When Mikey names the Shellraiser, the other turtles concede that it actually is the perfect name.
  • Aesop Amnesia: In The Gauntlet the turtles learn that being overconfident can be dangerous, but they seem to have forgotten that lesson when they met Xever as Fishface, which comes back to (literally) bite Raph in the shell.
    Leo: Look guys, sushi that delivers itself.
  • Artistic License – Biology: Xever's venom acts more like an overdose of mushrooms or hallucinogens than actual venom. Of course, the effects of real venom delivered via bite range from digestion of muscle tissue (myotoxic) to paralysis of the nervous system (neurotoxic) to the breakdown of blood vessels causing hemorrhaging (hemotoxic), so those would be a little too graphic for a cartoon. The alternative, venom delivered by spines in the fins which causes incredible pain, isn't much better. The instant antidote Donnie cooks up also fits here, since real antivenin requires the venom itself to create antibodies to it via injecting small doses into horses over a few weeks until they build an immunity to it.
    • Probably justified by the fact that Xever isn't an actual fish, but Was Once a Man now mutated into a Fish Person by alien mutagen from another dimension.
  • Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny!: Lampshaded and invoked twice by Mikey.
  • Badass Boast: Xever after Baxter completes his legs.
    "What has two robotic legs and loves to stomp on Turtles? THIS guy! Heh heh heh heh!"
  • Bait-and-Switch Character Intro: The Pulverizer makes his first appearance attempting to stop the Purple Dragons' robbery, gives a good Badass Boast that impresses the turtles, and seems ready to give the former a beatdown... only to stand in place ineffectually punch and kick the air, allowing the Purple Dragons to easily gang up on and overwhelm him, revealing that he's actually a Heroic Wannabe who is in over his head and has no real combat training or experience.
  • Call-Back: Two specific call backs to "It Came From the Depths"; the Shellraiser is made from the old subway car Leatherhead was living in, and the Turtles still have the Kraang power cell he gave them.
    • Also, Pulverizer's flashback depicts the turtles fighting Stockman in "I Think His Name Is Baxter Stockman".
  • Chekhov's Skill: Averted. The one move Pulverizer pulls off while Donnie trains him is a leg take down, and later during the fight with the Kraang, he tries to save the day by doing it on a Kraang droid. Turns out there's a difference between pulling off a move like that in a controlled training environment against a teacher who isn't resisting, and doing it to a hostile alien robot in real combat.
  • Continuity Nod: In a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, you can see Metalhead.
    • When the Turtles are wondering who would be interested in stolen alien technology. Leo, Raph, and Donnie say "Baxter Stockman" in unison, but Mikey says "Donatello". This is a reference to how Donnie created his robot in "Metalhead".
    • First time a Kraang-droid has appeared wearing the businessman disguise since "Turtle Temper".
  • Failure Hero: The Pulverizer
  • Freeze-Frame Bonus: When Donatello hears the news about Raphael being poisoned, he takes a makeshift medical kit which, in marker, has the words "Donnie's Box" on it. Under that is another sentence, also in marker, saying "MIKEY, DO NOT TOUCH!".
    • Also, on the Shellraiser's container for the Kraang power cell, there's a sign that reads, "DO NOT OPEN - THIS MEANS YOU, MIKEY!"
  • Foreshadowing: When the turtles assure Pulverizer that they're not wearing costumes and are mutants, he asks "How can I do that?"
  • Geek Physiques: The Pulverizer is on the pudgy side.
  • He Knows Too Much: Invoked and Played for Laughs by Raphael who, after stating if he told Pulverizer about the Kraang, he'd have to kill him... As he promptly attempts to tell him about the Kraang before Leo elbows him.
  • Hope Spot: It looks like Pulverizer will make himself useful when he goes for the leg take down to try and stop The Kraang from taking the Power Cell. However he's unable to fully execute it and gets batted aside.
  • It's All My Fault: The Pulverizer feels this way when Don has to rescue him, losing the chance to get the power cell back from the Kraang. Don pins some of the blame on himself, since his (justified) reckless driving broke the lead shield protecting the power cell, allowing the Kraang to track it.
  • Loony Fan: The Pulverizer.
  • Mythology Gag: The Pulverizer's costume resembles the design of the Turtles from the 80's cartoon, including the initials on the belt.
  • Never Trust a Trailer: The episode's preview only shows the turtles taking the Shellraiser for a joyride. No traces of the Pulverizer, the Kraang, the Purple Dragons, Stockman, or Xever are shown.
  • No Name Given: The Pulverizer is only called by his "superhero name". His real name is never revealed until his next appearance.
  • Offhand Backhand: While Mikey is watching over a poisoned Raph, he succeeds in taking down Sid of the Purple Dragons without even looking at him.
  • Sadistic Choice: Donnie has to choose between saving Pulverizer's life or recovering the power cell.
  • Shout-Out: Mikey's alternate name for Fishface is "Robo-Carp".
  • Shown Their Work: When Mikey tells Donnie that Raph was bitten by "a giant poisonous robotic fish", Donnie corrects him saying that it would be venom, not poison. Yes, there is a major difference between poisonous and venomous, and they're not interchangeable.
  • The Thing That Would Not Leave: Nobody wants The Pulverizer in the lair, yet there he is.
  • Underestimating Badassery: In line with the Aesop Amnesia above, the Turtles mock Fishface's appearance, forgetting that Xever is a master Capoeira fighter and now has metal legs.
  • Vomit Discretion Shot: You can hear Raph's puking noises and Mikey's disgusted reaction, but nothing is seen.
  • What the Fu Are You Doing?: Pulverizer clearly doesn't have any training in martial arts. He seems fond of Calling Your Attacks and Funny Bruce Lee Noises, but can't even throw a simple punch.
    • Donnie takes it upon himself to teach him some basic moves, but Pulverizer wants to skip straight to the advanced stuff. Hilarity Ensues.

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