There's something impressive about the resiliency and adaptability of the ongoing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. The brand began life in the 80s, but with its slang, its taste, and its attitude, it's a quintessentially 90s franchise. The Turtles have evolved with the times, but some figures have retained their vibe in new iterations. Look at Mondo Gecko, a metal-loving lizard who dresses like a Pro Skater character.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the upcoming animated film by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, seeks to bring the Turtles back to their golden age. There have been countless new takes on the franchise, some more successful than others, but the newest entry seems more like a love letter to the past.
Who is Mondo Gecko in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
Mondo Gecko was introduced in a 1991 issue of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comic. His backstory varies, but he began life as either a teenage boy, a lizard, or both. Either way, he was exposed to the ooze, causing him to become a large humanoid leopard gecko. Like a lot of characters in this franchise, his allegiance varies slightly. He's often introduced as a villain, only to switch sides and support the Turtles in later adventures. The most consistent elements of his character are his taste in music and his love of skateboarding. He's a simple character, but he's been a lot of fun over the years.
In his first appearance, Mondo Gecko is a human metal singer who leads a band called Merciless Slaughter. The Turtles hear him and his band playing in Shredder's abandoned lair and intervene for his safety. As they arrive, their fears come to life. The band accidentally activates one of Shredder's killer robots, accidentally splashing a bit of ooze on Mondo in the process. As a result, Mondo fuses with his pet lizard and takes his familiar form. The cartoon introduced the character around the same time, pitching him as a lizard who is exposed to the ooze. He briefly works for the villainous Mr. X, until Michelangelo convinces him to quit. The two narratives are combined in the 2012 cartoon series, where he was given his more leopard gecko-inspired appearance.
As is almost always the cast, the IDW comics have a very different take on this minor TMNT figure. Like in most other iterations, Mondo joins the Mutanimals, an auxiliary team of crime-fighting creatures that operate alongside the Turtles. However, IDW's Mutanimals existed as an army in the style of Magneto's Mutant Brotherhood. Recruited by the vengeful mutant cat Old Hob, this Mondo serves as a stealth agent with his chameleon-like camouflage abilities. He also occasionally flies into a rage while working, leading him to be one of the group's most volatile figures. The morality of the IDW comics is much grayer, leaving this version of Mondo with many more emotional narrative beats. He's still a skater and a hard rock fan, so at least his most central elements remain in place.
How could Mondo Gecko change in Mutant Mayhem?
Mondo Gecko is typically depicted as an ally of the Turtles. He almost always shares a close bond with Michelangelo, swiftly becoming a second party dude for the larger team. Among the list of revealed characters for the upcoming film, Mutant Mayhem seems to have a fairly respectable lineup for the Mutanimals. As the trailer demonstrated, the film won't start with the Turtles acting as superheroes. Instead, the Mutanimals could be depicted as the big superhero team on the block, and the Turtles could be following their example. Or, since Rogen has made it clear that the film will be a springboard for a larger franchise, both teams could become stars.
Mondo Gecko has been making headlines for the first time ever thanks to the actor cast to portray him. Mutant Mayhem has brought in none other than Paul Rudd to portray this radical 90s icon. Rudd is an internet darling at the moment, thanks in large part to his laid-back hilarious public persona. Most people don't leap to praise any particular film of his, but everyone loves his reoccurring pranks on co-stars and Conan O'Brien. Paul Rudd is a fantastic comedic presence, so having him in a TMNT film is an obvious win. Casting him as a character that looks like an advertisement for a radical soda from the 90s is probably the ideal choice.
Mondo Gecko has always been a minor figure in the TMNT franchise. He's one of a million mutated animals who initially opposes the Turtles, only to abandon their previous cause and support them. Mutant Mayhem is set to give the world the full-fledged big-screen Mutanimals that it's always been missing. Mondo Gecko is a great reminder of how easy character creation was back in the 90s. Grab an animal, toss him a skateboard and a fascination with hard rock, and people will still love him enough to cast a movie star to portray him 30 years later.