Leatherhead (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Leatherhead is a fictional characters in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. He is a mutated alligator (In the 2003 cartoon he is a crocodile). He appears in all TMNT versions except for the movies and live action series. In the Archie TMNT Adventures, the Shredder lures Leatherhead to work with him until Leatherhead find out that the Shredder is a bad guy.

Comics

In the original comics, he is neutral with the Turtles. He starts as an animal mutated by mutagen in all versions expect from the Archie TMNT Adventures Comics, where he starts as a poor human named Jess Harley who lived in the swamps, and became transformed when the "witch" Mary Bones used the Turnstone. Leatherhead later becomes a wrestling hero at the Stump Asteroid and later a member of the Mighty Mutanimals. He and the other members of that group were killed before the end of the archie comics run with the Turtles characters.

1987 Cartoon

In the 1987 series, he is an enemy of the Turtles and was voiced by Jim Cummings. In one episode called "Night of the Rouges," Shredder hired him, Rat King, Slash, Tempestra, Anthrax, Scumbug, and Chrome Dome to help him and Krang destroy the Turtles.

2003 Cartoon

In the 2003 series he shown as a friend of the Turtles.

Leatherhead was originally an exotic pet who got flushed down to the sewer, somehow ending up in an Utrom base. After being exposed to the same mutagen that affected the turtles, Leatherhead became a massive, humanoid croc. With intelligence mirroring that of Donatello's, he was left behind when the Utroms fled Earth. Accidentally befriending Baxter Stockman, he helped him create a new body while working on a transmat device.

By accident, Leatherhead met and befriended Michelangelo, who found him living in the Turtles' old lair. After a battle between the Turtles and Stockman, Leatherhead learned Stockman's true nature and attacked him. The resulting battle caused a cave-in, and Leatherhead seemingly gave his life for his friends.

Leatherhead later reappeared, in the lab of Agent Bishop after the Turtles had been captured by him. After being freed, he helped his old friends escape, and for a time lived in the Turtles' lair. However, Leatherhead's animal rages, already dangerous, were made more so by Bishop's experimentation. While asleep, Leatherhead stuck Michelangelo, and woke up to believe that he had killed his friend.

Leaving the Turtles in a suicidal mood, Leatherhead found himself hunted by an extreme game hunter through the sewers. Luckily, he was saved by his friends, and they sent the hunter packing. Leaterhead chose to live away from his friends, living in a nearby chamber so he would always be nearby, but still able to ensure their safety.

Leatherhead appeared several more times to help the Turtles, primarily in their battles with the Foot and Agent Bishop. He even joined them in attacking the Shredder's secret launch pad, and attacked his family's enemy with unmatched fury. However, the Shredder's minion Hun got in the way, and the two fell into the silo. It is unknown if Leatherhead survived. But since Hun appeared afterwards, it is likely that he did.