Another day, another NECA TMNT custom. Today, we got a real simple build, the demented mutant turtle from Dimension X, Slash!

Slash is a character with an odd history. He first appeared in the toyline, NOT the cartoon or the original Mirage comics. His bio described him as a preexisting mutant turtle from Dimension X, a villain hired by Krang to take out the TMNT. He was obviously intended as a dark mirror image of the Turtles themselves. When he was adapted into the cartoon, they altered his origin (Earth turtle, mutated in Dimension X by Bebop and Rocksteady, violent and unstable, went after the TMNT simply 'cuz they were in his way, hated Krang and Shredder just as much) and changed his appearance significantly (though not DRASTICALLY, he still had similarities). THEN he appeared in the Archie comic series, originally based on but divergent from the cartoon, and THERE he had the same appearance as the toy, and he was equally violent and unstable, starting out as an opponent, but ultimately becoming a HEROIC character and ally of the TMNT. Subsequent incarnations have maintained this characterization.

Like a lot of characters adapted into the show, Slash was Flanderized into a one-dimensional powerhouse moron. Leatherhead, Casey Jones, Rat King, all super-strong and semi-stupid to varying degrees, but Slash definitely got the worst of it, as possibly the strongest and EASILY the dumbest of the bunch. *LOL*

As for the figure, Slash was a cakewalk. Just a NECA Raphael with some minor sculpting and paint mods. Armor plates, spikes, finger and toe nails, teeth, chin, warts, a goofy headband and belt buckle, and a modified shell. Honestly, the hardest part was paint-matching the skin color of the original figure. The swords came from the NECA Mirage Comics Foot Clan box set, and his palm tree "binky" was entirely sculpted from Loctite.

I planned this figure years ago, but I only started working on him this fall, after NECA's cartoon Slash was already shown at conventions and trade shows. Unlike my custom Leatherhead (which is intentionally not 100% cartoon accurate, and thus doesn't look like the NECA Leatherhead figure), Slash here is pretty much a perfect representation of the on-screen model, and while NECA's offering is slightly different (theirs has an open mouth and hi-tech accessories from his second episode when he was brain-boosted to genius levels by aliens . . . '80s cartoons, man!), I feel no need to replace him with the official release (though, seeing as he's going to be packed with Leatherhead, and I AM buying him . . . might just end up keeping both anyway). Regardless, I think he's a flawless addition to my collection!

TURTLE POWER!!