WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #119 by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Sophie Campbell, Nelson Daniel, Ronda Pattison, Bobby Curnow, and Shawn Lee, on sale now.
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have just overcome the longest and deadliest era in their history, and it couldn't have come at a better time. Mutant Town's first elections are just around the corner, and there are plenty who would rather see it crumble than flourish. Unfortunately, a rally leading up to the elections leads to a situation the Turtles have attempted to avoid for years: an all-out war with the Mutanimals.
The rally that the Turtles have been preparing for has finally come, and although the mood is hopeful, there is too much at stake for the heroes to not be on high alert. At the rally there are hundreds of mutants who have gathered together to let their voices be heard, with Sally Pride leading the pack with her charismatic calls for justice and freedom. Sally has both seen and been on the receiving end of Old Hob and his Mutanimal's terror. Even though she once counted herself among their members, she can no longer abide them even occupying the same space as her and the people she cares about. As it turns out, the Mutanimals have heard Sally's concerns loud and clear, and they've just offered their rebuttal with a hail of bullets.
Despite multiple Turtles and even Oroku Saki himself bounding across the rooftops to bring down snipers before they can open fire, there aren't enough of them to stop the bullets from flying. While Michelangelo works to get the innocent bystanders to safety, the Mutanimal enforcers on the ground close in.
The chaos spills over in seconds, and the Turtles don't see any way out besides retreating. However, they've trained their students too well for them to stand down in the face of those who would bring Mutant Town to its knees. To Leonardo's surprise, the mutants that have been studying under his tutelage stand firm against Old Hob's Mutanimals, fully prepared to defend their home.
This fight has been a long time coming, and it is sure to be the most important one that has ever been fought in Mutant Town. Not only is the reputation of their home at stake, but the mutant's fighting alongside the Turtles are also battling for freedom from the violent criminals that have plagued their streets for far too long.
Depending which way this battle breaks, the more peaceful residents of Mutant Town might not even need to wait for election day to be rid of the Mutanimals once and for all.