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The Utroms, also known as the T.C.R.I. Aliens, are the overarching protagonists (alongside Hamato Yoshi) of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series.
They are a race of aliens originated from the Utrom Homeworld on the Theta Galaxy. A group of Utroms, led by Mortu, crashed on Earth a millennium ago when transporting the Utrom criminal Ch'rell back home. Ch'rell took the mantle of the Shredder and founded the Foot Clan, while Mortu and the other Utroms tried to stop him throughout the ages.
History[]
One thousand years ago, an Utrom ship led by Captain Mortu was transporting the dangerous Utrom criminal Ch'rell back home. Unfortunately Ch'rell escaped and sabotaged the ship, causing it to crash on Earth in feudal Japan, before disappearing into the wild.
Unable to repair their ship, Mortu told the Utroms to take advantage of their long lifespans to hide among humanity and wait for their technology to evolve enough so they can go back home. To do so, they developed exo-suits to disguise themselves as humans, but Ch'rell hijacked one and took on the moniker Shredder. To fight against him, the Utroms selected a few humans to be their Guardians, entrusting them with their secrets. Centuries later, Hamato Yoshi became an Guardian and was killed by the Shredder afterwards for refusing to tell him the Utroms' location.
In the present day, the Utroms operate through T.C.R.I. (Techo Cosmic Research Institute), as a means to hide their advanced technology, and also used the mutagen to fuel their Transmat. During one accident, a cylinder of mutagen fell into the sewers and mutated Splinter and the Turtles (it also mutated a crocodile which the Turtles named "Leatherhead" and which they later adopted as one of their own). Eventually, they meet the Utroms, who explain their history to them via the Oracle Pod. The Shredder and the Foot Clan then invade the building and attack the Utroms, but the Turtles manage to rescue and transport them all back home. The Shredder then reveals his true nature before seemingly perished inside the imploding building, while the Turtles and Splinter escape. However, the Shredder is later revealed to be alive and continues to cause troubles for them.
The Utroms later return to rescue the Turtles and Splinter from the Shredder's imploding ship, and nurse them back to health. Right after that, they have a trial against the Shredder—now identified as Ch'rell—and exile him to the icy asteroid Mor Gal Tal, before transporting the Turtles and Splinter back home. In the finale, they also attend Casey Jones and April O'Neil's wedding.
Trivia[]
- In "Secret Origins, Part 3", an Utrom named Krang makes a cameo as a reference to the character in the 1987 series, who was based on the Utroms from the Mirage comics and is often thought to be one. However, the original Krang's traits actually belong to Ch'rell.
