Technodrome
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The Technodrome is a fictional semi-spherical-tank-like mobile fortress of Krang and The Shredder, the main villains on the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series and the Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics. It does not exist in any other version of the TMNT franchise.
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[edit] History
The Technodrome was designed and built by Drakus, an inhabitant of Dimension X, Krang's home. At some point before the series Krang stole the Technodrome from Drakus and left him for dead. He later transports it to earth and at some point meets Shredder and they begin their partnership.
Although menacing at first glance through the course of the series the Technodrome is almost always stuck somewhere, whether that be in lava, ice, under the ocean or in Dimension X, making its full capabilities never realized. The closest the Technodrome came to show its full capabilities was in the finale of season three (Big Blow Out). In that episode the Technodrome produced cutting equipment from hatches, raised up on hydraulic legs, and expanded the dimensional portal outwards.
The Technodrome is capable of surface, subterranean, or underwater travel. If equipped with an engine powerful enough, it can also journey into outer space. The Technodrome is also equipped with a super portal that can transport the structure through dimensions. Krang utilized this to bring the Technodrome back to Earth, but the Turtles later used this to banish the Technodrome permanently to Dimension X.
In the last episode of the eighth season, "Turtle Trek", the Turtles destroy the Technodrome's engines and trap Krang and Shredder in Dimension X. The Technodrome gets trapped in Dimension X for good, and is sucked into the pit of a Sarlacc, a ferocious tentacled alien animal whose size rivalled the Technodrome itself. This finally renders it inoperable, and it is not seen again for most of the remainder of the series. The Technodrome is seen in the last episode of the series, when Donatello gets Krang's exosuit from it. The Technodrome has been long deserted and abandoned at that point.
[edit] Location
[edit] 1987 TMNT cartoon
- Season 1 (1987)
- The Technodrome is first encountered under New York City. Although it was already known to be there in the pilot episode Turtle Tracks, it was only actually seen later, in Enter the Shredder. In the last episode of the season, Shredder & Splintered, Donatello reverses the Technodrome's dimensional portal, and causes the Technodrome to be sucked into Dimension X.
- Season 2 (1988)
- The Technodrome spends most of the season in Dimension X. In the last episode of the season, Return of the Technodrome, the Technodrome is powered up by diverting power from the power plant at Niagara Falls, and returns to Earth. Krang then burrows underground, under New York City, and uses an earthquake generator to threaten the residents of the city into surrendering. But Donatello reverses the generator, and when Krang activates it again, the Technodrome burrow itself further underground, and goes all the way down to the core of the Earth.
- Season 3 (1989)
- For most of the season, the Technodrome is powerless near the Earth's core. In the third-to-last episode of the season, The Big Rip-Off, Krang and Shredder manage to steal power cells and recharge the Technodrome. Then, in the following episode The Big Break-In, the Technodrome returns to the surface, fully powered up. In the final episode of the season, The Big Blow Out, the Technodrome is on the surface and powered up, and has opened a giant portal to Dimension X in the sky over it. The Turtles manage to trick Krang into positioning the Technodrome over a sewer, where they had setup a missile they borrowed from the US Army. They launch the missile straight up; it picks up the Technodrome and carries it through the sky portal and into Dimension X.
- Season 4 (1990)
- In the first episode of the season, Plan 6 from Outer Space, it is learned that the Technodrome landed on an asteroid in Dimension X. In the episode The Dimension X Story, Krang finds out that the asteroid has a volcano. He comes up with a plan to make the volcano erupt, and harness the energy to return to Earth. But due to the Turtles' interference, the eruption instead causes a flow of lava, which quickly solidifies, causing the Technodrome to become half-buried in solid rock.
- Season 5 (1991)
- The Technodrome begins the season in Dimension X. Early in the season, in the episode My Brother, the Bad Guy, Krang and Shredder finally come up with a plan to get it back to Earth. However, the Turtles intervene, and although they do get to Earth, they end up trapped in the North Pole. It would remain there, trapped in ice, for the rest of the season.
- Season 6 (1992)
- In the first episode of the season, Rock Around the Block, Krang sets up a super-laser to free the Technodrome from its icy prison. This time, the Turtles are powerless to stop him. However, Bebop and Rocksteady's own incompetence causes the plan to fail, as they accidentally hit the super-laser's controls and direct it to melt the ice directly under the Technodrome. As a result, the Technodrome sinks to the bottom of the Arctic Ocean, where it will remain for two seasons.
- Season 7 (1993)
- The Technodrome remains trapped at the bottom of the ocean until the final episode of the season, Shredder Triumphant. Then, Krang steals some Regenerative Power Cells and uses them to re-power the Technodrome, and move it to New York City. But the Turtles get into the Technodrome, and after defeating Shredder, they reprogram the Technodrome's dimensional portal and send the Technodrome to Dimension X.
Image:Technodrome divideandconquer.png
- Season 8 (1994)
- During most of this season, the Technodrome is in Dimension X, while Shredder and Krang are on Earth. They finally make their way back to the Technodrome in the final episode Turtle Trek. The Turtles follow them to Dimension X, where they learn that the Technodrome is on the planet Balaraphon. They go to the planet, defeat Shredder and blow up the Technodrome's main engines, finally disabling it for good. The Technodrome is powerless as it is dragged into the pit of a tentacled monster.
- Season 9 (1995)
- The Technodrome is not seen in this season.
- Season 10 (1996)
- The Turtles travel to the Technodrome once, in the series' finale Divide and Conquer. The Technodrome is abandoned and ruined on the planet Balaraphon, following the events of Turtle Trek.
The European Vacation episodes, which aired from 1992 to 1993, actually take place during season 4, with the Technodrome in Dimension X.
[edit] Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures
Because the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics follow the 1987 TMNT cartoon in the beginning, the Technodrome is located first under New York City, then in Dimension X. Later in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics, Krang re-builds it into a spaceship. When Krang was defeated and sent to Morbus, the Technodrome was never seen again in this version.
[edit] Equipment
- a trans-dimensional portal
- eyeball missile launchers
- 4 trident-shaped laser cannons
- a mounted surveillance eye on the top
- a mouser factory
- training facilities for Shredder's henchmen, Bebop and Rocksteady
- three-foot-thick titanium armour
- huge tank treads
- robot walker legs that can be used instead of tank treads (scene at the end of Season 3)
- large holding cells
- earthquake machine (used during Season 2)
- various drilling mechanisms
[edit] Transport modules
The transport modules are the vehicles used by Krang, Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady to move from the Technodrome to New York when the Technodrome is located on the Earth. Although they are best known in their underground drill form, their physical make-up actually changed as the Technodrome moved.
- Season 1 (1987)
- With the Technodrome located under New York City during season 1, there is no need for independent transport modules. In the episode A Thing About Rats, the Shredder uses a kind of transport elevator which extends, but remains connected to, the Technodrome. This type is also used in the arcade game and the Archie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures comics.
- Season 3 (1989)
- With the Technodrome located in the Earths core during most of season 3, the first of the more famous type of transport moduels are used. It looks similar to a space shuttle without wings and with a drill in the front. Even Bebop and Rocksteady are able to pilot these transport modules.
- Season 5 (1991)
- With the Technodrome located in the North Pole during most of season 5, the transport modules from season 3 are used once again, this time to drill under the North American continent and towards New York City.
- Season 6 & 7 (1992-1993)
- With the Technodrome located under the Arctic Ocean during season 6 and season 7, underwater types of transport modules are used.
[edit] Technodrome in videogames
In most of the TMNT video games, the Technodrome is the final level of the game and that the Turtles must fight their way through the various section of the Technodrome to get to the final boss, alternatively either Shredder or Krang depending on the game.
In the original NES game, the Technodrome itself was a boss character for the next to last level of the game. In order to move to the last level (set inside of the Technodrome), the Turtles must beat the Technodrome, which is portrayed as a huge screen filling boss. Defeating the Technodrome requires the player to destroy the base's outer gun turrets and the giant eye periscope at the top of the Technodrome.
The interior of the Technodrome changes from game to game: in the first Turtles NES game, the inside of the Technodrome was yellow and blue and looked like a war zone. It also included some of the bosses of the earlier levels, who did not belong in the Technodrome. However, in later games the interior of the Technodrome began to match the Technodrome depicted in the cartoon series. It started including the mouser factory, security drones, and more fitting inhabitants, such as Mechaturtle.
[edit] External links
- The 1988 Technodrome playset at the official TMNT website
- 1993 Technodrome Scout Vehicle playset at the official TMNT website
- 1994 Tokka Technodrome playset at the official TMNT website
- 1995 Tokka Technodrome playset at the official TMNT website
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