Magic's TMNT deep cut references the 1996 anime Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend

Magic: The Gathering’s new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cards include a striking variant of the Leonardo, Cutting Edge card that borrows a design from the 1996 direct-to-VHS anime Mutant Turtles: Superman Legend. The artwork shows the katana-wielding leader clutching a large purple crystal, his chest marked with a bold T and a mask that points upward like Wolverine’s.

By 1996 the franchise was struggling: the third film’s weak return stalled a sequel, co-creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird were barely speaking, the 1987 cartoon was winding down, and toy sales had sagged. Playmates Toys partnered with Bee Media and Tsuburaya Productions to produce two half-hour Japanese episodes promoting 1995 toy lines.

The “Supermutants” toys recast the Turtles as taller, anime-like superheroes with pointed masks, T emblems, a more muscular Splinter, and far more menacing enemies.

Japan

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