One of the biggest media franchises of the 1980s was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They had their characters in everything, including toys and comic books. They also had a ten-season animated TV show with a distinctive approach to eschewing violence and presenting the vibrant and jovial qualities of comics.
Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael, four mutant Ninja Turtles who repeatedly saved the world, were the major characters of the series. The series also included a long list of obscure antagonists who wrecked havoc in the metropolis and sought to take control of it.
In today’s video, we will take a closer look at the figure known as “Old Hob,” a mutant cat with one eye that is merciless enough to kill everyone who gets in his way. In terms of the trauma he had to go through before choosing the path of evil, his origin tale was comparable to Magneto’s in the Marvel universe. Because of his leadership abilities, he even established the Mutanimals gang after leading a human street gang. So let us get started right now.
HOB’S ORIGINS
Hob is a mutated humanoid cat who is ambitious and has a personal vendetta against humans. Throughout his life, he had several interactions with humans, and he hates them to the core. Hob’s origin story and the circumstances which led him to take the path of a villain are present in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Villains Micro-Series”, issue 3. Published on 19th June 2013, the comic is written by Jason Cairamella and begins on a rooftop where Hob is speaking to Slash.
He wants Slash to know that humans are not to be trusted, and he has enough experience to hate them. Hob then begins narrating his story from the time when he was a little boy’s pet. He was a normal house cat and is confused with the boy’s name being either Billy or Danny. The little boy was kind to him, and there were many warm spots in the house for him to be comfortable.
Things were pretty much sorted for Hob with food, shelter, and a lot of playtimes, until one day the boy’s mother got so angry at him for not cleaning the cat turd from the kitchen that she kicked Hob out into the cold. The little boy cried in vain as his mom dragged him into the house and shut the door. With no home, Hob kept wandering in the cold alley for food, but all he could get were scraps and leftovers. He even got attacked by a dog for eating the leftovers. Life was tough, and in a few years, he learned how to live on the street.
One day while searching for food in the alleys, Hob noticed a few turtles covered with some shiny green liquid. He attempted to eat one of them, and while the green liquid burnt his mouth, a rat sneaked in and attacked him injuring his right eye. The green liquid and the injury caused enormous pain as Hob slowly passed out. After a while, when he woke up, he had transformed into a huge human-like body.
He came across two men looking for a rat named Splinter, and Hob could now understand their conversation, which he previously couldn’t. The two men were Baxter Stockman, a mad scientist, and his assistant Chet. Hob requested them to recruit him for the task of finding the rat, as he remembered the smell. The next few months, he spends in the Stockgen labs as a lab rat.
They run several tests on Hob, which he dislikes but controls his urge to escape. There he learns about Mutagen and Ooze. One day Hob manages to convince Baxter to let him leave the lab and search for the rat named Splinter, but on the condition that he reports to the lab every day. On the streets, his appearance is frightening and intimidating to humans, and he soon learns that with power comes respect.
He recruits a handful of low-life criminals and forms a gang. Hob and his gang made several attempts to catch Splinter, but with the Ninja Turtles beside him, they always failed. After a final attempt, Baxter decided to get rid of him and shot him on an airstrip. Luckily, Hob survived as he had managed to steal some ooze from the lab during his stay. He had also figured out that there was something special in Splinter’s blood and now wanted to get hold of it and gain control of the city. He finishes his story as Slash says, “No more pain.”
INTERESTING FACTS
Old Hob’s character is highly inspired by Caesar, a mutant Wolverine from Caesar’s Weasels, a scenario published in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Other Strangeness, the Devil and goes along with the character’s ruthlessness.
WHAT MAKES HIM A FORMIDABLE OPPONENT OF THE TURTLES?
Hob is an anthropogenic cat with a charismatic personality. We can surely imagine what a cat bearing a human physique is capable of. Agility with strength is the perfect combination of a fight, and so Hob is dangerous in hand-to-hand combat. However, he lacks the skills to take down an opponent stronger or more skilled than him as he never got any training. What makes him formidable is his mind.
He is extremely capable of planning and executing them. He has the leadership qualities required to lead a group of henchmen. He led a human gang and also a group of mutated animals like him. Hob is dangerous for his conviction and deep-rooted hate for humans. As the line from Kelly Clarkson’s song ‘Stronger’: “Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”, Hob is a strong survivor and seeks revenge. He is also a mutant and becomes a mortal enemy of Splinter after getting his eye injured by him.
CONCLUSION
Unlike other superhero comics, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sought to subdue the violence that is usually present in comics. Their potential targets were kids to whom they also wished to sell their toys. Considering the story scape of the comics, Hob is a dark and violent character.
The character got its inspiration from another dark character named Caesar, and both are extremely vindictive. Hob is a recurring villain of the Ninja Turtles and has encountered them on several occasions. But unlike other villains, Hob’s character holds depth and charisma. Like many other villains, his tragedies made him become a criminal; else, he was almost destined to live as a house cat, loved and cared for.
Hob’s journey in life has been miserable, all thanks to humans, for which he has a grudge against them. This is very similar to Marvel’s Magneto as he, too, transformed into a villain after humans made his life miserable at every point. Such characters gain all the sympathy and are undoubtedly worthy opponents. With this, we conclude our video. Let us know your thoughts about Hob in the comments section.