Well, and since the Mutanimals are allies of the turtles, I feel they have much more potential as antagonists (not villains). So I decided to get creative about it and use them as the main antagonists of the Farewell AU.
Who are the Mutanimals?
The Mutanimals are a group of rebel mutants who, fed up with the treatment and their position in the yokai hierarchy, decided to form a movement in the name of all mutants around the world.
Their purpose is to make noise and achieve a revolution. To have yokai recognized as people, and because, according to yokai ideology, mutants have no rights as creations. Mutants have no rights, so yokai can enslave or exploit them without problems, since, due to this technicality, they wouldn't be committing crimes. Thousands of mutants live unjust lives, and Frida and Zlash's purpose is to have mutants recognized as a minority and create a utopia for them. However, they don't just seek justice; they will do so using highly questionable methods.
This group accepts anyone who shares their cause, be they yokai, human, or mutant. Although their intentions are good, their methods are unorthodox, and they will eliminate anyone who stands in their way.
Alopex:
She is a New York woman who worked as a barmaid. She used her beauty to get more money from customers with generous tips or by having them buy her dinner. Because of her job, and as a precaution against certain customers who harassed her, she took Tae-kwon-do classes. After the events of the film, she was bitten by a Ooezquito, transforming her into a fennec fox.
This mutation gave her more superhuman abilities, common among yokai, and she ended up in the hidden city. Unfortunately, she was found by Big Mama's lackeys and ended up in the battle Nexus, where she was saved by Zlash and taken to his secret base, where after showing her idealisms, Alopex accepted.
Koya:
She was the second to join the group. Koya is of Japanese origin and used to be a professional assassin for a powerful yakuza. During a mission, unaware of the existence of yokai, she was captured by an alchemist, who tested the mutagen he had made, and successfully mutated her.
She ended up as this alchemist's slave in the hidden city of Kyoto. There, she was intercepted by Zlash and Frida, who recruited her into their group. She accepted after learning what it meant to be a mutant.
Tigerclaw:
He was the first to be recruited by Zlash and Frida. His real name is Takeshi, and he is of Japanese origin. He used to be an ordinary Bengal tiger, and he was also the victim of another alchemist. This alchemist mutated him and turned him into his "personal bodyguard." Takeshi was the victim of multiple attacks, aware that as a mutant, he could do nothing, since he had no rights.
Frida was the one who found him and saved him from himself and the alchemist. She opened his eyes and convinced him that he shouldn't be a slave simply for being a mutant. Takeshi murdered his "master" and fled with Frida. Because of this profound epiphany, Takeshi made a vow of loyalty to Frida: wherever she goes, he will go and support her. He is secretly in love with her. His teammates affectionately nicknamed him "tigerclaw," and he decided to use that nickname.
LeatherHead:
He used to be human, a street mercenary. After being mutated by a oozequito, he was thrown into the Nexus battle, and spent a good while there, fighting for entertainment. At first, he didn't complain, as he enjoyed smashing things, but he grew tired of being forced to do it. Zlash rescued him and recruited him for the Mutanimals. Leatherhead is now part of the team, proud of the cause. He speaks in the third person, and despite being very strong and dangerous in battle, he has little strategy and does not think or listen when he is really angry. Even so, he remains a dangerous and difficult opponent to beat in a fair fight.
Mondo geko:
He's the newest member of the team. He used to be a juvenile delinquent and street rebel in New York City; he was a pickpocket and, with some of his friends, stole valuables like TVs, cell phones, backpacks, and so on. He was bitten by a Ooezquito and mutated into a gecko. Luckily, he was found by Koya, who offered him a place among the Mutanimals, explaining who they were and everything about yokai. Mondo accepted because, in a way, he liked his mutation, and besides, he thought the cause was noble.
He has a cheeky, laid-back, and fun attitude. After all, he's the youngest in the group. It's a reflection of what Cassandra was like with the Foot Clan, only the Mutanimals don't humiliate or harass belittle him; they just underestimate him a little for being new.
(In this storyline, he's the most likely to rebel and join the Turtles.)
Zlash:
Zlash was the victim of a powerful sorcerer who, seeing him abandoned after the Draxum incident with Lou Jistu and knowing he was a discarded Draxum mutation, took him under his control and used him as a personal lackey, cleaning, organizing, and performing heavy labor. Zlash secretly learned to use rune magic to rebel, but his power is unstable, and he must constantly use magic to prevent his body from being consumed (similar to what happened to Future Mikey when he opened the portal to the past for Casey in the apocalyptic future).
He's the co-leader, who works closely with the rest of the team and joins the missions.
Frida:
Frida was also abandoned by Draxum in his laboratory after the fight with Lou Jistu. After being found by Big Mama, who knew she was a mutant, she didn't hesitate to take her under her control and enslave her. She controlled her with a mystical device, but after Shredder's incident, Frida managed to break free and escape, abandoning Big Mama and swearing revenge against her.
She formed the rebellion alongside Zlash after they met. She is the official leader of the Mutanimals and the mastermind behind it all. She has a way of achieving equality for mutants and bringing about a great revolution, but it's not very pleasant. While Zlash is more visible and fights alongside his team, she prefers to keep her distance and operate from the shadows. Furthermore, she is the most powerful of the Mutanimals, not only because of her knowledge of mysticism but also because of her ninpo.
