Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #7 (Mirage, 1986)

Representing our earliest-ever offering of a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cover, this electrifying piece is a feast for the eyes, packed with everything a TMNT fan could hope for. Amid the chaos, all four Turtles -- Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Donatello -- battle their way through an all-out brawl, surrounded by Triceratons, Utroms, and soldiers, with a beleaguered Fugitoid desperately caught in the fray. The scene crackles with the high-octane energy that defined the series from the very start. Issue #7 marked a major turning point, introducing full-color interiors for the first time and unveiling a crucial moment in TMNT lore -- the revelation that the mutagenic ooze responsible for their transformation originated from the Utroms, the alien race that would later inspire Krang. What began in 1984 as an indie comic, born from the artistic influences of legends like Jack Kirby and Frank Miller, quickly became a sensation, selling out issue after issue. Soon, licensing deals propelled the Turtles into mainstream stardom, spawning animated series, toys, video games, and blockbuster movies, solidifying their place in pop culture history. If the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have proven anything, it's that they're here to stay -- brilliantly conceived, endlessly adaptable, and beloved across generations for over 40 years.