*You saw the title, right? There's obviously spoilers in here. Leave now if you haven't read it yet or want to avoid spoilers.*

IDW's been doing a terrific job with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise. For over 40 issues, the creative team has made the heroes in a half shell overcome all different kinds of obstacles. They've had injuries and emotional struggles, but in the end, they've always managed to stay together and watch over each other. In the latest issue, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #44, the seemingly impossible happened and the team suffered a major loss.

Seriously, this is your last chance to leave!

Okay, if you're still here, we assume that means you already read it or you simply want to know who died (or is at least veeeeeeery lose to being dead). Unfortunately, Bebop and Rocksteady viciously beat Donatello and then smashed a hammer through his shell. Yup, the two goons may not be smart or skilled, but they're powerhouses.

Basically, the Ninja Turtles and Shredder had a temporary alliance as they brought the fight to General Krang. The alien was going to take over the planet, so stopping him required an elaborate attack. The heroes in a half shell of course had a bigger plan in the works and they wanted to use the Foot simply as a distraction for Krang. They hoped the two villainous sides would take each other out. Two TMNT villains with one stone, right? But seeing as Oroku Saki isn't a fool, he ordered Bebop and Rocksteady to hang back with Donatello. That way, if the Ninja Turtles betrayed him (which they did), Bebop and Rocksteady would attack Donnie. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but we're talking about the fate of the world. Metalhead attempted to save the purple-masked turtle, but the two villains were just too powerful and they mercilessly assaulted Donatello. Here's the final page by Cory Smith and Ronda Pattison.

It's okay if you need a tissue. Obviously, there's a lot to discuss. What does this mean for the team? How could Donnie return? Will Bebop and Rocksteady pay for this? Thankfully, we had the opportunity to send the creative team some questions about the big development and more! We'll probably have that interview posted this weekend, so be sure to check back then.

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