In one world, four turtle brothers fight the evil Shredder, and his minions, the Foot Clan for control over an interdimensional gateway called the Nexus. In the ensuing clash with their Arch-Enemy, the four are dragged through one of the portals and end up in a world caught in a 100-year war, where they meet up with the young Avatar, Aang, as well as his companions Katara, Sokka, Toph, Appa and Momo. After realizing they can't go back without finding another Nexus point and a short encounter with Azula, the two groups agree to travel together, and help each other in their respective quests.
Worlds Collide
is another crossover by Iron117Prime, meshing the worlds of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) and Avatar: The Last Airbender together, that first released in February 2016, and concluded May 2018 with 35 chapters. Has a sequel titled Worlds Collide: The Ninja Tribunal Saga, which adapts the Lost Season of Ninja Turtles that began February 2020, and concluded September of that same year with 16 chapters.
WARNING: Spoilers for the first story have been left unmarked for the second.
Worlds Collide provides examples of:
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Worlds Collide
- Adaptation Expansion:
- Hama isn't a one-off villain here. Instead, she gets recruited as one of Shredder's elites.
- The Gaang hear the full story of how Zuko got his scar in this story. Shocking and horrifying them in a way to understand Zuko even better than before.
- Alternate Universe Fic: By virtue of several canon deviations (most notably the death of Fire Lord Ozai and the takeover of the Foot Clan), the fic becomes this to both the original 2003 TMNT series and the original ATLA show.
- Author Appeal: The author included "The Dark Turtles" as they where his favorite villains from the 2003 series.
- Big Brother Instinct: Raph to Toph, being full of praise for her badassery, gets extra angry if anyone successfully harms her.
- Birds of a Feather: The Gaang gels together well with their corresponding turtle counterpart.
- Sokka & Don: The Smart Guy
- Aang & Leo: The Leader
- Toph & Raphael: Boisterous Bruiser
- Katara & Mikey: The Heart
- Zuko also finds himself bonding with Karai. Iroh notices that both are committed to following their fathers out of a misplaced sense of loyalty, only to realize both lack honor.
- Raph and Toph immediately hit it off, owing to a shared love of violence.
- Bloodier and Gorier: While both series don't shy away from violence, this fic has several graphic descriptions of injury. Like when Long Feng and the Dai Li are killed by Shredder's forces, not to mention Aang's battle with Shredder under Ba Sing Se and the death of Ozai.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: The Gaang start using the Turtles' liberal use of 'Shell.'
- Call-Forward: When talking about the dangers of different elements, Leonardo brings up air being sucked out of someone's lungs to suffocate them.
- Composite Character: Hama. While she appears as she was at first, joining the Shredder gives her elements of Baxter Stockman's most famous storyline from this continuity: Insane in the Membrane.
- Crossover Villain-in-Chief: The Shredder establishes himself as the greater threat, first by seizing Azula and her allies, then by exterminating the Dai Li and then killing Ozai and the Fire Nation air force on the Day of the Black Sun. Even Azula is terrified of him.
- Crush the Keepsake: Kya's betrothal necklace, one of the last physical reminders of her, is knocked from Katara during the final battle, and Shredder happily crushes it underfoot.
- Death by Adaptation:
- Long Feng and the Dai Li in the main show were spared due to Azula's desire to use the latter in the takeover of Ba Sing Se, but here they are massacred by the Foot because Shredder doesn't want to take the risk of them trying to rule the Foot clan behind his back as they did with the Earth King.
- Fire Lord Ozai, who lived to be de-powered, dethroned, and imprisoned in the main show, is killed before even getting to face Aang and the turtles due to being both literally and figuratively stabbed in the back by Shredder.
- Hama, who was last seen arrested in canon, gets killed off by The Shredder when he tries to kill Katara, Sokka, and Suki with the Sword of Tengu, with her already decomposing clone body getting vaporized by its energies.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: Combustion Man doesn't even get to fight the Gaang. Instead, the dark turtles kill him so as not to interfere in Shredder's long-term plan to overthrow the Fire Nation.
- The Dreaded: The Shredder has this status in the eyes of the turtles, and after facing him for the first time, the Gaang come to fear him as well.
- Enemy Mine: Azula still isn't fully... good by the end of the story. But once she learns the truth of what happened to Ozai, she temporarily joins with them to protect the world and stop Shredder.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Despite following her father faithfully, Karai is shown to have far more scruples compared to anyone else in the Foot Clan, which eventually causes her to perform a Heel Face Trun alongside Zuko
- Though Karai acknowledges the threat Aang poses to the Foot due to his status as the Avatar, she clearly has reservations about using lethal force against him because he is still a twelve-year-old boy.
- She makes it apparent that she does not approve of the hundred-year war and how much misery it has brought upon the world. Her revulsion only increases when she learns of the sort of travesties resulting from the war, such as Iroh losing his son during the siege of Ba Sing Se and becoming disillusioned with the Fire Nation's cause. The final nail in the coffin for Karai ends up being her discovery of the genocide of the Air Nomads committed by Fire Lord Sozin in hopes to stop the next Avatar from impeding his global conquest.
- Foil: Each of the Turtles have a kind of foil to one member of the Gaang.
- Raphael and Toph Beifong: The Big Guy and Boisterous Bruiser of the groups, they both love to scrap, and are proud of their fighting prowess. But thanks to having 3 brothers and a dad who understood him, Raph is a bit more emotionally healthy, and while still a bit of a grumbler, is able to address some of Toph's deeper issues in his own way.
- Michelangelo and Katara: While Mikey is the silly one compared with the more driven Katara, Michelangelo also believes in nuturing and protecting others just as much as she does. As such, while he may not have the same kind of discipline as Katara, he's more than willing to be there for her when she's feeling down or needs an accomplice on a secret mission.
- Donatello and Sokka: The Smart Guy of the groups. While Sokka is much more Mikey in disposition due to his funny attitude, his analytical mind makes him much closer to Don in application. As such, when he starts grumbling about losing his leadership position to Leo, Don is quick to direct him to new ways to use his mind. Helping to give his smarts a place to go.
- Leonardo and Aang: The spiritual centers of the groups. Both carry guilt and frustration at mistakes made, though cover it up in different ways. (Leo with stoicism, Aang with playfulness) While Aang is mentally younger than everyone, he gets his responsibility for the world. Leo is technically the "oldest sibling" of the turtles, and as such is the leader who tries to direct everyone while still allowing their own strengths to shine. In a way, Leo is the kind of spiritual leader that Aang is destined to grow into with all the lessons and help he's getting.
- Heel–Face Turn: Shredder turns into a catalyst for several Fire Nation characters to have this happen. Zuko, Karai, Mai, and Ty Lee all eventually defect and join the team in traveling to stop Shredder.
- Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: Katara's mistrust of Zuko and Karai during the "Zuko bonding arc" pushes her deeper and deeper into a place of darkness for several chapters. Not helped by the Foot mystics also leaning on her. Thankfully, before she can fully jump off, she gets a wake up call after purposefully hurting Leonardo.
- Kirk Summation: The turtles and Aang give this to Hama as they fight. Saying she's become no different than the benders who oppressed her.
- Recurring Element:
- We're introduced a hard-to-beat villainess in canon (Azula) being swiftly defeated by the newer heroes from another world. She would later turn good by the Ninja Tribunal Saga.
- Karai is a Noble Demon in the major villain's ranks who promptly switches sides midway through the story; something she took until the finale movie of the 2003 continuity to do so.
- The first confrontation between the older heroes and the newly-arrived villain ends in a Curb-Stomp Battle in the villains' favor. In a Mortal Kombat - esque beatdown, the Shredder promptly takes down Aang in a full-blown swoop. His friends intervene only to get defeated very swiftly.
- One major villain usurps the minor villain in the story which ends in their death. Here it's The Shredder killing Fire Lord Ozai.
- Even the major tactic of distracting the heroes by using some form of "bait" in order to swiftly capture their main objective is put on display. The Foot Clan utilizes a distraction operation called "Operation Dragon Slayer" to usurp control of the Fire Nation.
- Running Gag: All those who meet the Foot Elite comment on their nice hats.
- Seen It All: Iroh is incredibly nonchalant upon first laying eyes on the turtles and Splinter. He claims that at his age nothing surprises him anymore.
- Ship Tease: Mikey and Ty Lee have some pseudo flirtatious banter throughout their encounters and at the end of the story, she gives him a kiss before saying goodbye.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: While down in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, the foot and the Fire Nation have the heroes cornered and Azula is about to go into a speech about how the fire nation will be victorious but Mikey stops her, claiming that he's heard just about every villain monologue there is and doesn't want her to embarrass herself. She reacts about as well as you'd expect her to.
- The Stations of the Canon: Since the Turtles lack the greater powers or influence to fully change everything, the broader context of the story is mostly unchanged. That being said, the fine details morph and shift in part thanks to the more brutal tactics of The Shredder.
- Wouldn't Hurt a Child: The main reason Karai feels uncomfortable with the thought of dealing with Aang and his allies is not so much out of fear of Aang's power as the Avatar as it is over the thought of using lethal force against children. Her father, on the other hand, has no such qualms...
The Ninja Tribunal Saga
- Adaptational Heroism: Downplayed with Azula, who is one of the Tribunals Acolytes, and is at least willing to work with the Turtles and the Gaang, wanting to stop the Tengu Shredder. Gets played straighter as the story goes on, pulling a full-on Heel–Face Turn and reconciling with her brother.
- Adaptational Relationship Overhaul: Chaplin genuinely admired Baxter Stockman throughout the main series run. Here, his Heel–Face Turn alongside Karai's noticeably sours his opinion of the man, recognising him for the villain that he is. When the two are forced to work side by side, he is cold towards his old mentor rather than exicted.
- Adapted Out: The human acolytes are removed from the story in favor of the Gaang and Azula.
- Animal Motifs: Team Avatar and Azula's... avatars each takes the form of an animal.
- Katara: A Hawk which is an animal often associated with love, hope and compassion.
- Toph: A Bear, due to her strength.
- Sokka: A Wolf, symbolizing his loyalty.
- Zuko: A Lion, as a symbol of nobility, honor and courage.
- Azula: A Phoenix. Symbolizing destruction with her self-destructive ways, but also rebirth with her rebuilding herself and turning into a better person.
- Boomerang Bigot: Azula accuses Hun of this in Nightmares Recycled when it's revealed that he and the Garbageman were siamese twins, and were separated at an actual freak show. She points out that he calls every one of them 'freaks' despite being born one himself.
- Call-Forward: While watching Hockey, Casey and Raphael indirectly give the inspiration for pro-bending.
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Like the turtles, Team Avatar glow when channeling the powers of their avatars and mystic powers.
- Aang: White and blue.
- Katara: Navy blue.
- Sokka: Silvery white.
- Toph: Vibrant green.
- Zuko: Vibrant red.
- Azula: Azure blue.
- Enemy Mine:
- Azula agrees to the a long term alliance with the Turtles and Team Avatar under the Ninja Tribunals instruction, recognising the danger the Tengu Shredder could pose to everyone.
- When captured by the Garbageman, the turtles and co reluctantly join forces with Hun to escape and foil his plan, with both sides making it clear they hate one another.
- Everyone Has Standards: Azula has a rather strained relationship with her brother, but she is appalled that Hun willingly lets the Garbageman (his twin brother) fall into a vat of acid. It's also a sign that she's beginning to shed the toxic mentality her father left her.
- Fish out of Temporal Water: Downplayed. Despite coming from a society at least 200 years behind technologically, the Avatar world's people don't appear that disoriented by being in New York.
- Mythical Motifs:
- The Ninja Tribunal are associated with dragons, having dragon statues and their avatar forms let them transform into dragons.
- As per canon, the Turtle's have dragon avatars.
- Azula's avatar is that of a phoenix.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Invoked and discussed by Azula, who points out to the heroes that even if she did betray them, there's no tangible benefit for her beyond revenge for revenge's sake and it would leave her stranded in unknown territory.
- This is also her reason for agreeing to the Tribunals training and working alongside her enemies, since the Tengu Shredder threatens everyone, including her.
- Sequel Hook: With their original mission complete, Zuko commits to Azula that they're going to find their mother and show that she's not a monster anymore. And further, Aang offers her a place in the Gaang, since she's shown that she can be good, especially with Zuko busy being a leader now.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Aang repeatedly calls out the Tribunal for their questionable methods, especially the fact that they stood by and did nothing when the Air Nomads were wiped out, and while the 100-year war raged on. For their part, they are unapologetic.
