Utrom

The Utrom are small and light sapient organisms that were responsible for the creation of the mutagen that created the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other mutants.

Biology
Members of this species are hairless and generally pink, although they can also be found in yellow, orange, purple, and red hues. Strangely, they resemble a Human brain. They have eyes, a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth, and a number of tentacles to move upon and manipulate with, although they lack any noticeable nose.

Over the many years of their technological civilization, the Utroms have grown to dislike walking and now prefer to utilize Human-shaped exosuits or hover pads to move. It is unknown why they would utilize a humanoid exosuit unless this is only used around humanoids, or perhaps they see the Human form as a perfect adaptation. Given their effective lack of appendages, much less opposable digits, it is unknown how the species became so technologically advanced.

Unless injured or diseased, Utroms have long lifespans, lasting into the centuries or even millennia in accordance to Earth years.

Culture and society
Generally speaking, Utroms are extremely peaceful and follow the belief in non-interference. However, the villainous alien Krang is sometimes depicted as a member of this species.

In the Mirage Comics, the Utrom are reclusive by galactic standards. Their combination of pacifism and devotion to scientific research has kept them out of the mainstream of civilization. They have explored and colonized over a large volume of space, but always abandon their possessions rather than risk exposure to more aggressive races. Even in situations in which conflict is unavoidable, their weapons are designed solely to stun, not kill. Within the last hundred years or so they’ve been pressured by the expanding Triceraton Empire, and have retreated from many of their colonies and outposts.

History
1000 years ago, an Utrom spacecraft transporting the dangerous criminal Ch'rell passed through the Sol System, where Ch'rell escaped and sabotaged the spacecraft, causing it to crashland on the Earth. Landing in 11th century feudal Japan, the spacecraft was irreparably damaged and Ch'rell escaped in the confusion caused by the wreck.

A group of Utroms were stranded on the planet Earth caused by the sabotage of Ch'rell. These Utroms then decided to disguise themselves as Humans utilizing Human-shaped exosuits and wait for mankind to develop technology that they could utilize to return home, only revealing themselves to a select few Humans who they called their guardians. Unfortunately, one of these suits was stolen by Ch'rell, which he used to disguise himself as the Shredder. Centuries later, Hamato Yoshi would become a guardian, and Shredder had him killed in order to try and locate the other Utroms, leading to the accidental creation of Splinter and the Turtles.

These other Utroms then interacted with Humans through a front-company known as TCRI. They were most notable as being those responsible for creating and subsequently losing the canister of retromutagen ooze that transformed not only Splinter but the Ninja Turtles as well. While stranded, these Utroms contacted their homeworld and were ordered to remain and observe humanity. Eventually, however, they were forced to leave Earth by teleporting to another world. Later on they opened official relations with Humans and other alien races.

While the official business of TCRI is not directly known, the Utrom under TCRI are known to use it as a front to hide their advanced technology, such as the Transmat and the Oracle Pod. In fact, the retromutagen ooze was intended to be fuel for the transmat.

The Utrom later would serve to help the Turtles with the Shredder. Thirty seconds before his spacecraft exploded, it was placed into a stasis field and used the Transmat to teleport everyone out of it. Now upon the Utrom Homeworld, Shredder stood trial and was sent to the icy asteroid prison, Mor Tal, for his crimes.

A dystopian future showed that Ch'rell's soldiers were brainwashed as well as being apparently-undead zombie Utroms. Some of these were fitted into giant, winged, mecha-like exo-suits, which were known as Utrominators. However, in the correct future the Utrom instead serve as a middle class alongside Humans, having joined the Pan Galactic Alliance.