April O'Neil

Few characters have proven as enduringly essential to their franchise as April O'Neil, who made her debut alongside the Turtles themselves in the legendary Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 back in 1985 — a Bronze Age origin story created by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird that collectors still prize as a key issue. Over nearly four decades, April has kept extraordinary company, sharing adventures with Raphael, Donatello, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Splinter across a remarkable range of titles — from the gritty Mirage originals to crossover territory as unexpected as Detective Comics and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles X Stranger Things. Her presence across 39 years of publishing speaks to something rare: a supporting character who became genuinely indispensable to one of comics' most beloved universes. If you're building out your TMNT collection, April O'Neil is absolutely worth tracking down.