Raphael Hamato (Origins.ROH Canon)

ame: Raphael Hamato
Nicknames: The Hot Head, Psycho. The Turtle with the 'Tude.
Age: 17



Physical Description



Raphael is a large mutated turtle of the Trachemys scripta elegans (a.k.a red ear slider) species . The yellow and red striping that adorned him in normal hatchling form was lost during mutation. Standing at 6'2" andd weighing in at 300 lbs., he is larger than his three brothers. He has reptilian skin, but micro scaled and a lot smoother than his normal chelonian cousins. His skin tone is dark green and riddled with the discoloration of scars of various caliber. The most noticeable is the scar above the right side of his 'beak'. His 'beauty mark' as Mike sometimes call it, much to his distaste. Other note worthy marks is the Kanji tattoo meaning 'family' carved into the skin of his right shoulder. His skin is cool to the touch and usually holds the temperature of his surroundings. Unlike his reptilian cousins, he can thermo regulate to an extent. However, cold weather is not his friend!






Raph adorns a full shell; both plastron and carapace that serve as a natural shield in battle, and his certainly bears the damage to prove it. A noticeable section of the upper rim of his chest scute is broken away in jagged formation, damage sustained during one of his earlier outings above ground. His plastron (front) is beep beige with a yellowish hue, carapace (back) deep brown and usually adorns duct tape (his method for patching up a cracked shell). While his shell does aid him as a shield, it isn't as functional as a normal turtle's shell. He can retract his head in to an extent, however, his arms and legs cannot be tucked inside. It is just fine by him, anyway. Tucking shell and running has never been his thing.




The turtle in red has topaz yellow eyes, and a scowl is usually his default expression. It's not his fault. Those that surround him (most often Leo and Mikey) have a way of keeping it there. Mike often tells him that his face is frozen like that, but he can be caught smiling every now and then.. just don't tell anyone.




Always ready for battle, Raphael is usually adorned in his ninja gear; knee and elbow pads. His palms and wrists are wrapped in dirty off-white twine, his ankles and heels in thicker brown leather material. It helps protect his heels from some of the harsher terrain. It's risky business trudging through the muck of the sewers with completely unprotected feet. His sais are always at the ready, tucked at each 'hip' and held into place by his brown leather belt. Shuriken hidden and wedged between his shell and belt. He adorns a red bandanna that covers the top part of his head, much like a dew rag. He also sports red strips of red material around his left arm and thigh. The material has become worn and ripped over the years, but he refuses to replace it with something more pristine (every rip and tear was well earned, dangit!) It adds to his overall rugged and bad ass appearance.





Raph speaks in a deep gruff voice that holds Brooklyn influence. He can do a pretty good Bat Man voice, too. The strongest of his brothers, Raphael is th muscle of the group. That coupled with his temper and aggression, this is one turtle you don't want to mess with!





(Kanji tattoo meaning 'beast' carved into his right shoulder)



Personality



Raphael is the turtle with the attitude and never ending array of sarcasm. He's extremely hot tempered and has a difficult time controlling himself. It doesn't take much to set him off, and being one of Mikey's prime targets during his prank'apades doesn't help his demeanor. And then there's Leonardo. Yeah. That guy has a knack for pissing him off, too. He has a long standing rivalry with his brother in blue, but when it comes down to it, he has Leo's back. Being the second oldest, Raph sometimes feels that he would be a better leader, but deep down he knows that his rashness would surely land the team in hot water. He has a real problem with authority and following orders. He's the bad boy. The rebel. The pessimist. But these are all traits that make him unique, and the hardest turtle to reach. He's stand offish and a recluse, often needing his personal space. It is essential to his well being-- and that of others. While he may seem to be completely thick skinned, his inner workings are a completely different matter. He feels deeply, even when he seems to shrug things off. Even though he may not always show it, Raph loves his family dearly. He will defend them no matter what, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice. He would die for any one of them.




Raphael battles depression and out of all of his brothers, has the most trouble accepting what he is and how the human world works and thinks. It certainly does something to someone's young psyche to rescue a would-be victim only to have them scream in your face and beat you with a purse for good measure. Though his ego has been bruised more times than he cares to recall, he cannot give up on them---even if his strong opinionated rants would sometimes suggest otherwise. He's met some good people along the way that restored his faith in humans. April and his human counterpart, Casey Jones are his dearest friends.





Family


Raphael has three brothers. Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo. A mutated rat father who is also their Sensei. Master Splinter. Out of his three siblings, Donatello has the most respect for his personal space. Apparently the brainy turtle understands one's need for privacy since he himself likes isolation when working in his lab. Either that, or he's just smart enough to not disturb the hot head. Either way, it works and they seem to have a mutual understanding. Mikey pays him a little too much attention. Raph usually finds himself at the receiving end of his brother's pranks and jokes... probably because his little brother knows that he's sure to get a reaction out of Raph. Never fails. Even with Mike's childishness, Leonardo is the brother that gets underneath his skin the most. Raph feels like his brother in blue is always pushing his buttons. Arguments and fights between them often get nasty. Most often it is a battle of wills between the two. Despite the disagreements, fights and arguments, when all is said and done, Raphael always has his brother's back and supports him when it is needed.




History



Raph has no memory of his early years because being a simple little pet shop turtle will do that for you. 'His baby years', as some would call it. Raphael was one of four baby turtles purchased by a small child who lost his footing and dropped the fish bowl on a storm drain during his short trek out of the store. The four ended up in the bowels of the sewer, and while this would spell bad news for any living creature under normal circumstances, fortune would smile upon the little reptiles. As fate would have it, they came into contact with the contents of a broken container marked T.C.R.I. The glowing green substance was a mutagen that quickly began to change their DNA, mutating them into humanoid turtles. They were not alone. A man by the name of Hamato Yoshi found them while living in the sewers, and saving them from the goo also exposed him. The mutagen altered their DNA. Yoshi was transformed into a mutant rat since he had been exposed to the creatures prior. The four baby turtles began transforming into humanoid form. Yoshi became their teacher. Their protector. Their father.




After the mutagen stabilized, the four turtles began aging as small children, beginning their new life in the toddler stage. This certainly kept their adoptive father busy, and Raph with his trademark temper contributed to the stresses of fatherhood. Though Raphael blames all of their father's gray hair on Mikey. Still, even at a young age, Raphael was a hand full. The older her became the more difficult it was to keep him 'contained'. Whenever opportunity presented itself, the little turtle with the 'tude would sneak out to explore the surrounding drainage pipes, eventually working himself up to the drains. It would be his first taste of the world above, but his first topside escapade did not come until his preteens.




Their training began the moment they were old enough to perform a kata. Splinter trained them in the way of ninjitsu. Because they were different and the world wouldn't be so accepting, the father knew that his sons would need to be able to defend themselves. There would also come a day when they will be faced with his life long enemy, Oroku Saki, and his minions.










Likes:


* His trusty pair of sais --He has the most badass weapons, after all. Even though most would say it is simply matter of opinion, Raph will argue otherwise.



* Cereal --His food of choice. If only he could keep Mikey out of his Fruity Pebbles...



* Duct Tape-- That s**t fixes anything. Works wonders on a cracked shell, and even good for patching up wounds, though Donatello would argue that the adhesive isn't sterilized and could cause all sorts of problems. Whatever. He hasn't died from it.



* Tooth picks-- Raphael has a bad habit of grinding his teeth when frustrated. Dentists for mutant turtles are hard to come by, so the wooden sticks act as a buffer.



* Pizza -- Like his brothers, he's a sucker for a good pie, but he isn't obsessed like his little brother. His toppings of choice; as many bits of animal flesh as you can throw on it.



* Video Games-- the more violent, the better. Though, Pac Man will always be one of his favorites.



* Horror movies-- The Saw trilogy is epic, but he also enjoys the classics.


* Martial Arts Magazines-- and those adult magazines that his father would whack him for-- if he ever found them.


* Busting heads with Casey Jones-- His favorite past time.


* Working out -- Solo is better. Beats time in the dojo with annoying brothers.




Dislikes



* BUGS!! --The reptilian bad ass has a phobia of bugs, mainly cockroaches. A beast in battle, he completely loses it whenever bugs come into the equation. Mikey certainly takes advantage of this.



* Street Scum-- he hates thugs and criminals with a passion.


* Shredder and his Foot followers-- For obvious reasons.


* Mikey's Pranks-- While he loves his little brother, he really wishes the orange clad jokester would pick another target. Leo for example. Yeah, he would be a good choice.


* Mikey with ice cream -- that usually means that Raph will end up a sticky mess, even if he's in another room. It's magic.


* People that call him a freak.


* People who don't appreciate him.


* Leo's lectures-- who needs that drama!


* Splinter's cane-- That thing has busted his noggin more times than he can count.


*Splinter's tail-- worse than his father's trusty cane, it has a better 'reach radius' and can trip you up from seemingly miles away. Okay, a bit of a stretch, but that tail is nothing to play with.


* The Hashi-- Though, the turtle in red has become a pretty good knitter due to his time served.