Origin
According to the initial creators (Kevin Eastman), they had intended for Casey to have become a vigilante because he watched too many bad cop shows (like Peter Laird used to) as implied by the character’s first appearance in Raphael #1 (1985), as opposed to the more overused storyline where the hero does so after seeing his family killed in front of him.
It should be noted that his origin was semi-retconned when writer Tristan Huw Jones imported his 2003 TV series back-story, in Tales issue #56.
Casey Jones was born and raised in New York City in a neighborhood overwhelmed with criminals and thugs. One day, the Purple Dragon gang burned his father’s auto shop down, killing his father and taking his mother and sister hostage. When Casey tried to attack the gang’s leader Hun he was badly beaten, resulting in several mental and emotional disorders.
Creation
Kevin Eastman stated in an interview in May of 2009 of the main idea behind creating Casey Jones.
“I had this idea; it was kind of a parody of all these vigilante characters that were in comics. You have the classics like Batman and Daredevil and all these characters where something tragic happened in their past that helped them choose the path to go out and fight crime on their own, and I thought it was really funny if we had a character who was inspired to do the same, but just from watching too much bad TV, like “TJ Hooker” and “A-Team” and all that stuff. So I came up with the idea of this character who would be called Casey Jones and he would have two bats as his main weapon, and he would wear a hockey mask and sweats â just something he cobbled together. And at the last minute, Pete said, “Well why donât you give him a golf bag and heâll have all kinds of weapons in it?” And Iâm like, “Dude, thatâs it!” But thatâs the kind of collaboration we had; it was always that kind of spontaneity, and how so many of the characters came together. But Casey and Raphael â theyâre fun. And theyâre a little retarded like me [laughs].”
History
Mirage Comics
His mind warped by violent cop shows, Casey Jones decided to combat the threatening thugs in the city. His first meeting with the Ninja Turtles is when Raphael stopped him from beating up a pair of muggers.
The two came to blows in their initial meeting, which came to a peace shortly after. It’s not until later when Casey comes to assist the Ninja Turtles along with Splinter and April O’Neil when the resurrected Shredder attacks them at April’s home. Casey Jones escapes with his allies after the battle and takes them to his grandmother’s old farmhouse in Northampton, Massachusetts. At this time Casey “officially” joins the Turtle family. Early on Mr. Jones is depicted as an extremely violent character, his first appearance in Raphael #1, Casey is mercilessly beating on two thugs and almost kills them, but Raph comes by and stops him. However, Casey does cool off of his overly violent tendencies throughout the course of his mythos; although he does accidentally kill a teenager who tries mugging him in the “Shades of Gray” story line. The assault led him into a downward drunken spiral, damaging the relationship he had with April.
During the story line City at War, Casey decides to leave the farmhouse planning to look for April, who had previously left. Instead of locating April, he meets a woman named Gabrielle, who is pregnant at the time. Gabrielle and Casey fall in love and get married, but tragically the new bride has complications and dies during child birth, leaving Casey to take care of her daughter, which he names her, Shadow.
After Casey spreads the ashes of Gabrielle, he takes Shadow back to New York to stay with his mother. In a serendipitous meeting, Casey Jones is reunited with April, who is there to buy the apartment building from Casey’s mother. We also find out Casey’s first name is Arnold in the ordeal. At this time Casey begins to repair his damaged relationship with April, and the two begin dating. Later the two eventually get married and the couple adopt and raise Shadow, along with trying to have a child of their own.
Other Versions
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures
Although Casey Jones is mentioned several times in the Archie Comics version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, he never makes an appearance.
Archie Adventure Series
Casey never made an appearance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures, though he does appear in the Archie comics adaptations of the first and third live action movie. Additionally, Peter Laird made a cover for TMNTA that was a direct tribute to Casey’s first appearance in Raphael Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle #1; with the character Chameleon replacing Casey on the cover.
IDW
IDW relaunched the series with Kevin Eastman writing the stories. Here in this continuity, Casey’s full name is ‘Casey Arnold Jones.’ His father, Arnie, was once a professional Goalie until his wife contracted cancer, in which this time everything went downhill afterwards. Arnie relied on alcohol to cope with his loss, while Casey flourished in High School hockey with a epic slap-shot. In her last breath, Casey’s mother made him promise to take care of his father despite his repeated maltreatment. Later on throughout his high school hockey career, he received a scholarship for D1 hockey in New York Tech. Unfortunately, his grades were not up to it and was put on academic probation; he needed to pull his grades up to keep the scholarship and pay rent. During his free time, he is depicted to wear his father’s hockey mask and arms himself with an array or hockey sticks, golf clubs, baseball and/or cricket bats and goes out every night to beat crooks as a way to vent his frustrations with college hockey, academics and father issues.
One night while fighting crimes, Casey Jones was found outnumbered and was then violently beaten until Raphael, a street-level vigilante at the time, came to save his life. The two quickly became good friends and fought alongside each other until Raph was reunited with his family, who were apparently searching for Raphael during his solo adventures. At that point, Casey was introduced to and befriended the other three turtles, along with Master Splinter and April O’Neil as well.
One night after checking on his father at a local bar with Raphael, the two went off to search the city for crime, but a large group of Foot Ninjas finds them first. Greatly outnumbered, Casey is swiftly dropped with a hit to the back of the neck and Raphael is subdued shortly after. The Turtle is able to escape their captivity, but Casey is left behind. Raphael overheard where they were taking his friend, so the Turtles and Splinter went off in an attempt to save him.
Unfortunately, Shredder knew they would arrive and this was all part of his greater plan. The villain than stabbed Casey in the torso and the groups began to fight. The team was eventually able to bring a severely injured Casey back to their van, but Leo was captured in the melee. His wound was critical, but he was to the hospital, where he was saved.
Other Media
Television
Animated
Teenage Mutants Ninja Turtles 1987 animated series
Like all psychos, Casey Jones, the masked sportsman, wanted to be a legend. Armed with broken bats, shattered dreams and one golf club, Casey turned his ambition toward crime-fighting. Modeling himself after his favorite vigilante cops show, Casey decided to take the law into his own mitts. Outfitted with cast-off sports gear, Casey challenges every criminal who dares to go out of bounds. This bat bearing vigilante fights to rid the world of all bad sports, including those who would dare steal base. Casey’s got a score to settle against all lawless losers-form litterbugs to madmen bent on world domination. Teaming up with our beloved Turtles Teens, Casey strikes with a special vengeance against Shredder and the Foot Clan!
Throughout the series Casey never takes off his mask, even when going undercover in a business suit in episode Corporate Raiders from Dimension X, nor has a relationship with April. The two didn’t meet until season 5’s Leonardo Cuts Loose. They team-up with each other in Season 7’s Night of the Rogues and in season 8’s Cyber-Turtles.
Casey is a skilled and strong crime fighter, in his first appearance in episode Casey Jones – Outlaw Hero, he beats up 5 criminals in one night. When three men try to rob a sports store, Casey throws weight lifting stacks from a lat pull down at them, a barbell at one that throws him to the ground, skiing poles at another which pins him to the wall, and throws the other into the air with just one hand into a basketball net. Casey is strong enough to pick up a refrigerator, a vending machine and smashes through a wooden door.
He is, however, one of the few interpretations of the character to wield actual weapons such as a Sledgehammer. In his final appearance for the series in episode Cyber-Turtles, he duels the Shredder and are evenly matched when he pulls out a broadsword. Casey is also seen using range gear such as a harpoon spear with rope and attachments to slide down with.
His most notable line is “When do I get to break something?”, and he also tends to call many villains “Scuzzbuckets” and “Lawbreaker”. He claims that holding back his urge to break stuff will give him an ulcer as he is so used to causing destruction while doing the “job” he loves. In Casey Jones – Outlaw Hero, Raphael says that Casey Jones has been watching too many “Filthy Harry” movies. Casey is not a central character and appeared in only 5 episodes.
- Casey Jones – Outlaw Hero (season 3, 1989)
- Corporate Raiders from Dimension X (season 3, 1989)
- Leonardo Cuts Loose (season 5, 1991)
- Night of the Rogues (season 7, 1993)
- Cyber-Turtles (season 8, 1994)
Casey was voiced by Pat Fraley doing a Clint Eastwood impression.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003 animated series
Before the series starts, Casey’s father’s shop was burned down by the shows antagonists, Hun and the Purple Dragons, which gave him his hatred for unlawful acts.
Casey sees the turtles as the brothers he never had in the program. As he grew older, Casey became a vigilante and started hunting down crooks â particularly Purple Dragons â in the streets. Incidentally, fate brought him across the path of Raphael once again. Raphael stopped him from seriously injuring a gang of Purple Dragons, and the two fought with each other, but were brought back to their senses by their common enemy.
Casey was at that occasion formally (re-)introduced to the Turtles; after that, they became close friends and allies. Casey Jones would help the Turtles out with various operations and the Turtles would return the favor. Through the Turtles, he met April O’Neil for whom he quickly developed a romantic attraction. He is voiced by Marc Thompson doing a stereotype New York City accent.
Live Action
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
Played by actor Elias Koteas, Casey is an ex-professional hockey player turned vigilante. He first runs into the turtles when he encounters Raphael when attacking some purse snatchers. Raph fights Casey fight and then call a truce.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993)
Elias Koteas returns in the role of Casey Jones. He is there mainly to help Splinter who is watching four honor guards displaced by time when the four turtles travel back in time to rescue April.
CGI
TMNT (2007)
Voiced by actor Chris Evans. Casey is in a relationship with April at the beginning of the movie, he is also working for her shipping company as a delivery man. Through his vigilante activities at night he meets with Raphael, who is going around as a vigilante himself called “The Nightwatcher”. Casey becomes Raph’s sidekick, although Mr. Jones says Raphael is his sidekick.
Casey Jones (2011)
Casey Jones, also known as Casey Jones: The Movie, is a short fan film that is a mix between the comic book, the animated series and the first live action film. He is played by Hilarion Banks.
Video Games
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES, Genesis, and SNES)
- NES – Playable Character
- Sega Genesis – Playable Character
- Super Nintendo – Appears in the background of Donatello’s stage
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Manhattan Missions (PC)
Casey jumps on the screen and saves the turtles when they lose their health.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle 2: Battle Nexus ( Game Boy Advance, Playstation 2, Xbox, Game Cube, and PC)
An unlockable alternate costume for Raphael.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Melee (Gamecube, PC, Playstation 2, and Xbox)
Playable character
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Smash-Up
Playable character