The following contains spoilers for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years #3, on sale now from IDW Publishing.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years, Michelangelo's backstory is dissected in a split storyline. While the present shows the new Turtles in the Big Apple, fans are also learning about his past before he came back to New York to take down Shredder's grandson, Oroku Hiroto. Unfortunately, Michelangelo couldn't escape his bad luck after his brothers and Master Splinter got killed, bringing even more tragedy into his life.
This bit of history confirmed he had another feud in Asia with a tyrant named Death Worm. The villain killed people Michelangelo cared about in Japan, setting him off on a trek to find Death Worm in Mongolia. Interestingly, as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - The Lost Years #3 (by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, SL Gallant, Maria Keane, Luis Antonio Delgado, Ben Bishop and Shawn Lee) unfolds, it's revealed that he actually had more weapons than he thought as he tried to rebuild.
TMNT: The Last Ronin Gives Michelangelo an Upgrade
Michelangelo, after training with Yip (who mentored Splinter decades back), finds himself at the mercy of Batu and his boss, Noyan, out on the dusty hillside. Thankfully, Noyan is an ally who wants Death Worm's empire brought down, too. He's had many casualties, so Michelangelo stays with his tribe, learning new martial arts to get revenge on behalf of everyone.
Sadly, he has gone blind, but his peers help him with food, medicine and new training techniques. Batu later reveals a war chest with tools taken from their enemies. Michelangelo gravitates toward a pair of supernatural tonfas. He loves the power within and how they pack an extra punch. For some reason, he's attuned to the magical weapons in a massive way, becoming stronger and faster than ever -- making him a better warrior.
TMNT: The Last Ronin Deals Michelangelo Another Blow
Michelangelo accepting the new weapon speaks to his pain-filled past. He has his brothers' weapons but is hesitant to use them. They remind him of what he lost, and while he's in denial, the weapons are tangible and a real token of their sympathetic journey thus far. As such, the tonfas unshackle him from the past and the burden of revenge, giving him a respite where he can feel like a new man. It's something Splinter spoke to him about, letting him know that in some cases, the weapon does define him. It's understandable that he'd want a clean break, his nunchucks remind him of his past. They're sentimental as he fought so many missions with these weapons alongside his brothers. The tonfas, on the other hand, symbolize a new beginning.
Sadly, things get macabre as the issue ends, with Death Worm's warriors attacking the camp. They're enacting genocide, hurting the family that took Michelangelo in. He's primed to jump into battle with the tonfas, keen on breaking his cycle of misfortune. The old weapons are a curse, affiliated with immense sorrow, so he now has to ensure the tonfas he has remain a gift. Given his confidence is low, he has to win to ensure he doesn't view himself as a blight. But as more blood is being spilled, it's hard for him to contain his rage. Ultimately, this leaves fans curious to see what will happen to the enemies, the toll it'll take on Michelangelo, and what else he can unlock as he prepares for war.