The Toxic Avenger (franchise)

The Toxic Avenger is a multimedia low-budget superhero comedy splatter film franchise originating with the 1984 film "The Toxic Avenger", and continuing through three film sequels, a stage musical production, a comic book series from Marvel Comics, a video game and a children's TV cartoon. Two less successful sequels, "The Toxic Avenger Part II" and ', were filmed as one. Director Lloyd Kaufman realized that he had shot far too much footage for one film and re-edited it into two. A third independent sequel was also released, titled '. An animated children's TV series spin-off, "Toxic Crusaders", featured Toxie as the leader of a team of mutated superheroes who fought against evil alien polluters. The cartoon series was short-lived and quickly cancelled. In 2019, it was announced that Legendary Pictures would be making a reboot of the film, with original creators Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz of Troma Entertainment serving as producers, and Macon Blair serving as writer and director.
The films generally follow the heroic exploits of Melvin Ferd, a weak and skinny janitor turned into the deformed and mutated superhero, the Toxic Avenger, or "Toxie", by exposure to toxic chemicals. All films in the series were released by Troma Entertainment, known for producing low budget B-movies with campy concepts and gruesome violence. Virtually ignored upon its first release, "The Toxic Avenger" caught on with filmgoers after a long and successful midnight movie engagement at the famed Bleecker Street Cinemas in New York City in late 1985. It eventually came to be regarded as a cult classic.
Films.
"The Toxic Avenger" (1984).
Tromaville has a monstrous new hero. The Toxic Avenger is born when meek mop boy Melvin falls into a vat of toxic waste. Now evildoers will have a lot to lose.
"The Toxic Avenger Part II" (1989).
The Toxic Avenger is tricked into traveling to Tokyo to search for his estranged father, leaving Tromaville open to complete domination by an evil corporation.
"The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie" (1989).
Toxie finds he has nothing to do as a superhero, as he has ridden his city of evil. He decides to go to work for a major corporation, which he discovers may be the evilest of all his adversaries.
"Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV" (2000).
The Toxic Avenger must defend his friends from his own evil alternate universe doppelgänger, The Noxious Offender.
Television.
"Toxic Crusaders" (1991).
A group of mutants fight against the pollution-loving alien Dr. Killemoff in the fictional city of Tromaville, led by Toxie, a nerd-turned-superhero.
Cast and crew.
Principal cast.
Key