Toxic Avenger Returns, Teams Up with Jesus Christ

In 2024, AHOY Comics made a splash with the revival of the cult favorite, The Toxic Crusader, in comic book form. This year, they're taking things up a notch with an event they've dubbed "Toxic Mess Summer," where Toxie will join forces with various heroes from the AHOY Universe, including none other than Jesus Christ.

The excitement begins in May with the launch of The Toxic Avenger Pinup Special, featuring a range of artists showcasing their unique interpretations of Toxie and his crew. Following this, AHOY will roll out the miniseries Toxie Team-Up, where Toxie collaborates with an eclectic mix of characters including Project: Cryptid's Jersey Devil, My Bad's Acid Chimp, The Wrong Earth's Dragonflyman and Stinger, Justice Warriors' Swamp Cop and Schitt, and, intriguingly, Second Coming's Jesus Christ.

For newcomers to the series, Second Coming follows Jesus as he returns to Earth and shares a home with the superhero Sunstar. The series has stirred both praise and controversy since its debut, and the inclusion of Jesus teaming up with Toxie is sure to keep the conversation going.

Toxie Team-Up #1 is crafted by the creative duo behind Second Coming, Mark Russell and Richard Pace. "Toxic Avenger and Jesus Christ is the team-up that everybody has been clamoring for and I am not one to stand in the way," Russell stated in AHOY's press release. "Just as in Second Coming, Christ shows that there are more tools in the box than just violence and that Tromaville, as strange as it is, is still a place that someone who grew up bullied by the jocks in the Roman Empire would recognize."

AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer highlighted Toxie's extensive pop culture footprint, saying, "Having already spawned five films, a cartoon, action figures, a musical, and a Marvel comic book series, the Toxic Avenger is a pop culture icon. The only question is: why doesn’t he have a church of his own?"

The Toxic Avenger Pinup Special is slated for release on May 14, with Toxie Team-Up #1 following on June 11. Additionally, Matt Bors and Fred Harper's The Toxic Avenger miniseries will be available in a collected trade paperback edition on April 1. Fans can pre-order The Toxic Avenger on Amazon.

Looking ahead, Toxie is set to return to the big screen in 2025. In a review by IGN, Amelia Emberwing describes the 2023 'not remake' of The Toxic Avenger as a mixed bag. "Troma and Legendary’s partnership on The Toxic Avenger’s 2023 'not remake' delivers a mixed bag. Director Macon Blair and the rest of the creative team may have more money to play with than Michael Herz and Lloyd Kaufman’s 1984 original, but it struggles to deliver on the schlocky goodness of Troma’s stronger films. Still, what it lacks in so-bad-it’s-good silliness it makes up for with its heart and mostly practical slaughterfests. Kevin Bacon and Peter Dinklage having an absolute blast in their roles doesn’t hurt, either."