The Toxic Avenger Is Back, and He's Teaming Up With... Jesus Christ?

AHOY Comics' 2024 revival of cult hero Toxie, the Toxic Crusader, continues this year with "Toxic Mess Summer," a crossover event uniting Toxie with AHOY's diverse roster of heroes. This includes, notably, Jesus Christ.

The summer of Toxie begins in May with The Toxic Avenger Pinup Special, showcasing various artists' interpretations of Toxie and his world. Following this, AHOY will release the Toxie Team-Up miniseries, featuring Toxie's collaborations with a range of characters: Jersey Devil (from Project: Cryptid), Acid Chimp (My Bad), Dragonflyman and Stinger (The Wrong Earth), Swamp Cop and Schitt (Justice Warriors), and, significantly, Jesus Christ from Second Coming.

For the uninitiated, Second Coming depicts Jesus' return to Earth and his unlikely roommate situation with superhero Sunstar. This series has generated considerable attention, both positive and negative, and this new collaboration promises more of the same.

Toxie Team-Up #1 is written and illustrated by Mark Russell and Richard Pace, the creative team behind Second Coming.

Russell stated in AHOY's press release, "Toxic Avenger and Jesus Christ is the team-up everyone's been demanding, and I'm not one to stand in the way. Like in Second Coming, Christ demonstrates that there are more effective tools than just violence, and even Tromaville, in its strangeness, resonates with someone who experienced bullying in the Roman Empire."

AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer added, "Having 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 his own church?"

Release dates: The Toxic Avenger Pinup Special on May 14th, Toxie Team-Up #1 on June 11th. A trade paperback collection of Matt Bors and Fred Harper's The Toxic Avenger miniseries arrives April 1st. Pre-orders are available on Amazon.

Toxie's cinematic return is also slated for 2025. IGN's Amelia Emberwing described the 2023 Toxic Avenger film as a "mixed bag," noting that while the production values were higher than the original, it lacked the "so-bad-it's-good" charm of Troma's best work. However, she praised the film's heart and practical effects, along with the performances of Kevin Bacon and Peter Dinklage.