We have a lot of superhero and comic book movie films coming to the big screen. 2025 alone will see the return of Marvel’s first family in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, as well as DC’s first hero in Superman from former Marvel and Troma alum James Gunn.
But only one hero can truly claim to be the first superhero from New Jersey, and that would be Troma’s iconic Toxic Avenger. Affectionately known as Toxie, this mutated superhero has been fighting for the environment since the ‘80s, and he may have one of the weirdest film catalogs out there. If you want to catch up before the upcoming film reboot, here’s how to watch all of The Toxic Avenger’s adventures in order, and where to stream them.
The Toxic Avenger (1984)
The adventure that started it all, 1984’s The Toxic Avenger stands out as a one-of-a-kind adventure flick in the true Troma tradition. Setting the tone for all that would come after, the movie kicks off with Toxie’s origin in grand fashion. Ninety-eight pound weakling Melvin Junko III is a beleaguered janitor who is ridiculed by the members of the health club he works at. A prank leads to Melvin falling out of a second story window and into a drum of toxic waste. Rather than dying, he becomes the mutated Toxic Avenger, and sets about fighting crime, getting revenge, and falling in love with a blind woman. The film is notoriously vile, full of sex, violence, and gross-out humor, but it is genuinely a triumph of independent filmmaking.
The Toxic Avenger Part II (1989)
Maybe one-of-a-kind isn’t the right descriptor, considering the success of The Toxic Avenger led to back-to-back sequels, starting with 1989’s The Toxic Avenger Part II. The Toxic Avenger Part II sees Toxie leaving his beloved Tromaville to journey to Japan in search of his father. Unfortunately, his absence paves the way for the sinister Apocalypse Inc. to invade Tromaville. The sequel does lose some of the charm the original had just by virtue of the absurd premise being a follow-up, and those who loved the original definitely didn’t take to this one as strongly, with the film largely receiving negative reviews.
The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie (1989)
Just a few months after the release of The Toxic Avenger II, fans got a threequel in the form of The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie. Released with the kind of turnaround time the MCU can only dream of, Toxic Avenger Part III sees Toxie having solved all of Tromaville’s crime, working menial jobs in an effort to pay for his blind girlfriend’s surgery. The title alludes to Toxie’s eventual begrudging alliance with Apocalypse Inc, and the literal Satan figure who attempts to take control of Toxie for his own means. The film is pretty out there, with a massive chunk of it devoted to a video game-based duel between Toxie and Satan, wildly confirming the existence of God in the Toxic Avenger universe.
Sgt. Kabukiman, N.Y.P.D. (1990)
A bit of a sidestep, but if you want the complete Toxic Avenger experience, then you’ll have to experience one of Troma’s lesser-known superheroes. By today’s standards, Sgt. Kabukiman, N.Y.P.D. is…well, bizarre, even for Troma, but it is still all meant to be in good fun. Detective Harry Griswald, investigating the serial murder of kabuki actors, is kissed by a dying actor. The kiss grants him bizarre powers, transforming him into Sgt. Kabukiman, a character that would make Deadpool seem sane. Despite several false starts, Sgt. Kabukiman, N.Y.P.D. has yet to receive a sequel, but the character has long been an unofficial secondary mascot for Troma, appearing in promo videos and cameos throughout various Troma films.
Toxic Crusaders (1991)
Okay, so if The Toxic Avenger is about a mutated, bullied nerd who crushed his bullies skulls, fights evil conglomerates, and hooks up with his blind girlfriend, what’s the next logical step? If you said Saturday morning cartoon, you were probably an exec desperately trying to capture the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles wave. Toxic Crusaders turned Toxie into a family-friendly environmental hero, allied with a band of similarly mutated heroes, and fighting mutated scientists who want to destroy the planet. The cartoon lasted for 13 episodes, but it remains an oddity with enough cult residual fan appeal to warrant a retro toyline in 2023 and a retro video game in 2025.
Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV (2000)
A full decade after the release of Toxic Avenger Part II and Part III, we finally got a fourth film. The first thing it did: have comic book icon Stan Lee himself open the film via narration, declaring this was a direct sequel to the first film, and the other two aren’t canon. Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV sees Toxie and students from the Tromaville School for the Very Special launched into a mirror universe, where they find the town of Amortville that is terrorized by an evil mirror universe variant of Toxie, known as The Noxious Offender. While not met with the same praise as the original, Citizen Toxie nonetheless endeared itself more ot fans and even garnered enough acclaim to almost get a sequel.
The Toxic Avenger: The Musical (2018)
If there is anything you can say universally about Troma’s Toxic Avenger franchise, it is certainly adaptable to other mediums. Debuting in 2008, The Toxic Avenger: The Musical is an actual, no joke, award-winning Off-Broadway musical that retells the events of the first film but adds a stronger environmental message and musical numbers, including “Who Will Save New Jersey?,” “Get The Geek,” and “Hot Toxic Love.” Sadly, the production does not appear to have been performed since 2017, but a recording was made available to streaming services in 2018 for those who wanted their Troma absurdity to have a song in its heart.
The Toxic Avenger (2025)
It seems like such a no-brainer to release The Toxic Avenger. Originally premiering in 2023, the much hyped and highly-anticipated reboot stars Game of Thrones’ Peter Dinklage as Toxie, reimagining him as Winston Gooze, a janitor who fights back against criminals and corruption after being transformed in an accident. Despite an all-star cast that includes Elijah Wood and Kevin Bacon, the bizarre story, incredibly violent story, and just plain uncertainty of the IP led to The Toxic Avenger almost being shelled. Fans will finally get to see this one August 29, 2025, more than two years after its acclaimed screening at 2023’s Fantastic Fest, thanks to distributor Cineverse.
Where To Watch 'Toxic Avenger' Movies And TV Shows Online
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