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

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

The summer kicks off in May with The Toxic Avenger Pinup Special, showcasing various artists' interpretations of Toxie and his world. This is followed by the Toxie Team-Up miniseries, featuring Toxie's collaborations with characters from Project: Cryptid, My Bad, The Wrong Earth, Justice Warriors, and, notably, Second Coming's Jesus Christ.

For the uninitiated, Second Coming depicts Jesus' return to Earth and his roommate relationship with a superhero. This series has generated significant attention and debate, a trend likely to continue with Jesus and Toxie's unlikely partnership.

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 obstruct." He further commented on the thematic resonance between the unlikely duo.

AHOY Comics Editor-in-Chief Tom Peyer highlighted The Toxic Avenger's enduring pop culture impact, "Having spawned films, cartoons, action figures, a musical, and even a Marvel comic, the Toxic Avenger is an icon. The only question is: why doesn't he have his own church?"

The Toxic Avenger Pinup Special releases May 14th, followed by Toxie Team-Up #1 on June 11th. A trade paperback collecting 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 film as a "mixed bag," praising its heart and practical effects while noting it lacks the "so-bad-it's-good" charm of Troma's earlier work. However, she highlighted the strong performances of Kevin Bacon and Peter Dinklage.