"Toxic Avenger Returns, Teams Up with Jesus Christ"

In 2024, AHOY Comics stirred excitement among fans by bringing back the beloved cult hero, The Toxic Crusader, in a comic book revival. This year, they're taking it a step further with an event called "Toxic Mess Summer," where Toxie collaborates with various heroes from the AHOY Universe, including a rather unconventional partner—Jesus Christ.

The festivities kick off in May with the launch of The Toxic Avenger Pinup Special, showcasing diverse artistic interpretations of Toxie and his crew. Following this, AHOY will roll out the miniseries Toxie Team-Up, where Toxie will join forces with an eclectic mix of characters: 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 those unfamiliar with the satirical superhero series, Second Coming features Jesus returning to Earth and sharing a home with a superhero named Sunstar. This series has been both celebrated and controversial since its debut, and the dynamic between Jesus and Toxie is sure to continue stirring conversation.

Toxie Team-Up #1, which brings together these unlikely allies, is crafted by the creative minds behind Second Coming—writer Mark Russell and artist 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,” remarked Russell 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 set to hit shelves 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 trade paperback edition starting April 1. Fans can preorder The Toxic Avenger on Amazon.

Looking ahead, Toxie is slated to return to the big screen in 2025. In her review for IGN, Amelia Emberwing shared her thoughts on the 2023 'not remake' of The Toxic Avenger: "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."