All 5 'Toxic Avenger' Movies, Ranked by IMDb Score

Troma's cult franchise began in 1984 and has had a long and bizarre journey from the trashy underground to an attempt at a major Hollywood reboot.

The story of Melvin Ferd, a clumsy janitor who bathes in toxic waste and transforms into a mutated avenger, has become a manifesto of independent cinema. Over four decades, five movies have been released, each interpreting the character in its own way.

5. 'The Toxic Avenger Part III: The Last Temptation of Toxie', 1989

IMDb Score: 4.4/10

The third installment was released in theaters a few months after the second film premiered. Initially, the second and third chapters were planned to be filmed as one movie, but during production, the decision was made to split the project.

Toxie learns that an expensive operation can restore his beloved Claire's sight. To earn money for the operation, he gets a job at Apocalypse Inc., unaware that he is making a deal with the devil.

The surgery is successful, but Claire is horrified to find that her man has become a careerist in Satan's service. After coming to his senses, Toxie decides to break the contract and enters into a final battle with the king of hell.

4. 'The Toxic Avenger Part II', 1989

IMDb Score: 5.0/10

Five years after the original movie was released, a sequel dropped. Toxie lives with his blind girlfriend, Claire, but he falls into a depression because the lack of crime makes him feel useless.

A threat arises when Apocalypse Inc. tries to seize the land on which the orphanage for the blind stands in order to build a dangerous factory. After an initial attempt fails, the company director tricks Toxie into traveling to Japan to find his father.

While Toxie is training to become a sumo wrestler, the villains take over his hometown. Upon his return, Toxie triumphantly liberates Tromaville from the invaders.

3. 'Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV', 2000

IMDb Score: 5.8/10

At the beginning of the film, Stan Lee's voice-over erased the previous films from the canon, stating that Citizen Toxie is the real sequel. James Gunn also appeared in the movie in a minor role.

Toxie and Claire are now married, dreaming of having a child. Claire is unhappy that her husband is constantly away at work, though he promises to give up being a hero.

Their plans are ruined when a mafia group seizes the school. Toxie doesn't have time to save everyone. After the bomb explodes, he ends up in an alternate universe.

There, his doppelgänger, the cruel Noxie, is a killer and drug dealer. The hero must find a way to return home and stop his doppelgänger.

2. 'The Toxic Avenger', 1984

IMDb Score: 6.2/10

After reading an article about the horror genre' crisis, Troma's head, Lloyd Kaufman, decided to make a horror film. Thus, the idea for the splatter comedy The Toxic Avenger was born.

It tells the story of a clumsy janitor named Melvin who is constantly bullied. After falling into a barrel of toxic waste, he mutates into a powerful monster.

Becoming a mutant named Toxie, Melvin begins to fight crime and corruption in his town with brutal force, turning from a victim into an avenger and a hero.

1. 'The Toxic Avenger', 2023

IMDb Score: 6.4/10

The idea to reboot the franchise emerged in 2010 when Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed interest in the project. However, the movie was in development hell for a long time.

Filming ended in 2021, but distributors refused the film for a long time due to its abundance of violent scenes, and it has only recently been released widely.

The new version is less trashy and more meaningful. Toxic is presented not just as a giant avenger but also as a loving father trying to connect with his stepson. This transformation turns the trash horror film into a sentimental story about parenthood.