Line #66 WesternAnimation/ToxicCrusaders


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/toxic_crusaders.jpg]]
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3	An AnimatedAdaptation of ''Film/TheToxicAvenger'' film series by Creator/{{Troma}}, which originally ran from 1990 to 1991.
4
5	After a freak accident involving toxic waste turns one Melvin Junko into a hideously deformed creature of super-human size and strength, he becomes a superhero known as Toxie, who is able to sense and thwart evil wherever it turns up. He is soon joined by like-minded freaks as he defends his hometown Tromaville from the nefarious schemes of Dr. Killemoff.
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7	A new video game in the form of a side-scrolling BeatEmUp, ''Toxic Crusaders'', was announced in 2023, to be developed by Retroware.
8
9	!!We are the toxic -- examples! We are the toxic -- examples!
10
11	* AbbeyRoadCrossing: The gang are doing it on the [=DVD=] cover.
12	* AdaptationalHeroism:
13	** This version of Toxie is content with just beating up the bad guys, instead of mutilating, disemboweling and otherwise killing them in horrifying ways like in the movies.
14	** An example pertaining to the show's comic book tie-in by Creator/MarvelComics has Headbanger among the mutant heroes wanting to join forces with Toxie [[AdaptationalEarlyAppearance in the first issue, which was an adaptation of the cartoon's first episode]]. Here in the original cartoon, Bender and Fender started out as henchmen of Dr. Killemoff before joining the Toxic Crusaders.
15	* AdaptationDistillation: The ComicBookAdaptation by Creator/MarvelComics streamlines the formation of the team by adapting the cartoon's first episode in the first issue and [[AdaptationalEarlyAppearance having Headbanger and Junkyard appear with Major Disaster and Nozone rather than introduce them individually in later installments]].
16	* AdaptationNameChange: Downplayed. Instead of the Toxic Avenger, Toxie's full designation is Toxic Crusader.
17	* AttractiveBentGender: When Nozone sees Psycho disguised as a woman in "A Site for Sore Eyes!", he instantly falls in love with "her", and spends the rest of the episode lovesick.
18	* BaitAndSwitch: The first time Yvonne sees Toxie while wearing her glasses, she screams bloody murder. A depressed Toxie says he knew she'd be turned off by his looks, but she says it's the goofy tie he put on for their date that she considers ugly.
19	* BaitAndSwitchComparison: In "Toxie Ties the Knot", after hearing that Toxie has been coerced into marrying Gerba to prevent the Smogulans from dumping trash all over Tromaville, he informs his secretary that Toxie's going to marry an overweight cockroach. The secretary remarks that this is disgusting, with Mayor Grody replying "Yeah, you'd think a cockroach would have better tastes."
20	* BananaPeel: In "The Snail Must Go Through!", race car driver Crash Shelby falls out of a bridge due to a banana peel getting under one of his tires. He falls on a barge filled with snails, which combined with his car's motor oil, turns him into the mutant superhero Snailman.
21	* BarefootCartoonAnimal: Junkyard, the humanoid mutant dog, doesn't wear shoes.
22	* BattleCry: Parodied, then played straight. Toxie's original battle cry is "I hope I don't get hurt!", but he later changes it to "It's clean-up time!"
23	* BigBad: Dr. Killemoff, who seeks to pollute Tromaville to the point that it can be invaded by his fellow bug-people from the planet Smogula.
24	* TheCassandra: Dr. Killemoff's flunkie Psycho is this in a nutshell: his entire purpose is to point out to his boss how his latest plan can go wrong, usually involving really unlikely circumstances that nevertheless always end up happening and yet Dr. Killemoff never listens to him, despite his predictions having always been right.
25	* ComicBookAdaptation:
26	** Creator/MarvelComics published a comic book based on the cartoon that lasted eight issues.
27	** British company Fleetway did a ten-issue adaptation.
28	* CompilationMovie: Several episodes were edited together to create ''Toxic Crusaders: The Movie'' that was released on video in 1997.
29	* CruellaToAnimals: In "A Sight for Sore Eyes", Mayor Grody mentions that he wears shoes made from endangered species.
30	* DeadpanSnarker: Psycho tends to make snide remarks about Bonehead's stupidity and Dr. Killemoff's continued refusal to heed his predictions of how the Toxic Crusaders will ruin their schemes.
31	* DonutMessWithACop: In the episode "A Sight for Sore Eyes", Mayor Grody is forced to sleep on a bench in the park due to loaning his home to the Toxic Crusaders as part of a scheme to keep the heroes from their toxic dump home. When a police officer tells him it's against the law to sleep in the park, Mayor Grody tries to invoke that he can't get arrested for breaking a law he invented. The police officer snaps back that he also made it illegal for cops to eat donuts while on duty.
32	* DreadfulMusician: Toxie's girlfriend Yvonne often comes up with a ditty with her accordion, which is only enjoyed by her boyfriend.
33	* DumbMuscle: Guest hero Mr. Earth, who turns out to be even stronger than Toxie but tends to destroy everything in sight in trying to help people who weren't even in trouble.
34	* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Toxie's mother is called Mom by Toxie, and "Toxie's Mom" by everyone else.
35	* EvilInc: Apocalypse Inc., run by over-polluting Dr. Killemoff for the behalf of his alien brethren.
36	* {{Expy}}: Some of the characters in the animated series are loosely based on characters from the movies.
37	** Yvonne fulfills Sara/Claire's role as Toxie's blonde love interest, though she's near-sighted instead of blind.
38	** Bonehead is based on Bozo and Slug from the first film and even looks like the latter prior to his mutation.
39	** Mayor Max Grody is similar to Mayor Belgoody from the first movie due to both being the fat corrupt mayors of Tromaville.
40	* ExactWords: In one episode, the Crusaders try to turn off a smog-making machine inside a building Killemoff initially claimed was a recycling plant. Toxie suggests that Major Disaster teleport it away, but Major Disaster responds that he can only control plants. This is when Junkyard reminds him that this is indeed a Recycling PLANT, so he should be able to control it. Due to this show being what it is... it works.
41	* FatBastard: Grody, the overweight and corrupt mayor of Tromaville, who is in cahoots with Apocalypse Inc. Killemoff's henchman Psycho is also fairly obese.
42	* FreakyFridayFlip: "That's No Villain, That's My Mom" had Dr. Killemoff switch minds with Toxie's Mom.
43	* GladIThoughtOfIt: In the episode "Club Fred", Psycho sarcastically suggests that they prevent the Toxic Crusaders from interfering with their plan by sending them on a tropical vacation. Dr. Killemoff seriously considers the idea and takes full credit for it.
44	* GlassShatteringSound: Yvonne's dreadful musicianship extends to breaking glass with her singing when she's heart-broken about Toxie marrying someone else in "Toxie Ties The Knot!".
45	* GoneHorriblyRight: Pretty much all of the Toxic Crusaders' inventions to help clean up Tromaville in "Pollution Solution" has some unexpected side effect. For instance, Headbanger's graffiti remover also removes the print from newspapers and No-Zone's aluminum detector mistakenly attracts an old man's canned groceries and the empty cans used on the limo of some newlyweds.
46	* GreaterScopeVillain: The Smogulan leader Czar Zosta, who is Dr. Killemoff's boss and the reason he's trying to pollute Earth to make it fit for Smogulans to inhabit.
47	* GreenAesop: The Toxic Crusaders fight against Apocalypse Inc. and their plans for polluting the Earth.
48	* GreenThumb: Major Disaster could not only control plants of the organism variety, but, in "Pollution Solution", power plants as well.
49	* HarmlessVillain: Killemoff is ''absurdly'' ineffective in just about every evil action he takes due to a combination of bad luck, his own arrogance, and poorly thought-out plans. When Czar Zosta relieves him of duty in "Invasion of the Biddy Snatchers", Killemoff's replacement immediately proves himself a much greater threat.
50	* {{Hologram}}: Dr. Killemoff and his boss Czar Zosta often have discussions through holographic projections, which can sometimes do even physical stuff.
51	* InsistentTerminology: Instead of "mutant", pretty much every individual mutated by toxic waste in this series is described as "a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength".
52	* IWantGrandkids: Toxie's mother mentions that she wants to have grandchildren in "Toxie Ties the Knot".
53	* IWarnedYou: Psycho, the minion {{Seer\|s}} of Dr. Killemoff, usually says this after his CassandraTruth gets blown off by him as ridiculous and the good guys win.
54	* IslandBase: Dr. Killemoff's base of operations, the ever-polluted and contaminated Island City.
55	* JumpingOutOfACake: Yvonne jumps out of a cake prepared by Toxie's mother in "A Sight for Sore Eyes".
56	* LawfulStupid: All the Crusaders suffer from this, causing a lot of the show's gags, as they are unwilling to break even the most menial law even while fighting the bad guys. Dr. Killemoff and Mayor Grody tend to use this against them, such as in "Mr. Earth - Superhero" when they introduce a legal Superhero License that they then refuse to give them.
57	* LighterAndSofter: Being a children's cartoon based on an R-rated film series, a lot of details obviously had to be watered down and censored. Most notably, Toxie doesn't kill any of the bad guys this time.
58	* LivingWeapon: The incident that turned Toxie the superhero he is now also turned his trusty mop into a living thing, which doesn't just clean the floor by itself, it also helps in fights.
59	* MeaningfulName:
60	** Bonehead's mutation gives him a skeletal appearance. He also isn't very bright.
61	** Psycho is a combination of this and IronicName: while he's the OnlySaneMan of Apocalypse Inc., he's also "psychic" in that he's able to accurately predict future events.
62	** Bimbette, Bonehead's girlfriend is both attractive and unintelligent and for added measure talks like a ValleyGirl (though ''looks'' more like a tough street punk.)
63	* MediumAwareness: Much like [[WesternAnimation/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles1987 another lighthearted cartoon adaptation by Murakami-Wolf-Swenson]], there are a lot of jokes involving the characters breaking the fourth wall and being aware that they're in a cartoon, like when Toxie notices that the background music has changed in the first episode.
64	* MerchandiseDriven: ''Film/TheToxicAvenger'' creator, Creator/LloydKaufman said Creator/PlaymatesToys approached him for the show because they wanted to recreate their success selling action figures like they did with the ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles''.
65	* {{Mooks}}: Dr. Killemoff's Radiation Rangers, who all wear yellow hazmat suits (even though they're all apparently robots).
66	* MortonsFork: While only done as a quick gag, Junkyard unknowingly inflicts one on the dogs of Tromaville in "Pollution Solution". He does his part in making Tromaville more ecologically sound by appearing on a PSA where he tells dogs not to hike their legs when they feel the urge. Since dogs pretty much pee anywhere when not reprimanded by their owners, the only alternative would be for the dogs to suffer from being forced to hold it all the time and risk getting bladder infections and other serious health problems.
67	** Well, he is a recently UpliftedAnimal and thus wouldn't know how biology works, he is the only crusader in that episode to not use technology he build for cleaning implying he is not smart enough to make one. Plus the dogs could use the toilet, if they understand junkyard, he could fix his mistake by telling them to use the toilet.
68	* MultiarmedAndDangerous: Dr. Killemoff, even in his disguise, has two sets of arms, a trait shared by the rest of his fellow Smogulans.
69	* MultipleHeadCase: Headbanger. He's a mutated freak with two heads who each control their side of the body. One head's a hideous MadScientist; the other's an oafish SurferDude. The body itself is kinda lopsided since the surfer's half of the body is rippling with muscle, whereas the scientist's is shriveled and emaciated.
70	* {{Mutants}}: The titular Crusaders and several one-shot characters were mutated by exposure to toxic waste.
71	* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Main villain's name comes from the phrase "kill 'em off", what more there is to say?
72	* NarrationEcho: Inverted in "Club Fred"; Toxie, in his role as the narrator, keeps repeating everything Dr. Killemoff says until he's told to shut up.
73	-->'''Dr. Killemoff''': Soon, hordes of pollution-breathing aliens from the planet Smogula will be arriving to take over Tromaville!\
74	'''Narrator''': Soon, hordes of pollution-breathing aliens from the planet Smogula would be arriving to take over Tromaville!\
75	'''Dr. Killemoff''': (angrily, towards the camera) IS THERE AN ECHO IN HERE?!
76	* NoFourthWall: Psycho always pointing out what happens that episode is the least obvious example. Sometimes Toxie will narrate Dr. Killemoff's scene and the doctor will hear him, sometimes the characters will flat-out say they're on a TV show.
77	* NonMammalMammaries: It is shown in the episode "Toxie ties the Knot" that female members of the insectoid Smogulan race have breasts.
78	* NotThatKindOfDoctor: Dr. Killemoff in "Mr. Earth - Superhero!" yells this at the eponymous hero of the episode when he asks him if he could look into his neck-pains.
79	* OncePerEpisode: Every episode features a bit where Dr. Killemoff describes his EvilPlan of the week, prompting his mook Psycho to [[CassandraTruth always respond]] with "But what if [describes what happens in the rest of the episode]?" "Ridiculous! That could ''never'' happen!"
80	* OnlySaneMan: [[IronicName Psycho]] is frequently this in comparison to [[LaughablyEvil Killemoff]] and [[DumbMuscle Bonehead]]. Czar Zosta is this when dealing with Killemoff.
81	* {{Parody}}: Given that this is a ''Troma'' creation turned into a PG-rated cartoon, it's no surprise that it would take the piss out of MerchandiseDriven and [[GreenAesop environment-based]] cartoons.
82	* PrankDate: Bonehead's girl Bimbette lures Melvin into one during the first episode, asking for him to meet her later in a pink tutu. It's all just a ruse to lure Melvin into being mocked by a bunch of other people. And then comes the accident that turns him into Toxie.
83	* RadiationInducedSuperpowers: Some of the main characters became super-powerful (as well as [[NuclearMutant hideously deformed]]) when they were exposed to radioactive waste in separate unlikely accidents.
84	* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The Crusaders definitely qualify, as they're random individuals from various walks of life who all somehow got mutated and banded together to fight evil.
85	* RapidAging: "This Spud's For You" has one of Killemoff's minions place chemicals in a fast food joint's french fries that causes anyone who eats it to rapidly grow old. However, it turns out that putting pepper on the chemical turns it into bubble gum, rendering it harmless.
86	* SaveTheVillain: Toxie does this with Czar Zosta after an assassination attempt from Killemoff in "Toxie Ties The Knot". Zosta returns the favor by [[VillainRespect putting off his own plan to pollute Tromaville]].
87	* ShearMenace: The incident that turned Mowerman into a mutant gave his right hand a pair of permanent garden shears. This leads to show's heroes calling him a mutant of "shear size and strength".
88	* ShoutOut:
89	** "[[Theatre/{{Hamlet}} There's something rotten]] in the state of UsefulNotes/NewJersey!"
90	** The title of the episode for "Invasion of the Biddy Snatchers" is based on ''[[Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers]]''.
91	* SlimeSnailsAndMutantTails: Hideous mutants and toxic waste is used to try and appeal to kids.
92	* StandardizedLeader: Toxie is turned into this. He is big, strong, ugly, and has a sort of spider-sense. All the other Crusaders are also big, strong, and ugly, plus they have quirky, unique, useful powers.
93	* TheStarscream: Killemoff attempts this on Czar Zosta in "Toxie Ties the Knot". Naturally, [[FailureIsTheOnlyOption Toxie intervenes]].
94	* SuperStrength: Turns out that the bumbling superhero-wannabe Mr. Earth does have a super power, his strength (though he'd prefer x-ray vision).
95	-->'''Mr. Earth:''' I told you I was strong!\
96	'''Nozone:''' But not superhumanly strong!
97	* SurferDude: Fender talks like a California surfer and even wears swimming trunks and sunglasses.
98	* TakeThat: The sixth issue of the comic book by Creator/MarvelComics had the Toxic Crusaders encounter Corporal Globe and the Globiteers, unflattering parodies of ''WesternAnimation/CaptainPlanetAndThePlaneteers''. The ersatz Planeteers in particular are shown on one page annoying the citizens of Tromaville by scolding them for doing environmentally unfriendly things. After Dr. Killemoff defeats Corporal Globe and the Globiteers mention that they are powerless while Corporal Globe is present, the citizens of Tromaville then prepare to beat the stuffing out of the Globiteers with glee. Hell, the cover even has Toxie [[OutOfCharacterMoment refer to the Globiteers as "brats"]] and ask why their show hasn't been cancelled yet.
99	* TeenageMutantSamuraiWombats: The show was made to recreate the success of selling Turtles action figures.
100	* TheyCallMeMisterTibbs: Dr. Killemoff insists that everyone refrain from addressing him without the "Dr." in front of his surname.
101	* TitleDrop: "Invasion of the Biddy Snatchers" has General [=GarBage=] and Toxie both mention the episode's title, complete with the title appearing onscreen as they say it.
102	* ToxicInc: Apocalypse Incorporated's only purpose is to pollute.
103	* ToxicWasteCanDoAnything: Toxic waste not only provides Toxie with his powers, but perfectly fuses a man and a dog into a [[HybridMonster hybrid were-creature-like being]] (that being Junkyard: the rest of Toxie's companions were changed by exposure to radioactive materials), and then going even further by empowering a buried junked car(!) and a mop (!!).
104	* ToylessToylineCharacter: Several of the characters that appear in the show didn't get planned action figures, including Yvonne, Mrs. Junko, Polluto, Mayor Grody, Czar Zosta, and one-shot character Snailman.
105	* TwoBeingsOneBody:
106	** Surf-dude delivery boy "Fender" and mad scientist "Dr. Bender" accidentally fuse together forming the new hero... Headbanger.
107	** Junkyard also qualifies: a homeless man who takes shelter with a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin junkyard dog]] whose kennel was covered in toxic waste. Add [[LightningCanDoAnything one bolt of lightning]], and their molecules merged into a [[BeastMan humanoid dog]], though the dog's consciousness is the only surviving facet of their minds.
108	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: In the first episode Bonehead has a punk girlfriend named Bimbette who is just as nasty and dimwitted as him. Despite having a memorable character design and voice and playing an important part in the episode as the one who directly if accidently leads to Melvin falling into toxic she disappears completely after this and is never seen or mentioned again.
109	* WhyWasteAWedding: "Toxie Ties the Knot" subverts this, much to Yvonne's disappointment. After Toxie is off the hook for marrying Zosta's daughter, Yvonne drops hints about the wedding cake providing certain ideas and how it'd be a shame for it to go to waste. Toxie says he agrees with her completely and [[ComicallyMissingThePoint invites the other Crusaders to chow down on the cake]].
110
111	!!We are the toxic game -- examples! We are the toxic game -- examples!
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113	* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Downplayed with Junkyard. While he's the ''least'' ugly, he had aggressive-looking designs with a prominent jawline for his toy and the cartoon. Here, the promotional artwork, in-game graphics and cutscenes seen via the reveal trailer show him with softened, rounder, cartoonier features that highlight his [[{{Hunk}} handsomer qualities]].
114	* AdaptationalBadass: Yvonne and Mrs. Junko (Toxie's mom) are normally non-active allies for the Toxic Crusaders. This time around, they join them and are able to fight just as well.
115	* AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs: The announcement trailer shows that one stage involves defending the Crusaders' toxic dump home base from Apocalypse Inc. goons.
116	* CasualDangerDialogue: As highlighted by the playable Platform/{{Steam}} demo, the Crusaders engage in witty banter as they fight off Apocalypse Inc. during the gameplay, such as Junkyard getting annoyed about the villains marking their territory in a way that "isn't cute", Dr. Bender showing concern about what people think of [[MadScientist his mental state in his given profession]], and the guys making food/meal analogies for their beatings.
117	* EvilOverlooker: Dr. Killemoff is seen doing this above the Toxic Crusaders, on the main key art. Made all the more effective since he [[MultiArmedAndDangerous has four arms]].
118	* ImprovisedWeapon: As shown in the announcement trailer, players can pick up various objects to throw them at enemies ala ''VideoGame/RiverCityRansom'', from small (e.g. fire hydrants) to big (e.g. ''entire'' '''''cars''''').
119	* IntercontinuityCrossover: Downplayed with the characters from other Creator/{{Troma}} properties. Besides ''Toxic Crusaders'' obviously being the dominant focus of the modern game, the other Troma characters are stated to make various cameo appearances throughout.
120	* MirroredConfrontationShot: One of the promo illustrations has a confrontational setup that's similar to ''[[VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesShreddersRevenge Shredder's Revenge]]'', with the Toxic Crusaders on the left side and Apocalypse Inc. on the right side.
121	* MusicalAssassin: As seen in the announcement trailer, Yvonne can assault enemies with her accordion and (terrible) singing.
122	* MythologyGag: The first level goes through the Mexican restaurant from ''Film/TheToxicAvenger'', with Frank, the gang leader that Toxie rips the arm off of, showing up as a miniboss (and just like the original film, he only fights with the one arm while the other dangles completely limp).
123	* TeamMemberInTheAdaptation: Yvonne and Mrs. Junko are Crusaders in this game.
124	* TwoGirlsToATeam: Yvonne and Mrs. Junko serve as this for the playable roster.
125	* UltimateUniverse: Of a sort. The modern game involves cameos from other Troma properties, such as ''Film/ClassOfNukeEmHigh'', ''Film/PoultrygeistNightOfTheChickenDead'', and ''Film/SgtKabukimanNYPD'', all redesigned to cohesively fit into the ''Toxic Crusaders'' cartoon universe.

Context WesternAnimation / ToxicCrusaders