The Toxic Avenger

A bullied janitor becomes Tromaville’s most unlikely hero.

The film follows Melvin, a bullied health-club janitor who becomes Tromaville’s mutant protector after falling into hazardous waste. Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz share the directing credit; Kaufman is credited as Samuel Weil in the AFI record. The original film led to a series of sequels.

STORY & EDITION

A cruel prank sends a health-club janitor into toxic waste. Tromaville gets an unlikely protector, and its bullies get a very unpleasant surprise.

The year (1984) and 87-minute runtime follow Troma’s film catalogue. Troma NOW’s streaming edition runs approximately 82 minutes. AFI records the US theatrical opening on 4 April 1986 and lists a 90-minute version; these describe different release records and editions.

Artwork: Troma Direct ↗ / respective rights holders. This guide is part of an independent fan tribute.