Toad (comics)
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Toad (Mortimer Toynbee) is a Marvel Comics supervillain, an enemy of the X-Men. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, he first appeared in X-Men #4 (March 1964).
Toad was originally a weak, hunchbacked mutant, with a superhuman leaping ability and protracted tongue. He was Magneto’s sniveling servant in the 1960s line-up of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. He eventually led his own version of the Brotherhood, which was more involved in petty crime than mutant liberation.
Ray Park played a significantly different Toad in 2000’s X-Men film. He was cocky and sarcastic and his superhuman agility and wall-scaling abilities made him a match for several X-Men. Aspects of this Toad have since been implemented into the comic book version. Subsequently, most versions of Toad written or drawn after 2000 resemble the Ray Park version more closely than the original Toad.
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[edit] Character biography
[edit] Magneto's Lackey
Mortimer Toynbee was born in York, England, and was quickly abandoned by his parents and spent many years in an orphanage, where he was constantly tormented by other children due to his ugliness and strangely shaped body (as his mutant appearance was present from birth). He was considered to be mentally inferior due to his extreme shyness and mild learning disabilities during his primary school years, though he was actually quite intelligent. He dropped out at an extremely early age and decided to fend for himself. Based on years of abuse and knowing full well he was a freak, Mortimer developed a severe inferiority complex, becoming servile to anyone that showed him the slightest bit of affection.
Later, he was recruited into Magneto's original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, becoming Magneto's sycophantic 'toady'. The Toad believed that Magneto loved him, while the mutant mastermind considered this henchman little more than a human shield. He was also obsessed with his then-teammate, the Scarlet Witch, leading to a continuing enmity with her and her brother, Quicksilver, though the crush was dropped years later after he saw her pregnant belly and became disgusted.
At one point, Magneto and Toad were captured by the alien Stranger as part of his collection. Magneto managed to escape, but coldly left his lackey Toad behind. When Magneto was re-captured by the Stranger, he took Toad with him during his second escape, but by then Toad's attitude towards his master had already begun to change. Toad realized that Magneto didn't care at all for him and left his side.
[edit] Solo career
Some time later, Toad began to study the Stranger's technology, becoming familiar with it. Over the next several years, Toad attempted to strike out on his own, but met with little success, realizing that he was too dependent on others to work alone. He even tried his hand as a superhero, forming a group called the Misfits with Spider-Kid and Frog-Man. However, Toad suffered from constant depression.
Eventually, Toad left the Misfits and formed his own version of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, along with Blob, Pyro, Sauron, and Phantazia. The team met with little success, however.
[edit] X-Men: Forever
Years later, still struggling with depression, Toad was captured by Prosh, along with Juggernaut, Iceman, Jean Grey and Mystique as part of a convoluted, time-hopping plan to stop a global threat. Toad learned that his deformed body was the result of experimentation by Juggernaut's father, Kurt Marko, at Alamogordo, New Mexico, which left Toad with an unstable genetic structure. The Stranger's equipment corrected his genetic flaws, resulting in an almost complete metamorphosis: Toad was thinner, stronger, and had his powers augmented. Among the most notable changes was a prehensile tongue.
Though his change improved his self-esteem, Toad continued to live life without direction. He joined several more incarnations of the Brotherhood of Mutants, none of which lasted for long.
[edit] Bloodsport Tournament
Not long after, Toad entered the Madripoor Bloodsport Tournament. In his first fight in the tournament, Toad wrapped his extremely long tongue around the villain known as Eel, crushing his opponent's bones and seemingly killing him instantly. In the next fight, however, Toad battled Wolverine. His new abilities caught the X-Man off guard and he managed to deal some damage. However, his overconfidence led to his defeat. Wolverine spared his life, not wanting to partake in the act of cold-blooded murder.
[edit] Planet X
For reasons unknown, Toad eventually returned to Magneto's side during the Planet X storyline; however, Toad was not as docile and subservient as he had been in the past, even openly questioning Magneto at times. Magneto, in turn, was less tyrannical in his treatment of Toad, who had become his second-in-command. At that point, the long-presumed-dead Magneto's image had taken a Che Guevara-like notoriety, and Toad questioned if Magneto may have been more powerful dead than alive. Nonetheless, Toad tried to defend his former master, only to be incapacitated by Fantomex, who shot his kneecaps out. Magneto was soon killed by Wolverine and Toad was among those who gathered in Genosha to form a monument to him. It was later revealed that this was not the real Magneto, but a copycat named Xorn. It is unknown if Toad was aware of this. Either way, the real Magneto turned out to be alive after all. So far, Toad has made no known attempts to rejoin him.
[edit] House of M
When a mentally unstable Scarlet Witch warped reality into the mutant-dominant House of M, Toad appeared as a member of Wolverine's Red Guard, and wrote a best-selling book about his time in Magneto's service. When his real memories were restored, he agreed to help the heroes in changing the reality back to normal.
[edit] The 198
During the battle with the House of M, the Scarlet Witch changed back reality, genetically altering over ninety percent of the world's mutant population and only leaving a few hundred with their powers as a result, Toad among them. After rescuing Lorelei from anti-mutant thugs in Mutant Town, Toad escorted her to the Xavier Institute, where the X-Men had set up a camp for refugee mutants. Once he arrived at the institute he was paired with Fever Pitch as his tent mate, and made his disgust of the Sentinels "watching" them well known.
[edit] Civil War
Toad was among the group of mutants who broke out of the 198 camp, with help from Caliban, Domino, and Shatterstar. The group hid in what they believed was an abandoned nuclear bunker in the Nevada desert. While the X-Men and O*N*E battled outside the bunker, Johnny Dee was instructed by General Lazer to cause chaos amongst the 198. The group of mutants discovered this as Outlaw, being control by Johnny, pointed her gun at Domino. Domino's powers caused a misfire, giving Toad a chance to bring Outlaw down.
It was then revealed that the bunker was actually a blast containment chamber, for experimental weapons. As the auto-destruct sequence was initiated, Toad was trapped inside the chamber with the rest of the 198. The X-Men, teaming up with Bishop, Iron Man, and Ms. Marvel, quickly found a way to rescue the trapped mutants and the 198 walked away unharmed.
[edit] Future
Though said to have been one of the main characters in X-Men: The 198, Toad played only a minimal role in the story. After being confirmed as one of the few mutants to retain his powers, Joe Quesada has commented, "You won't be able to put the Toad back in the box," leading to speculation that Toad may take a more active role in X-Men storylines.
[edit] Powers and abilities
The Toad's intellect and physical abilities have gone through some changes over the years. In the character's inception, he possessed superhuman strength, agility, and a superhuman ability to leap great distances. However, over the years, the Toad's original powers have increased and he has gained additional powers through further mutation.
The Toad's primary mutant ability is a superhuman leaping ability that allows him to leap many times higher and farther than an ordinary human. In his first appearances, Toad had very little knowledge of hand to hand combat, fighting mainly by kicking wildly and by leaping about and attempting to land on his opponents. Recently, he has demonstrated a better sense of combat and a slimmer physique, using both his leaping ability and his long, prehensile tongue to his advantage.
The Toad's intellect has increased beyond his original levels and he has had access to vast technological and scientific knowledge, which he gained as a lackey to Magneto and while he was held captive by the Stranger. He has demonstrated the ability to apply this advanced technology, but lacks the creativity to make progress beyond his existing knowledge. For example, while he could build a powerful exoskeletal armor, he would be unable to improve on its base design.
The Toad has some degree of superhuman strength, particularly in his legs which grants him his superior leaping abilities. Toad also has a very flexible spine, allowing him to remain in a crouching position comfortably for hours, though he can stand if he wishes. He also has gained the ability to extend his tongue great distances and ensnare objects and people. His tongue is superhumanly strong to the extent that he once killed a magistrate of Genosha by ensnaring him with his tongue and squeezing him, causing the magistrate to be crushed to death. He is also able to secrete a sticky resin from his hands as well as an ability to secrete odorless pheremonous venom that he is able to use to control minds to a limited extent.
The Toad also possesses the ability to psionically communicate with amphibian life and expel powerful gusts of wind from his lungs capable of knocking someone down.
[edit] Alternate versions
[edit] Ultimate Toad
In the Ultimate Marvel continuity, Toad was a founding member of the Brotherhood of Mutants. In this version, he is not the sycophantic Toad from the mainstream universe, but rather is ruthless and vicious. This Toad is also British like the mainstream version but has four fingers, green skin and can walk on walls like Spider-Man. He became good friends with Ultimate Cyclops, when they were in the Brotherhood together. This friendship carried on even after Cyclops returned to the X-Men. It appeared that Toad recently returned in Ultimate X-Men #69, where he crashed a dance alongside the Brotherhood, but was later revealed that the Brotherhood in that issue was an illusion cast by another villain. Ultimate Toad's personality and appearance is more snarky British punk than subservient yes-man, and he has been shown as a relatively competent fighter in his few appearances.
[edit] Age of Apocalypse
In the Age of Apocalypse, Toad was a member of Forge's resistance group, the Outcasts. This version of Toad was a highly articulate Shakespearean actor, and a master swordsman. When the Outcasts were attacked by Domino, Toad killed her henchman Caliban but died immediately afterward at the hands of Grizzly.
[edit] Marvel 1602
Toad appears in as Magneto's spy in the Vatican. As Magneto's plot was to recruit the "witchbreed" who could conceal their abilities in the unfriendly world, it is wondered why Toad was included, as he is shown with a long tongue constantly coming out of his mouth. He also has the ability to climb around on walls. When his deception is discovered by the Papacy, he betrays Magneto and his allies in exchange for his life. However, when Magneto's group breaks free, they capture Toad. Magneto promises to kill him, but his death is at least delayed, as he is seen alive on the ship later, though he doesn't appear in the climax.
[edit] Appearances in other media
[edit] Film
- Toad appeared as a character in the 2000 movie X-Men, played by Ray Park. He is a member of Magneto's Brotherhood and possesses enhanced leaping capability and agility, a sticky, 13-foot tongue, and the ability to produce a mucus that hardens almost instantly. In the battle at the Statue of Liberty, Toad was electrocuted by Storm and it implied he died. However, in the GBA version of X-Men: The Official Movie Game, Toad appeared, revealing that he survived being electrocuted by Storm.
- As a homage to his earlier role as Darth Maul, during his final seconds in battle Ray Park as Toad demonstrated the same movements using a metal pole as were choreographed with the double-bladed lightsaber in Star Wars Episode I.
- Toad was included in an early version of the script for X-Men 2; however, he was replaced by Lady Deathstrike[citation needed].
- It was falsely believed by some that he made a cameo in X-Men: The Last Stand — a green-skinned mutant is seen crawling on a wall when Magneto makes a speech in a mutant meeting. This mutant is then later seen in the first wave of attacks on Alcatraz, where he is hit by a needle containing the mutant cure and then fell from the structure he was clinging to, his skin changing colors. The character however was confirmed as not being Toad, according to the credits of the movie; many believe it to be Anole.
[edit] Television
- He appears in the X-Men: Evolution cartoon as an American teen named Todd Tolensky instead of Mortimer Toynbee. In the series he is a member of the Brotherhood and a former classmate of the X-Men. He has a crush on Magneto's daughter, Wanda, a.k.a the Scarlet Witch. He was one of the mutants who helped defeat Apocalypse in the series finale. He was voiced by Noel Fisher.
- Toad appears in the pilot episode Pryde of the X-Men, in which he is voiced by Frank Welker.
- He made a cameo in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends on a TV monitor, when Magneto is demanding for The Brotherhood Of Evil Mutants to be freed from prison (in the episode "The Prison Plot").
- Toad appeared in the X-Men animated series episodes Secrets, No Longer Buried and Graduation Day. In his first appearance, Toad is part of the Children of the Shadow, a mutant-supremacist group led by Bill Braddock, a.k.a. Solarr.
[edit] Video games
- Toad is an unlockable character in the video game X-Men: Mutant Academy, and a regular character in its sequels X-Men: Mutant Academy 2 and X-Men: Next Dimension.
- Toad makes an appearance as a mini-boss in the multiplayer action-RPG video game X-Men Legends and is a playable character in the sequel, X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse.
[edit] Toys
- Toad had one figure in the Marvel Legends toy line's debut, and several in the X-Men Movie line.
[edit] External links
Categories: Articles lacking sources from March 2007 | All articles lacking sources | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Fictional English people | Fictional terrorists | Fictional henchmen | Marvel Comics mutants | Marvel Comics characters with superhuman strength | 1964 introductions | Marvel Comics supervillains
