The Toxic Avenger

J. J. Doherty, an employee of the corrupt BTH, manages to pass secret information to an investigative reporter. The reporter is killed by The Killer Nutz, a gang working for BTH, and J. J. barely escapes. The murder angers Fritz Garbinger, the gang's manager.

In St. Roma's Village, janitor Winston Gooze struggles to support his stepson Wade after Wade's mother dies of cancer. He faces debt and hardship while caring for Wade. The town's troubles intersect with BTH's shadow over everyday life.

Winston witnesses Daisy being threatened by a thug but does not intervene, leaving Wade disappointed. The incident illuminates Wade's rising distrust toward those who should protect him. It foreshadows the danger looming over their lives.

Back at BTH, owner Bob Garbinger and assistant Kissy fret over the company's finances, especially Bob's debts to mobster Thad Barkabus. Fritz informs them that J. J. has escaped, prompting Bob to demand that he be found.

Winston discovers he has a serious brain disease and will need medication not covered by insurance. The diagnosis heightens his desperation and pushes him toward drastic actions. His illness also seeds the transformation to come.

During a fundraising gala hosted by Bob, Winston pleads for help but is tricked and locked out. In a fit of desperation, he breaks into BTH, uses toxic sludge to fashion a weapon out of a mop, and steals money from the vault while tying up a guard.

As Winston exits the alley, J. J. arrives pursued by The Killer Nutz. J. J. escapes again, but the gang shoots Winston in the head and disposes of his body in toxic sludge, not realizing it revives him as a mutant.

Winston returns home, but Wade is terrified by his mutated guardian and shoves him off a fire escape. The family bond strains as Wade wrestles with accepting his new protector.

Winston is shot by the thug who had threatened Daisy, but he heals instantly with his toxic blood and lashes out at the attacker. The encounter marks the first clear display of his powers.

Police intervention drives Winston into the woods, where he meets hermit Guthrie Stockins. Guthrie urges him to show Wade the truth about himself and embrace his destiny as a protector.

Armed with his mop, Winston returns to town and fights off terrorists called The Nasty Lads, saving hostages and earning the nickname The Toxic Avenger. Wade starts to accept that his stepfather is a hero.

Winston and J. J. confront The Killer Nutz at a concert and triumph. They raid Bob's compound to recover Wade but are captured; Bob drinks an untested potion and mutates into a beast, dying in the ensuing chaos. Kissy, now mutated, is defeated, and Winston's blood cures his disease as the town celebrates the hero.