10 MORE Horror Movies Where The Monster Isn't The Villain

The much-delayed Toxic Avenger reboot is now finally seeing the light of day, meaning it's the perfect time to reflect back on the original 1984 picture.

The story centres around Melvin Junko, a geeky janitor who's regularly picked on by the local bullies. When a prank goes awry, Melvin falls into toxic waste, turning him into a disfigured mutant known as Toxie. Endowed with superstrength, Toxie vows to protect Tromaville from all evildoers. 

At first, Toxie comes across as a hero, going out of his way to take down thieves, drug dealers, and pimps. But in the third act, the melted vigilante inexplicably murders an elderly woman at a dry-cleaning store. In that moment, Toxie has an identity crisis, questioning whether his heart is as horrid as his outward appearance. However, when it's revealed the old woman was the leader of a human trafficking ring, our malformed hero realises the toxic waste has endowed him with the ability to detect evil.

Using his powers and immense strength, Toxie cleans up the crime in Tromaville, bringing peace to his hometown. He may not be nice to look it, but Toxie is anything but a monster.