Toad

Origin

Born in York, England, Mortimer Toynbee has always been less than handsome. His parents abandoned him almost immediately. He lived for a few years in an orphanage, where cruel boys teased and tormented him on account of his ugliness and misshapen body. Despite being rather intelligent, his appearance, extreme shyness and slight learning disability led most to believe him to be slow. Mortimer dropped out of the orphanage prematurely, opting to live on the streets and fend for himself rather than face the abuse from the other boys. The constant fear and hatred exhibited by everyone he knew caused him to develop a severe inferiority complex. This caused Mortimer early on to show almost absolute devotion to anyone who shows him the slightest amount of affection or respect.

Creation

Toad was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and first appeared in The X-Men #4 (1964).

Mayor Story Arcs

Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

As Toad, he became a member of Magneto’s original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, along with Mastermind, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, whom Toad professes to love. This lead to a constant hostility between Toad and Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch’s overprotective brother. Toad was completely devoted to Magneto, presumably the only reason being Magneto took him in as a fellow mutant. However, Toad believes Magneto truly loves him, but in reality Magneto sees him as pitiful, stupid and nothing more than a pawn to be traded when necessary.

His Own Brotherhood

Eventually Toad started to mutate further, giving him an even more evil-looking appearance and a personality to boot. He started his very own group of Evil Mutants, with mutants such as Sauron, Blob and others. This made him come into contact with various superheroes, mostly with the mutant strike force known as X-Force. During one of these encounters, teammate Sauron seemingly fataly wounded X-Force member Cannonball. He however got better. After they where defeated, Toad remained a plague to humanity, fighting against humans where he could, and even murdering someone. Some months later, Toad left his terrorist ways behind, but was still a strong fighter against humanity in spirit.

The 198

During the House of M event, Scarlet Witch has a complete mental breakdown and, losing her mind and control of her powers, alters all reality into an ideal fantasy world. She eventually changes it back, genetically altering almost all of the world’s mutant population. Most are depowered, in fact only an estimated 198 keep their powers (Toad is one of these 198). Soon after rescuing the mutant Lorelei from an anti-mutant mob, he leads her to the Xavier Institute which has become a sanctuary of sorts for all remaining mutants. He stayed on at the Institute, and found himself sharing a tent with Fever Pitch. He commonly voices his resentment of the Sentinel guards watching the mutants at the Institute.

Civil War

Along with Caliban, Domino and Shatterstar, Toad led a group of mutants to break out of the 198 camp, and lead them to what they believed was an old abandoned nuclear bunker in the deserts of Nevada. The X-Men soon engaged the ONE outside the bunker. Meanwhile, General Lazer instructed mutant Johnny Dee to create havoc among the 198 escapees inside the bunker. Johnny took control of the mutant Outlaw and forced him to shoot at Domino. The mutants realized Outlaw’s possession in time, however, and Domino was able to use her power to cause a misfire. Toad took this opportunity to take Outlaw out so he could not harm anyone else. The escapees then discovered the ‘bunker’ was actually a chamber designed to contain the blast for powerful and experimental weapons. Someone activated the auto-destruct and Toad was trapped with the other escapees. The X-Men, along with Bishop, Iron Man, and Ms. Marvel, managed to find a way to free the trapped mutants and everyone, 198 included, left without injury.

Utopia

During Utopia, many mutants moved to including Toad. He was seen in the city’s riots and was injured in the chaos. Trance and Dragoness are seen trying to carry him to safety, but are slowed when H.A.M.M.E.R. soldiers start chasing them. Gambit rescued the three from the soldiers.

Regensis

After Schism, Toad begged Wolverine to let him go with the group of mutants that was going to go to Westchester. And now he is part of Jean Grey School for Higher Learning as Janitor.

Powers

• Superhuman Leaping: The Toad's primary mutant power is the ability to leap to heights and distances far greater than that of an ordinary human. He possesses a degree of superhuman strength, particularly in his back and legs, which grants him his superior leaping abilities. He has a vertical leap of 25 feet and a horizontal jump of approximately 37 feet in a single leap. Although the Toad usually stands in a crouching position, he can stand erect if he wishes. His unusually flexible spine enables him to crouch continually without strain. The Toad has no knowledge of hand-to-hand combat. However, his powers enable him to execute a leaping kick with superhuman force at an opponent.

• Flexible Bone Structure: The Toad's bone structure enables him great flexibility. He can remain in a crouching position for long periods of time and perform contortionist type feats without causing any damage to his spine.

• Superhuman Stamina: The Toad's muscles produce a significantly lower amount of fatigue toxins during physical activity than the muscles of an ordinary human. He can exert himself at peak capacity for several hours before fatigue begins to impair him.

• Superhuman Agility: The Toad's overall equilibrium application is enhanced to some degree and his bodily coordination and balance are enhanced to levels that are beyond the human body's natural limits.

• Superhuman Reflexes: The Toad's reflexes are enhanced to levels that are beyond the human body's natural limits.

• Superhuman Durability: The Toad's body is tougher and more resistant to physical injury than an ordinary human's. He can withstand major impacts and physical trauma that would severely injure or kill an ordinary human with moderate discomfort. However, he is not invulnerable and can be injured in ways similar to an ordinary human. For instance, he is not bulletproof, save for a small caliber bullet, and can be injured by weapons composed of conventional materials if he is struck with sufficient force.

• Regenerative Healing Factor: The Toad has a limited healing factor that allows him to recover from injuries and ailments at an accelerated rate. He can recover from minor ailments, such as a cold, within a few hours. Larger, more damaging injuries, such as broken bones, heal within a matter of days. The Toad's healing rate seems to be quite powerful, as seen when Wolverine once cut off his tongue down to the base, only to have completely regenerated it in a matter of hours.

• UV/Infrared Vision: The Toad's enhanced vision allows him to see into the ultraviolet and infrared spectrum, granting him a degree of heightened night vision. However, his eyes are also sensitive to certain types of lighting, forcing him to wear light-filtering goggles that allow him to operate in strong daylight that would otherwise blind him.

• Prehensile Tongue: The Toad has the ability to extend his tongue up to 30 feet in distance to ensnare objects and people. His tongue is super-humanly 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.

• Pheromone Secretion: The Toad's tongue secretes odorless, pheremonous venom that seeps through the skin directly into the bloodstream. This venom allows him to control minds of any exposed to it to a limited extent..

• Acidic Saliva: The Toad's saliva is highly acidic and can adheres to most surfaces and quickly dissolve most materials with ease.

• Paralytic Resin: The Toad's pores secrete an adhesive resin that allows him to stick to any surface and paralyzes the nervous systems of any living organism that comes into contact with it.

• Superhuman Respiratory System: The Toad's lungs can expand and compress large quantities of air that can be expelled with enough force to knock a fully grown human off their feet.

• Amphibian Control: The Toad the ability to psionically communicate with and control amphibian life, such as frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders, who he often uses as spies.

Appearances

Toad was one of the regulars in X-Men: the 198, however his appearances in other X-Men stories are scarce and usually far apart.

Alternate Realities

Earth 295 - Age of apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse reality Toad is a highly talented Shakespearean actor and master swordsman. He is a member of Forge’s outcast group, an small group of outsiders that travels in North America helping people and attacking small facilities of Apocalypse. Due to the great powers of Nate they were sensed by Shadow King so the Dark lord sent his most trusted bounty hunters. when they are attacked by Domino, Caliban and Grizzly on behalf of Apocalypse, Toad duels Caliban and kills him, but is killed almost immediately afterward by Grizzly.

This version of Toad has pale skin, bald and he seems disfigured.

1602 Toad: Earth-311

In the 1602 reality, Toad is a spy for Magneto who is the head of the. Magneto’s plot is to recruit all of the witchbreed (AKA mutants)

able to hide their mutations from the hatred of normal people. Some have noted that Toad would not have been included as he is deformed and always has a yard-long tongue sticking out of his mouth. He also retains his ability to cling to walls. When the Papacy discovers he is working for Magneto, he betrays Magneto in return for his life. Later, when Magneto’s group breaks free, they capture Toad and Magneto promises to kill him. Toad’s execution is postponed, however, as he is seen alive on the ship, though he does not appear in the climax of the story and may have been killed on the ship.

Earth-58163

In Scarlet Witch’s House of M reality, Toad is a member of the Elite Red Guard Unit of SHIELD and wrote a best-selling book about his life. Toad was among the first group to welcome Wolverine when he arrives in the House of M.

Ultimate Toad or Earth-1610

As with the mainstream timeline, Toad first appears as a member of Magneto’s Brotherhood. Towards the beginning of the

Ultimate X-Men story, Cyclops fakes joining the Brotherhood and becomes roommates and close friends with Toad. They stay in touch throughout the series and Cyclops voices his belief that Toad is not evil, merely devoted to his wrong impression of Magneto and his cause.

After Xavier was killed by Cable (although it was later revealed he was only kidnapped), Cyclops and Jean Grey inherit control of the school and Toad becomes a member of the X-Men and even an instructor at the school Cyclops welcomes him, but Jean and a few others feel uncomfortable and do not pretend to trust or like Toad. Cyclops and Toad soon visit the Morlocks and offer to take any of them who desire back to the school, and tell them of its new operation. Sunder, the leader of the Morlocks, had previously taken in Nightcrawler, but sees the appearances of so many ‘surface dwellers’ as more than coincidence. He believes all three are working against the Morlocks and takes Toad and Nightcrawler captive. Cyclops, Jean, Rogue and Iceman free them soon after.

Ultimate Toad has a less pathetic personality, and appears more a spunky British punk than a compliant yes-man. His powers include his leaping, wall clinging and prehensile tongue from his introduction. He has been shown as a fairly skilled fighter in his appearances. He is reported to be dead after the Ultimatum story arc.

First Class

In the X-Men: First Class Issue 7: Who wants to Date a Millionaire, the X-Men were talking about former events not seen in the comics as they talked to each other about the Brotherhood of Mutants which were beaten in a battle by Stranger, an alien, which took Toad and Magneto with him after their fight, leaving behind Mastermind in stone and the twins, Wanda and Pietro, unharmed.

Other Media

Film

Toad was one of four Brotherhood members to appear in the 2000 X-Men movie (the others being Magneto, Mystique and Sabretooth). He is played by Ray Park, who had previously been mostly a stuntman. His first and only pertinent role before Toad was Darth Maul in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Toad possesses his leaping ability, wall clinging, increased agility, dexterity, reflexes, coordination, balance, and his trademark 13-foot prehensile tongue, as well as his sticky mucus with which he nearly suffocates Jean Grey. He is portrayed as a master combatant and uses a long metal pole as a weapon when battling the X-Men in the Statue of Liberty. He actually bests Jean and Cyclops, before Storm blows him off the platform. He grabs it with his tongue, but she electrocutes him, making the popular joke, “You know what happens to a toad when it’s struck by lightning? The same thing that happens to everything else.” It is implied that he died from the electrocution or hitting the water.

Although some fans believed they saw him stick to a wall in the third film, this was actually Anole, another green, wall-crawling mutant.

It has also been proposed that Toad appeared briefly in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Near the end in Stryker’s island prison several mutant prisoners are seen. A few recognizable powers and appearances are seen, including one mutant with a greenish, muddy complexion and five feet of tongue sticking out of his mouth.

Television

Pryde of the X-Men

Toad is a member of the Brotherhood of Evil terrorists. His teammates trick and deceive him many times. The Brotherhood

steals a power circuit, and when the X-Men try to retrieve it, Toad blocked their path and faced Wolverine one on one.

X-Men Animated Series

Toad is a member of the Children of the Shadow which is led by Solarr.

Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends

Magneto hatches a plan to free all his fellow mutants, and Toad was among them. He then fights Spider-Man and his friends.

X-Men Evolution

This Toad’s real name is Todd Tolansky, and is one of the most popular incarnations of Toad. They are very similar in powers, however, as with most of the characters, Toad is a teenager, he is not British, and he does not seem to know Magneto. He also is not the clingy, henchman type, rather the shiftless, self-interested, ratty looking typical teenager.

Todd is a 17 year old attendee of Bayville High and is the first member of Mystique’s brotherhood. He teams up with teen versions of Blob, Quicksilver, Avalanche (who is a field leader of sorts), and later Scarlet Witch. He hopelessly fell for Wanda and tried in many occasions to get her heart, there is even a full episode dedicated to this (The Toad, the Witch and the Wardrobe). From the first episode on he had a rivalry with Nightcrawler. When Apocalypse surfaces, all the Brotherhood refuses to join the battle except for Scarlet Witch, however they reluctantly followed out of concern for their teammates safety.

Wolverine and the X-Men

This Toad is often captured by the MRD, and even threatens the arresting officers that the Brotherhood will come to his rescue. They do so and rescue their bumbling teammate. When Rogue pretends to join the Brotherhood, she is irritated by Toad’s attitude and by his tongue constantly waving around, so she removes a glove and grabs it out of the air, temporarily absorbing his powers and knocking him out cold. Domino apologizes for Toad and says he is new to the team.

Video games

• Toad is an unlockable character in the video game X-Men: Mutant Academy.
• Toad is a regular character in X-Men: Mutant Academy 2.
• Toad is a regular character in X-Men: Next Dimension.
• Toad makes an appearance as a mini-boss in the multiplayer action-RPG video game X-Men Legends voiced by Armin Shimerman. Like most of the other characters in that game, he has the physical appearance of his Ultimate version, but has the history and personality of the 616 version. The X-Men encounter him at a HAARP base and defeat him. He was imprisoned in their holding cell until Magneto later rescued him. Upon arrival on Asteroid M, Emma Frost took control of Toad's mind to open the entrance to Asteroid M.
• Armin Shimerman reprises his role of Toad who is a playable character in the sequel X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse. He has special dialogue with Stryfe and Blink (when she is rescued). He also has a crush on Magneto's daughter Scarlet Witch and often praises and compliments her.
• In the GBA version of X-Men: The Official Game (which fills in the gap between X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand), Toad appeared in a minor role.
• Trailer's have confirmed that Toad will be present in the game as a member of the brotherhood.The game which let's players choose one of three mutants and allows the player to shape that mutants destiny is set to be released in fall 2011