Toad

Mortimer Toynbee was born in York, England, abandoned as an infant due to severe physical deformities. Raised in an orphanage where he was abused and isolated, he developed deep emotional trauma and a desperate need for approval. His natural intelligence went unrecognized due to his stunted development, and his early mutation—powerful legs, enhanced agility, and strange physiology—only intensified the mistreatment. At some point he became part of the Black Womb Project in Alamogordo, where Amanda Mueller classified him as a failed mutant template before releasing him to continue developing naturally.

As a young man, Toynbee was nearly killed in a lynching before being saved by Magneto, who recruited him into the first Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Mortimer became the Toad—fanatically loyal to Magneto despite constant abuse. Within the Brotherhood he served alongside Mastermind, Quicksilver, and the Scarlet Witch, developing an obsessive infatuation with the latter. He aided Magneto in early conflicts with the X-Men until both he and Magneto were taken captive by the Stranger. After Magneto escaped and abandoned him, Toad’s devotion gradually curdled into resentment. When Magneto later attempted another escape, Toad deliberately thwarted him, leaving him to a presumed death.

Afterward, Toad attempted several misguided bids for independence. He briefly joined Arkon, stole advanced alien technology from the Stranger, and made multiple attacks on the Avengers in a futile attempt to win Scarlet Witch’s affection. He served time in Ryker’s Island before being drawn into various schemes with the Defenders and created an elaborate trap-filled fortress through Arcade, only for the plan to collapse into humiliation. He later formed the Misfits with Frog-Man and Spider-Kid, but his ongoing obsession with the Scarlet Witch led to further violent confrontations with the Avengers.

Seeking power, Toad attempted to form new Brotherhoods, most notably recruiting Blob, Pyro, Sauron, and Phantazia. These groups repeatedly clashed with X-Force, X-Factor, and various young mutant factions, but never succeeded in gaining lasting influence. He eventually attempted to join the Hellfire Club but was rejected; Emma Frost instead allowed him sanctuary, where he developed an unstable “kingdom” filled with amphibians. His mental instability worsened, especially after conflicts involving Onslaught and Cerebro, and he was repeatedly hospitalized or manipulated into new battles.

Through a time-spanning mission involving Prosh, Toad discovered the truth about his genetic instability and underwent a forced metamorphosis that streamlined his physique and stabilized his mutation, granting him enhanced agility and a powerful prehensile tongue. With these new abilities he returned to a Brotherhood under Mystique and later participated in the Bloodsport tournament in Madripoor. When Xorn’s false Magneto launched a violent uprising in Genosha, Toad joined his Brotherhood but was defeated and mutilated in the aftermath, later losing his tongue during a confrontation with Wolverine.

After the Decimation, Toad was among the few mutants who retained their powers. He drifted between refugee groups, the Xavier Institute’s encampment, and conflicts with ONE*. He moved to Utopia with other mutants, where he remained a troublemaker and occasionally formed small gangs that clashed with X-Men operations. Eventually, feeling unwanted, he joined Wolverine’s Jean Grey School as a janitor. Despite his low status, he formed a complicated, unhealthy relationship with Husk and briefly joined the villainous Hellfire Academy before turning against them. Rejected afterward by the Jean Grey School, he departed in disgrace.

Toad’s life unraveled further during the Inhuman crisis, leading him to alcoholism and a misguided attempt to murder the time-displaced Cyclops in Paris. He later joined missions against Terrigen experimentation before becoming part of New Tian under Hydra rule, where secondary mutation experimentation granted him a flame-wreathed tongue. He then served Miss Sinister and Bastion in the Mothervine project and clashed with Magneto’s X-Men. When the crisis ended, Magneto rebuilt Asteroid M and welcomed Toad back into a renewed Brotherhood of Evil Mutants—bringing Mortimer’s long, chaotic history full circle, once again placing him at the feet of a master he could never fully escape.

Appearance: Toad has sickly green skin with a slick, almost wet sheen across his face, hands, and feet. His features are narrow and sharply lined, with large, bulbous yellow goggles covering his eyes, the lenses bright and reflective. His hair is dark brown , cut unevenly with messy strands sticking forward and to the sides. The skin around his mouth stretches wide to accommodate an extremely long, muscular tongue that extends outward in a thick, tapering strand colored in shades of pink and red with a moist, textured surface. He wears a dark green hooded garment that sits close around his head and shoulders, the material thin enough to show subtle folds and flexion across his upper body. His gloves and boots are golden and glossy, with the fingers and toes elongated and webbed, coated in a shiny layer that matches the amphibian texture of his skin. His limbs are slim but corded with visible muscle definition, especially along his legs and forearms, giving him a lean, agile, and sinewy appearance.

Personality: Toad’s personality is insecure, volatile, and deeply shaped by a lifetime of rejection. He latches onto anyone who offers even a hint of acceptance, often becoming clingy, subservient, or obsessively loyal, but that loyalty can flip into bitterness or spite when he feels abandoned or humiliated. His self-esteem is fragile, leaving him defensive, jealous, and quick to interpret neutral actions as personal slights.

Despite this instability, he is intelligent, resourceful, and capable of surprising cunning, especially when technology or survival is involved. His moods swing sharply: sometimes fawning and eager to please, other times resentful, sarcastic, or cruel. He craves belonging more than power, and much of his behavior comes from fear of being alone.

Toad possesses a wide range of mutations tied to his amphibian physiology. His natural abilities include superhuman leaping—able to clear great heights and distances—and a Class 10 level of strength focused primarily in his legs, later extending into his upper body. His skeleton is unusually flexible, allowing extreme contortion without injury, and his stamina, agility, reflexes, and durability all operate far beyond human limits. His body produces fewer fatigue toxins, enabling hours of peak exertion, and his resistance to injury allows him to withstand impacts that would cripple ordinary humans.

His physiology grants additional traits such as a limited healing factor capable of mending severe injuries within days, and even regenerating severed body parts like his tongue. His vision extends into ultraviolet and infrared ranges, improving night sight but requiring protective goggles in strong daylight. His tongue can stretch up to thirty feet, exhibiting great strength and precision, and is capable of lifting or crushing opponents. His saliva is highly acidic and adheres to most surfaces, capable of dissolving materials rapidly. His skin secretes a paralytic adhesive resin effective against living nervous systems, and his respiratory system can compress and expel air with enough force to knock an adult off balance.

Toad can emit an odorless pheromone venom from his tongue and fingertips, which can subtly influence the minds of others through direct skin absorption. He also has the psionic ability to communicate with and control amphibians such as frogs, toads, and salamanders, often using them as scouts. His pores allow him to adhere to almost any surface, and he can cling to walls or ceilings with ease. A later secondary mutation granted him a flaming tongue capable of emitting fire, though the properties and limitations of this ability remain unclear.

In addition to his powers, Toad has accumulated extensive combat experience despite lacking formal martial arts training. His agility, strength, and reflexes make him a dangerous kickboxer, especially with his leaping strikes. He is also highly knowledgeable in technology due to studying advanced machinery belonging to Arcade, Arkon, Magneto, and the Stranger. He has built complex devices, including exoskeletons capable of amplifying his strength, generating electrical blasts, releasing gas, and teleporting.

Toad’s weaknesses stem partly from his biology. His skin secretes chemicals that often cause an offensive odor, and he suffers from neurological chemical imbalances that contribute to erratic or unstable behavior. His mutation was originally flawed due to experimentation during infancy, leaving his genome unstable until Prosh later repaired it, resulting in enhanced physical traits and the emergence of his prehensile, venomous tongue.

He has used specialized equipment at various points, including a prescription drug that stabilizes his chemical imbalance and an ankle-mounted communication device allowing remote contact with Magneto.