VEGETERRIBLES
Membership: Crushroom, Iceberg Lettuce, Paul Onion, Pea Shooter, Rotten Tomato, Spud-Nick
Identity/Class: Chemically mutated sentient
vegetables/fungus (fringe
characters)
Purpose: To destroy the Madballs
Affiliations: Doktor Frankenbeans, Snivelitch
Enemies: Madballs (Aargh, Freaky Fullback,
Horn Head, Lock Lips, Oculus Orbis, Swine Sucker), friends of
Madballs
Base of Operations: R.U.I.N. Laboratories
First Appearance: Madballs#5/3 (August, 1987)
History:
(Madballs#5/3) - Recovering from a nervous breakdown,
Doktor Frankenbeans planted vegetable seeds at his R.U.I.N. Labs base, but his bumbling assistant
Snivelitch mixed up hoses and instead the water supply to the seeds
came from the toxic pond that had spawned the powerful but chaotic
Madballs. The toxic pond water instantly grew the vegetables to full
size: Crushroom (a ramming mushroom), Iceberg Lettuce (a freeze-staring
lettuce), Paul Onion (a scallion with overpowering fumes), Pea Shooter
(a hard-pea shooter), Rotten Tomato (a splattering tomato that could
instantly reform after impact) and Spud-Nick (a high-flying potato with
many eyes for spying). These creatures were fully sentient with powers
and loyalty to their creator. The bizarre sight and mention of Madballs
returned Doktor Frankenbeans' nefarious nature and quest to destroy the
Madballs, and he sent his new creations on their mission.
Spud-Nick found four Madballs
playing with their children friends at the Aragon Ballroom and reported
back to Frankenbeans. All Vegeterribles soon attacked, but two
other Madballs (Horn Head and Swine Sucker) were elsewhere unseen.
Although the
Vegeterribles' surprise attack almost overpowered the four Madballs at
the Ballroom, the Madballs valiantly fought back; however, the
powerhouse Iceberg Lettuce used its stare to freeze the children in ice
blocks and the surrendering four Madballs. Frankenbeans and the
Vegeterribles took the captive Madballs to their home base, but the
other two Madballs soon discovered the fiendish attack and pursued.
Snivelitch fainted at the two newly arrived Madballs and broke the ice,
freeing the other Madballs while the Doktor directed the Vegeterribles
to attack the Madballs in unison. But the always-ravenous Swine Sucker (a
fanged pig-headed Madball) messily devoured the Vegeterribles,
permanently ending their threat.
Comments: Created by Michael Gallagher & Robert Edelman.
The puns fly thick and fast in the Madballs comic
series! Obscure ones here would be Paul Onion derived from
North American folk character Paul Bunyan, and Spud-Nick derived from
Sputnik, the Russian satellite.
Surely children would expect (overcooked) Brussels sprouts to be in this mix!! But it may be a bit too difficult to work in a pun there; perhaps defer to Rabid Cabbage? (Especially given mushrooms aren't vegetables).
Profile by Grendel Prime.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Vegeterribles have no known connections to:
Crushroom was a mushroom rapidly grown and mutated by the highly toxic water outside R.U.I.N. Laboratories.
It could quickly launch itself and ram an opponent. Like other Vegeterribles, it could float in the air, fly at human running speed, speak and was instantly loyal to its creator.
It was destroyed in a munching frenzy by the
Madball Swine Sucker.
--Madballs#5/3
Iceberg Lettuce was created from the vegetable seeds sown by Doktor Frankenbeans outside R.U.I.N. Labs. Toxic chemical water quickly grew it to full size.
It was very powerful with an icy stare that could rapidly freeze an opponent, encasing them in a block of ice in seconds. Like other Vegeterribles, it could float in the air, fly at human running speed, speak and was instantly loyal to its creator.
It
was swiftly destroyed in a fierce feeding frenzy by the Madball Swine
Sucker.
--Madballs#5/3
Paul Onion was grown from the vegetable seeds planted by Doktor Frankenbeans at R.U.I.N. Labs. Toxic water unintentionally used to water the seeds promptly grew it to full size with fumigating properties it could call on command that could overpower an opponent.
Like other Vegeterribles, it could float in the air, fly at human running speed, speak and was instantly loyal to its creator.
It was devoured in a feeding frenzy by the Madball Swine Sucker.
--Madballs#5/3
Pea Shooter was grown from the seeds planted at the R.U.I.N. Labs and unintentionally mutated by the highly toxic chemicals from the nearby pond.
Pea Shooter could fire its hard pea projectiles from its pod-like head with unerring accuracy. Like other Vegeterribles, it could float in the air, fly at human running speed, speak and was instantly loyal to its creator.
It was messily eaten in a
savage feeding frenzy by the Madball Swine Sucker.
--Madballs#5/3
Rotten Tomato was grown from seeds planted by Doktor Frankenbeans at the R.U.I.N. Labs and unintentionally watered by highly toxic chemicals.
It could hurl itself at an opponent, splattering itself, then quickly reconstitute itself for another attack. Like other Vegeterribles, it could float in the air, fly at human running speed, speak and was instantly loyal to its creator.
It was devoured in a
feeding frenzy by the Madball Swine Sucker.
--Madballs#5/3
Spud-Nick was a potato swiftly grown and mutated by the highly toxic water outside R.U.I.N. Labs.
It could quickly launch itself to fly higher than other Vegeterribles and use its large array of eyes all around itself to see everywhere, but otherwise showed no fighting ability and did not chip in during battles. Like other Vegeterribles, it could float in the air, fly at human running speed, speak and was instantly loyal to its creator.
It was crunched apart in a munching frenzy by the Madball Swine Sucker.
--Madballs#5/3
images:
(without ads)
Madballs#5/3, p4, pan2 (main image, introductions)
p6, pan7 (Crushroom)
p7, pan4 (Iceberg Lettuce)
p7, pan2 (Paul Onion)
p6, pan7 (Pea Shooter)
p6, pan7 (Rotten Tomato - splok!)
p6, pan2 (Rotten Tomato, red)
p5, pan2 (Spud-Nick)
Appearances:
Madballs#5/3 (August, 1987) - Michael Gallagher (writer, pencils),
Roberta Edelman (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)
First posted: 04/25/2025
Last updated:
04/25/2025
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
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