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BADBALLS

Membership: Crasher, Smasher, Trasher

Identity/Class: Terrestrial mutated bowling balls (fringe characters)

Purpose: To destroy the Madballs

Affiliations: Anchor-Man, Colonel Corn, Cornball, Doktor Viktor Frankenbeans, International Network of Creeps (I.N.C.), Madbelle, Maiden Hong Kong, Simon Snivelitch, Miss Tic the Mystic, Weird Beard

Enemies: Madballs (Aargh, Bash Brain/Crack Head, Bruise Brother, Dust Brain, Fistface, Foul Shot, Freaky Fullback, Goal Eater, Horn Head/Nob Head, Lock Lips, Oculus Orbus, Screamin' Meemie, Skullface, Slobulus, Snake Bait, Splitting Headache, Swine Sucker, Wolf Breath/Baby's Breath)

Base of Operations: Mobile in USA

First Appearance: Madballs#3/1 (November, 1986)

History:
(Madballs#3/1) - Deranged scientist Doktor Viktor Frankenbeans and his simpleton assistant Snivelitch tested new formulas of the toxic sludge that had created the unique sentient Madballs outside their R.U.I.N. labs but with scant success. Frustrated, Frankenbeans ordered Snivelitch dispose of the new sludge plus nearby bowling balls. However, the balls reacted with sludge chemicals and, very similar to the Madballs, developed sentience and levitation power, but were instinctively aggressive. Frankenbeans played on their hostility by saying that the Madballs claimed they were the meanest, so the self-dubbed Badballs flew off to challenge them. The Badballs launched a combined bowling attack at the heroic Madballs, which scattered. The Madballs regrouped in a bowling alley where Dust Brain used excess gauze as a trap for the pursuing Badballs targeting the assembled Madballs. The gauze threw the Badballs back at their human creators, knocking them over. The Madballs chased their foes back to the R.U.I.N. labs where Horn Head knocked the Badballs into the toxic pool. They reverted to bowling balls and splashed out again to pound onto their humans' heads.

(Madballs#4/1) - Frankenbeans and Snivelitch recalled their plan to have the Badballs stop the Madballs backfired.

(Madballs#9 (fb) - BTS) - A newspaper reported on the Madballs victory over the Badballs.

   The villainous Miss Tic the Mystic revived the Badballs to their aggressive mutated forms as part of a wide-reaching plan to eliminate the heroic creatures.

(Madballs#9) - Doktor Frankenbeans allied with Miss Tic the Mystic to magically bring together the Madballs' greatest foes: Anchor-Man, Colonel Corn, Maiden Hong Kong, Weirdbeard and the Badballs, forming the International Network of Creeps (I.N.C.). They held the world hostage by causing chaos unless the world paid them $27 quillion. The Madballs split into five groups to tackle the internationally spread threats; Bruise Brother, Foul Shot and Slobulus sped to their R.U.I.N. labs where Miss Tic had turned the Badballs invisible for a surprise attack. The Madballs were knocked down, but Slobulus' allergic sneeze splattered slime onto the Badballs' invisible forms, allowing the Madballs to find them, and the Madballs quickly pounded them down. The evildoers fled outside only to encounter the other failed villains. There, the scoundrels were forced into the toxic pond that had given rise to the Madballs and the Madballs mocked them all.

Comments: Created by Michael Gallagher, Howard Post, Roberta Edelman.

The flashback in Madballs#4 incorrectly shows the Badballs in colored sentient nasty mode, but the actual story in #3 shows the Badballs to appear as black bowling balls again. I'll put that flashback confusion down to being whacked on the head by the bowling balls.

There may have opportunities to expand on the balls with a metal one called Thrasher, a toothy one called Gnasher, a toweled one called Flasher, a bacon-wrapped one called Rasher, a Christmas-themed one called Dasher, etc.

If you think I'm going to make any more puns here, I say "Nuts to you! Go see a doctor!"

This profile was completed 05/11/2025, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary's celebratory event.

Profile by Grendel Prime.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The Badballs has no known connections to:

Crasher

Crasher was originally one of three bowling balls that were dropped into unique toxic slime and turned it into a sentient being with levitation powers and an aggressive instinct. Crasher became an informal leader of the close-knit trio. Easily influenced by deranged scientist Doktor Frankenbeans at the R.U.I.N. labs, the Badballs became quick foes of the similarly sentient but heroic Madballs. The Badballs were initially victorious with a surprise attack, but the Madballs fought back in their first encounter by rallying together and the Badballs fell into the toxic slime pool at the labs, reverting to bowling balls. Later, an alliance of Madball foes saw the Badballs revived by Miss Tic the Mystic, who turned them invisible for a surprise attack against the Madballs Bruise Brother, Foul Shot and Slobulus; however, Slobulus' gooey sneeze revealed the Badballs' location and they were pummeled down. All three Badballs were once more pushed into the toxic slime pool at the R.U.I.N. labs.

 

 

 

 

 

--Madballs#3/1 (9

Smasher

Smasher was originally one of three bowling balls that were dropped into unique toxic slime and turned it into a sentient being with levitation powers and an aggressive instinct. Easily influenced by deranged scientist Doktor Frankenbeans at the R.U.I.N. labs, the close-knit Badballs trio became quick foes of the similarly sentient but heroic Madballs. The Badballs were initially victorious with a surprise attack, but the Madballs fought back in their first encounter by rallying together and the Badballs fell into the toxic slime pool at the labs, reverting to bowling balls. Later, an alliance of Madball foes saw the Badballs revived by Miss Tic the Mystic, who turned them invisible for a surprise attack against the Madballs Bruise Brother, Foul Shot and Slobulus; however, Slobulus' gooey sneeze revealed the Badballs' location and they were pummeled down. All three Badballs were once more pushed into the toxic slime pool at the R.U.I.N. labs.

 

 

 

 

 

--Madballs#3/1 (9

Trasher

Trasher was originally one of three bowling balls that were dropped into unique toxic slime and turned it into a sentient being with levitation powers and an aggressive instinct. Easily influenced by deranged scientist Doktor Frankenbeans at the R.U.I.N. labs, the close-knit Badballs trio became quick foes of the similarly sentient but heroic Madballs. The Badballs were initially victorious with a surprise attack, but the Madballs fought back in their first encounter by rallying together and the Badballs fell into the toxic slime pool at the labs, reverting to bowling balls. Later, an alliance of Madball foes saw the Badballs revived by Miss Tic the Mystic, who turned them invisible for a surprise attack against the Madballs Bruise Brother, Foul Shot and Slobulus; however, Slobulus' gooey sneeze revealed the Badballs' location and they were pummeled down. All three Badballs were once more pushed into the toxic slime pool at the R.U.I.N. labs.

 

 

 

 

 

--Madballs#3/1 (9

images: (without ads)
Madballs#3, cover (main image)
Madballs#3/1, p11, pan5 (as bowling balls)
   p6, pan3 (Crasher)
   p6, pan3 (Smasher)
   p6, pan3 (Trasher)

Appearances:
Madballs#3/1 (November, 1986) - Michael Gallagher (writer), Howard Post (pencils), Roberta Edelman (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)
Madballs#4/1 (June, 1987) - Michael Gallagher (writer), Howard Post (pencils), Roberta Edelman (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)
Madballs#9 (April, 1988) - Michael Gallagher (writer), Laura Hitchcock (inspiration), Howard Post (pencils), Roberta Edelman (inks), Sid Jacobson (editor)

First Posted: 09/28/2026
Last updated: 05/11/2025

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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