horny_toad-148611-face-partHORNY TOADhorny_toad-148611-tongue-ang

Real Name: Unrevealed

Identity/Class: Alternate Reality (Earth-148611/"New Universe") human mutate (paranormal)

Occupation: Unrevealed;
    he captured and fought opponents of the Forsaken as needed.

Group Membership: Forsaken (Augur, Desiree (mentioned only) Dog O’ War, Figurine, Fire-Baller/Orel, Four-Eyes, Impact, James, Justice/John Tensen (leader), Kleenix/Victor Pasco, Angie Tensen, Shudderbug, (Rudy Leialoha), many others unidentified;
    possibly Playback (Miriam Morse);
    formerly Judge Mental (former leader), Seraph,

Affiliations: None beyond the Forsaken members noted above

Enemies: Captain Brooklyn;
    formerly Justice, Shudderbug, Angie Tensen

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: The Terminus, below Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York

First Appearance: Justice#31 (May, 1989)

horny_toad-148611-profhorny_toad-148611-tonguePowers/Abilities: Horny Toad could extend his tongue perhaps 20', wrapping it around targets, and even pulling/dragging someone perhaps twice his weight down and across terrain swiftly. He could also use his tongue to strike like a whip.

    He tended to make a "griiik" croaking sound when speaking.

    He was somewhat lecherous and likely lonely, as he appeared to be consistently rejected by women he approached (usually by wrapping his tongue around them...which consistently disgusted them).

    He may or may not have had thick skin or some degree of superhuman durability.

Height: Unrevealed (approximately )
Weight: Unrevealed (approximately )
Eyes: Green
Hair: Brown
Skin: Green

History:

  (Justice#31 (fb) - BTS) - Soon after the White Event, July 22, 1986, a paranormal underground formed in the Terminus in Coney Island. Various paranormals from all over the USA were drawn there, presumably by the thought-projecting paranormal eventually known as Judge Mental.

    After the normal people cleared out of Coney Island, the Forsaken took over and ran the place.

(Justice#30 - BTS) - Agents of the National Security Council -- Chauncy, Playback, and Shudderbug -- investigated reports of renegade paranormals hiding out in Coney Island. Playback was stealthily captured by Figurine, and the other two only realized it when she had vanished.

(Justice#31) - As Chauncy was on the phone to his superior, Terrence Updike, Augur chased an escaped lamb -- Sheba, whom she had been intending to sacrifice to use her skills of prophecy -- out onto the beach. Horny Toad chased after her, telling her to come back, but then he turned and spotted Shudderbug standing on the boardwalk and looking over the railing at them. Extending his tongue, Horny Toad snagged Shudderbug by the neck, pulled him down to the beach and dragged him under the boardwalk. Neither they nor Augur (nor the lamb) were anywhere to be seen when Chauncy got off the phone.horny_toad-148611-post

    Captain Brooklyn invaded the Terminus to investigate and to free the captured. Horny Toad charged him, but bounced off of his steel-hard skin and was swiftly punched out.

(Justice#32 - BTS) - Captain Brooklyn confronted the Forsaken, but was slain by Seraph.

(Justice#32) - As Fireballer and Dog O' War carried the now loose and mostly empty skin of Captain Brooklyn past him, one them (see comments) told Horny Toad to stay loose like the Captain did. The still-dazed Toad thanked him.

(Justice#32 - BTS) - After Justice and Angie Tensen subdued Fireballer and Dog O'War, Angie learned where to find their friends from Captain Brooklyn's corpse, and they invaded the Terminus.

(Justice#32) - Justice and Angie allowed themselves to be brought to Judge Mental, at which point Horny Toad shot his tongue out and licked Angie's cheek, grossing her out.

    Justice subsequently shot Judge Mental, at least seemingly killing him, and then engaged Seraph. As Justice made step platforms with his shield and ascended into the air, Horny Toad grabbed the last platform and climbed after him, warning him that he would kill him. Angie jumped up and grabbed Horny Toad's legs and pulled him down, causing him to land on his face while telling him to shut up and that that was for licking her. Relatively unphased, Horny Toad turned over and punched Angie, knocking her back, but she dodged a second strike and then ran away toward the carousel. horny_toad-148611-tongue-car

    Joined by the superhuman-aurally-powered James, Horny Toad pursued her. After Angela used a pair of cymbals to incapacitate James, she punched Horny Toad, but it hurt her hand more than it hurt her hand. She complained that she was not cut out for this, and he sub-cleverly replied, "I'll <griiik< cut you out."

    After cornering her by the moving carousel, Horny Toad tried to lash her with his tongue, but she either dodged or he missed but otherwise caught his tongue around the lower leg of a horse on the carousel and was dragged away.

    Angie considered that she shouldn't enjoy watching him getting dragged around by his tongue, and she told herself she would stop watching any minute now.

(Justice#32 - BTS) - Seraph ultimately perished in battle with Justice.

    Justice subsequently replaced Judge Mental as the leader of the Forsaken, and Angie and Shudderbug decided to stay with him. Kleenex then traveled out to the Terminus to be with Angie.

Comments: Created by Peter David and Lee Weeks.

    Not really relevant to this profile, but the horny toad is not actually a toad, but rather a lizard of the Phrynosoma genus.
    Obviously, his name was a play on his toad-like appearance and tongue, and his lecherous nature.

    I would ASSume that Horny Toad stayed with the Forsaken.

    Many of the characters and the Terminus beneath Coney Island were used in a book published in May 1992.The book was titled "Haven" and was part of a series called Psi-Man, written by Peter David (using the pseudonym David Peters for that particular book). The series involved a telepathic/telekinetic fugitive on the run from the government. Pretty standard faire.
    In "Haven", Figurine, Horney Toad, Augur, and a version of Justice himself all figured quite prominently.
    I wonder if Peter David had the characters already and used them in two different projects or whether he thought the ones he used in "Justice" were good enough to recycle?
    Just an interesting bit of trivia.
    Keep up the great work! We really appreciate it over at Marvel Universe!
    - Coeloptera (Edward Tyndall)

    When Fireballer and Dog O'War carried Captain Brooklyn's remains past the recovering Horny Toad, the speech balloon pointed to Dog O'War, and Horny Toad said, "Thanks >griiik< Orel."
    However, when they were on the beach, Dog O'War clearly called Fireballer "Orel."
    I would ASSume that Horny Toad's dazed state made him misunderstand who had spoken to him OR that the speech balloon pointed to the wrong person.

    Horny Toad previously had a sub-profile under the Forsaken, originally published 07/16/2003.

    This profile was completed 09/19/2026, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th anniversary 's celebratory event to represent Peter David on what would have been his 70th birthday.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Horny Toad should be distinguished from:

images: (without ads)
Justice#31, pg. 2, panel 3 (profile);
          panel 4 (posterior view);
          panel 6 (face, partial, close-up);
       pg. 3, panel 1 (extending tongue);
    #32, pg. 14, panel 2 (full; tongue extended to Angie:
        pg. 22, panel 4 (tongue caught on carousel);
Appearances:
 Justice#31 (May, 1989) - Peter David (writer), Lee Weeks (artist), Howard Mackie (editor)
Justice#32 (June, 1989) - Peter David (writer), Alan Kupperberg (pencils/inks), Don Hudson, Chris Ivy & Mike Gustovich (inks), Howard Mackie (editor)

First posted: 09/23/2026
Last updated: 09/19/2026

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

Non-Marvel Copyright info
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