Toad

Toad Toad’s defining physical ability in this first appearance is his extraordinary leaping. His crouched posture and bouncing movement make that ability immediately legible, and his name also fits his eagerness to please Magneto. He occupies a distinctive place in the group: visibly dependent on the leader’s approval and quick to invoke his authority when the others begin quarreling. That loyalty has a concrete expression after the opening dinner. When Magneto returns, Toad tells him about the dispute between Quicksilver and Mastermind. It is a small scene, but it makes Toad part of the Brotherhood’s internal policing. He helps keep Magneto informed about dissent, even though his own relationship with the leader brings little dignity or respect. During the assault on the palace, Toad catches Beast by surprise and knocks him from a tower. Beast manages to cling to the outside wall before Mastermind adds another obstacle. Toad’s contribution shows how his unusual movement can disrupt another highly agile fighter. His role in the debut combines a useful physical threat with a subordinate position inside the team, making Magneto’s hierarchy visible in both conversation and combat. My take: There's not really a whole lot to say about Toad. He was comic relief, a weird little character, a weird little dynamic storyline, a weird thing he had going on with Magneto. But I will say one thing: I recently, very, very recently read Kings of Pain. It was a four-part series running through the annuals that I just recently read. I think I did a post about it a while back. I was very, very surprised to see Toad as one of the two people playing chess at the end. Completely different take on the character. Completely different shift in take on the character. Very surprised with that.