The Worst Line In An X-Men Movie Was Written By... Joss Whedon?

Though the first "X-Men" film came out right at the start of the superhero boom, the franchise itself has retained something of a spotty record over the years. However, when fans think about what worked and what didn't about the series, "Avengers" director Joss Whedon would be the last person on their minds.

All the same, in 2001, the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" alum spoke to AV Club about the work he did on an early "X-Men" draft, and in the process, he also copped to writing the most infamous and widely mocked line in the film, which the interviewer recalled and brought to his attention. The line in question is of course the one delivered when Storm defeats Toad during the film's climax.

"Everybody remembers that as the worst line ever written, but the thing about that is, it was supposed to be delivered as completely offhand," Whedon explained, taking on a blasé tone. "'You know what happens when a toad gets hit by lightning?' Then, after he gets electrocuted, 'Ah, pretty much the same thing that happens to anything else.'"

The story came up after Joss Whedon went over some of his worst Hollywood experiences, including working on Kevin Costner's apocalyptic epic, "Waterworld." The filmmaker explained that he was brought in for a similar job with both films. "It was the same situation with X-Men. They said, 'Come in and punch up the big climax, the third act, and if you can, make it cheaper,'" he recalled being told. "That was the mandate on both movies, and my response to both movies was, 'The problem with the third act is the first two acts.'"

While Whedon went on to say that almost all of his involvement with the "X-Men" script was inevitably scrubbed, there was another line of his that he noted also made it into the final cut of the film. "'It's me.' 'Prove it.' 'You're a dick,'" Whedon recalled writing. "Hey, it got a laugh."

Since the release of trailblazers like "Blade" and "X-Men," both of whom are expected to join the MCU at some point, superhero movies have become some of the biggest blockbusters of the two decades. All the same, clunker lines like these haven't aged terribly well over the same period of time and, as a result, still bring with them a certain degree of cringe for many viewers.