In the Seventies, the fifteen years old troublemaker and leader altar boy Tim Sullivan and his three great friends, Francis Doyle, Wade Scalisi and Joey Anderson, study in a repressive Catholic school, and they hate their nun-teacher Sister Assumpta. Francis has a crush on Margie Flynn, who has a dramatic secret in her life. They like to write a comic book called 'The Atomic Trinity' and all of them have an alter-ego in their superheroes: Brakken (Francis), The Muscle/Skeleton Boy later (Tim), Captain Asskicker (Wade) and Major Screw (Joey), with Sorcerella (Margie) joining them later. Francis uses to fantasize reality with the fantastic situations the heroes face against the evil Nunzilla/Pegleg, a dark caricature of Sister Assumpta. The group plots an evil prank against Sister Assumpta, with tragic consequences.

Chris Fuhrman died of cancer before completing the final draft of the book. The movie is dedicated to him at the beginning of the final credits.

Francis Doyle:
That's all?


Newsie:
Man, that's enough to melt an elephant.


Tim:
Excuse my friend. He thinks he wants to melt two elephants.

Anachronisms: A G.I. Joe comic book is seen in Sister Assumpta's drawer of confiscated items, but G.I. Joe comic books did not appear until 1983 (after the film was set).

Performed by Joshua Homme (as Josh Homme)