Terrifica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Terrifica is the name of a real-life superhero in New York City. Terrifica, whose real name is Sarah, patrols bars, clubs and parties in an effort to protect women who have had too much to drink and are in danger of being taken advantage of by men. She has been featured on NPR's Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! radio program.
[edit] Background
Since the mid 1990s Terrifica has donned her trademark golden mask, Valkyrie bra, blond wig, red boots and cape to "protect the single girl living in the big city". Her costume acts as a distraction to the men she tries to dissuade from seducing drunk young women. Along with her costume, she carries a utility belt containing a pepper spray, cell phone, lipstick, a camera to photograph alleged predators, a journal, Terrifica fortune cards and Smarties for energy.
Sarah (to whom Terrifica refers in the third person) first adopted the persona of Terrifica after moving to New York from Pittsburgh. Before she moved, she broke up with her boyfriend, which left her heartbroken. After moving to New York, she created Terrifica to help deal with her feelings of vulnerability, anxiety and loneliness. Eventually, Terrifica became more than a therapeutic device when she started protecting other women she saw in vulnerable positions.
[edit] Arch enemy
As is often the case with comic book superheroes, Terrifica has an arch-nemesis: Fantastico. Fantastico is a man who has encountered Terrifica on multiple occasions, who dresses in velvet and says that he likes to indulge in pleasurable things and to bring out the pleasure in people. In his encounters with Terrifica, she has never addressed him directly, but rather warns his alleged prey not to be manipulated. It is unclear who Fantastico is through the day, when not in his supervillain identity.
Despite Terrifica never addressing Fantastico directly, her alter ego Sarah has. In fact, Sarah claims to have been seduced by him years ago. Sarah has confronted him since but Fantastico claims to have no recollection of their initial encounter.
Fantastico has said that Terrifica is just a miserable, lonely, loveless, cold woman who does not want anyone else to be happy. He is confident that if given a chance, he could change her attitude. Fantastico has said that Terrifica has only been an occasional annoyance to him and that "I have no problem doing what I do."
