Mister Terrific (comics)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Mister Terrific

Holt and Sloane, both versions of Mr. Terrific.
Cover of JSA #70, art by Dave Gibbons.
Publisher DC Comics
First appearance Sensation Comics # 1
(January 1942)
Created by Charles Resizenstein
Hal Sharpe
Characters Terry Sloane
Michael Holt
This box: view  talk  edit


Mister Terrific is the name of two different superheroes in the DC Comics universe.

Contents

[edit] Terry Sloane

The Golden Age's Mister Terrific was Terry Sloane, a self-made millionaire whose photographic memory, Olympic-level athletic skills, and mastery of the martial arts made him a virtual Renaissance man. After graduating college at age 13, he eventually became a renowned business leader in the community. Having accomplished all his goals, he felt there were no challenges left for him to pursue, leading him towards suicidal tendencies. However, upon seeing a young woman jump from a bridge, Sloane reacted quickly and saved the woman, Wanda Wilson. Sloane assisted her brother, who had been caught up in a gang, by adopting his Mister Terrific persona. This provided him with what he had been missing; a sense of accomplishment. He then created the "Fair Play Club" to stymie growing juvenile delinquency.

Years later, Sloane came out of retirement and joined with the Justice Society of America in their annual meeting with the Justice League of America. During the get-together, he was killed by his old enemy the Spirit King, who had possessed the body of Jay Garrick to infiltrate the JLA's satellite headquarters.

[edit] Michael Holt

In 1997, the mantle of Mister Terrific was passed on to Michael Holt, an equally talented man. Olympic Decathlon winner, and five black belts. While contemplating suicide after the accidental death of his wife and unborn child, was met by the Spectre (ironically, Holt is an atheist), who told him about Sloane. Inspired by Sloane's life story he took the name Mister Terrific and later joined the current Justice Society of America, eventually serving as its chairman. He is the inventor of the T-Sphere, an artificially intelligent miniature device that he controls with his mask and earpieces. The T-Sphere can fly, create holographic images, project beams of light, release electrical charges, tie into computers and GPS satellites, and cloak Holt against detection by any non-organic means. He is the third smartest man alive.

Holt is now serving as the White King in the newly restructured Checkmate.

[edit] Other versions

  • In Kingdom Come, Alex Ross portrayed Mister Terrific with oversized guns, shoulder pads, and other military accoutrements. He still sported the "Fair Play" logo, but has since lost sight of its true and original meanings.
  • In the JSA All-Stars mini-series chapter focusing on Mister Terrific, Terry's brother Ned appears at a costume ball dressed in an anti-Mister Terrific costume, calling himself Doctor Nil, in order to irritate his brother.
  • In Villains United #5, a new villain calling himself Mister Terrible appears as a part of Deathstroke's criminal army, wearing a variation of Holt's Mister Terrific costume.
  • Another version was portrayed in JSA: The Liberty File and its sequel JSA: The Unholy Three. Here, Terry Sloane was portrayed as a World War II intelligence agent transferred to desk duty, until the untimely death of his fiance by the story's version of the Scarecrow. He was seen wearing a variation of the classic "Fair Play" costume and using a rapier.

[edit] In other media

It is the Michael Holt version of Mister Terrific that has made several cameo appearances in the animated TV series Justice League Unlimited. He moves into a more prominent role in the series' final season, becoming the League's Coordinator and responsible for assigning tasks to the various heroes after J'onn J'onzz resigns from active duty. The animated Mr. Terrific is voiced by former Third Watch star Michael Beach.

[edit] External links