Terror Inc.
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| Terror Inc. | |
 Terror, Inc Art by Paco Medina. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | St. George #2 (Aug. 1988)
(as Shreck) |
| Created by | D. G. Chichester Margaret Clark Klaus Janson |
| In story information | |
| Alter ego | unknown |
| Notable aliases | Shreck |
| Abilities |
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Terror Inc. was an American comic-book horror series from Marvel Comics starring the antihero Terror. Terror is an eternal entity that absorbs the talents of others through their dismembered limbs. He was created by writers Dan Chichester and Margaret Clark and artist Klaus Janson as the villain Shreck in St. George #2 (Aug. 1988), from Marvel's Epic Comics imprint.
Contents |
[edit] Publication history
Terror was created for Marvel's Epic Comics line as part of writer Dan Chichester's Shadowline Saga of four interconnected titles. There were no superheroes in this world, but rather powerful, ageless beings known as "Shadows". In St. George #2 (Aug. 1988), Chichester and co-writer Margaret Clark introduced a green-skinned killer who acted as the enforcer for the Ravenscore crime family, one of the books' recurring villains.
According to Chichester,[1] Marvel contacted him about bringing Shreck from the Shadowline books into the mainstream Marvel Universe to serve as a platform for reinventing and reintroducing the company's 1970s horror characters, such as Werewolf by Night and Morbius, the Living Vampire, but subsequent publishing plans changed directions.
The series Terror, Inc. ran 13 issues, cover-dated July 1992 to July 1993. Terror next appeared in 2006's "League of Losers" storyline in Marvel Team-Up.
Terror, Inc. editor Marc McLaurin maintained[citation needed] that Shreck and Terror are two different characters. Writer Dan Chichester said, "Shreck was Terror and Terror was Shreck ... but for the fact that Terror got to develop more of a back story as time went on"[2]
The comic books themselves gave no confirmation either way. Eventually, the canonical Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe Horror 2005 confirmed that the two were in fact the same being.
[edit] Fictional character biography
At some point in the distant past, a tribe of early humans hunted and fought a demon that had been preying upon them. The demon resembled a green bear, with a series of long, thin spikes protruding from its face and along its spine. The man who killed the bear was cursed by victory to assume the demon's form - his skin took on its green, decaying form, and the spikes from its face appeared on his. He gained the beast's ability to merge the limbs of others with his own body, but was shunned by the tribe he had helped to protect. Over the years, he adopted names that reflected people's reaction to him, and by the Dark Ages he had adapted the Germanic "Schreck" (scare, fright) as his name.
At that point looking mostly human, Shreck was the squire to a powerful Shadow who was then calling himself Draghignazzo. Gravely injured in battle, Draghignazzo had Shreck bury him to create the illusion that he was actually dead, so he could heal in peace - a process that would take centuries. In the meantime, Shreck became a full knight, fighting side-by-side with a woman he loved and who, remarkably, loved him back. She soon died, however, and Shreck had her left hand encased in metal and hermetically sealed so that he might remember her touch forever, the one part of his amalgamated body that would never decay.
Shreck's activities from that time until the mid-1980s are unknown, but when he was next seen, he had been serving for several years as the enforcer for the Ravenscore crime family. During an argument, Eric Ravenscore blasted off one of Ripley Weaver's metal hands, which Shreck quietly collected for later use.
In Turkey, Shreck was found by two drug dealers who had been in a confrontation with the heroic Michael Devlin, knight in the order of St. George. Taking one of the dealers' eyes for his own, Shreck recognized Devlin, and sought to prevent him from leaving Turkey. He crashed a plane on the runway at the Turkish airport, forcing Devlin to leave via train. The two fought and, with help from his traveling companions, Devlin won. Shreck's legs were chained to one car of the train, which was then uncoupled. Determined to follow Devlin, he grabbed the rail of the next car forward, but the mass and momentum of the separating cars eventually tore his legs off.
Shreck survived, of course, but now held a personal grudge against Devlin, rather than the cold, impersonal "just business" attitude he displayed toward most of his victims. Shreck informed the Ravenscores that he would be leaving their employ temporarily, until he had taken his revenge on Devlin. By this time, Draghignazzo had returned and was posing as the superhero Dr. Zero. Shreck sought Zero's permission to kill Devlin, but was denied; he could stalk Devlin, but only kill him if he told Zero first.
Tracking Devlin to Nicaragua, Shreck managed to get the best of him after a protracted brawl, then proceeded to crucify the man to a tree - he didn't have permission to kill Devlin, but he could certainly let him die. Devlin freed himself, however, and ambushed Shreck, continuing their fight. The pair tumbled over a waterfall, but the battle was only decided when Devlin dumped Shreck in a lake that was teeming with piranhas. He offered Shreck his hand, but when it became obvious the killer was taking that literally, he let go, and Shreck sank to the bottom.
Hours later, after the fish had departed, scavengers found Shreck's skeleton and prepared to remove the gold fillings in his teeth. Despite the massive damage he'd incurred, Shreck was still alive, and rebuilt his body from the men who had found him.
It was some time after this that Shreck journeyed through unknown means to Earth-616 and set himself up as the mercenary assassin Terror. He had an unspecified history with Wolverine, a "long-standing series of markers" between them.
Terror first appeared in the "modern" Marvel Universe when he was contacted by Las Vegas mobster Deragon, looking for an advantage in the process of dividing the Kingpin's criminal empire. While in Las Vegas, he met Daredevil, and offered him information in exchange for helping to protect him from New York City's many superhumans, should the need arise. He gained some of the information Daredevil needed by taking the eye of Werner von Strucker, who had already been killed. He next assisted Wolverine and Jubilee against a group of murderous eco-saboteurs.
Hired to perform a hit on crime lord Piranha Jones, Terror found himself at odds with the Punisher, who also wanted Jones dead. Getting in each other's way, the two lost Jones as they fought among themselves.
[edit] Powers and abilities
Terror has the ability to replace lost body parts with limbs and organs taken from others. He secretes a natural acid that serves as both solvent and glue: the substance loosens the connective tissues in the target body, allowing him to more easily rend the parts he needs; even if reduced to a head, torso and single arm, this allows Terror to gain enough leverage to remove the needed parts. Once that is accomplished, the substance then helps bond the purloined limbs or organs to Terror's body. The spikes on his cheeks can be removed and used as weapons, and if lost or damaged will regrow.
Upon grafting the new pieces to his body, Terror becomes immediately aware of the previous owner's last memories and strongest emotions. In some cases this is a liability, and he must ignore this knowledge to complete his task. The MAX imprint version of Terror had used animal parts for a time after his original body rotted away, turning himself into a satyr-like creature.
In addition to memories, Terror gains the skills and abilities of the donor. Though he normally uses human parts, Terror has been known to use anything that he considers useful, such as large wings or a prehensile tail. The same holds true for parts taken from superpowered beings, though the power must be related to the body part claimed.
Though the body parts bond permanently with Terror, they are still dead tissue and will begin to decay at their natural rate. This gives Terror a distinctive odor, and also forces him to seek a constant supply of replacements.
Since his body is dead, many conventional attacks have no effect on Terror. He can survive being impaled, crushed or drowned. The only limit is injuries that incapacitate or restrict him physically.
It is unclear what, if anything, is the "controlling" section of Terror. The only thing not shown to be replaced over the course of his appearances has been his head, which the MAX version of Terror can detach from body and affix onto another. He can use this new head as a disguise, changing his appearance and voice, and he is able to access the memory of the former owner of that brain without that victim's personality taking over Terror's.
[edit] Other versions
[edit] Marvel Team-Up: League of Losers
Terror co-stars in an arc of writer Robert Kirkman's Marvel Team-Up vol. 3, featuring a group of heroes dubbed "The League of Losers". A group including Terror, Gravity, Darkhawk, Dagger, Araña, X-23, and Sleepwalker visit the future to prevent the villain Chronok from stealing the time machine of Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards, Chronok having come to the present and killed all of Marvel's major heroes.
[edit] Marvel MAX
In the five-issue miniseries, Terror was once a warlord of Attain who took part in the Sack of Rome. As retaliation the Pope sent a mare against the warlord village, prompting him to slay the demon and eat her heart. Unbeknownst to him, this heinous act cursed him, and he was turned into a rotting corpse, a thing he discovered when the decaying was so gruesome to force his tribesmen to exile him. He was believed to simply rot to death, but he discovered to purloin dead parts to his body. After a brief turn on animal parts, becoming the half-satyr known as Shreck, he eventually settled on human corpses to avoid losing his self. Another help came from Draghignazzo, the Shadow Knight, who helped Shreck into controlling better his powers in exchange for servitude as his undying aide de camp. As his first lieutenant, Shreck was there to bury Draghignazzo's corpse, ensuring the magiks meant to ensure his future resurrection would be intact, and then led Draghignazzo's army in battle with Talita, Draghignazzo's former bride and Shreck's current lover. They conquered several territories that Talita ruled with wisdom until the former Warlords ambushed them, killing Talita and forcing Shreck to take her arm and her leg to escape. He had since replaced the leg, but had the arm encased in mystical armor, in which transferred his "centre", enabling him to rebuild his body until the arm is in his proximity, if not active part of his body.
Terror, as he calls himself afterward, acts as a hit man and mercenary enforcer, alongside with Mrs. Primo, his manager and only friend and confident, who hides Terror's activities and peculiar needs behind the facade of an import-export firm. However a botched mission causes Mrs. Primo and Terror to lose their facade, and be forced to confront an apocalyctic cult, whose leader is revealed to be Talita. In the past Shreck had stolen ancient runes from Draghinazzo's tomb, hoping to resurrect Talita: even if he believes his attempts to be unsuccessfull, Talita is eventually revived in modern times, with powers similar to Terror's, but a fresh appearance and an inevitable need for her lost arm, as without it she's left in crippling pain. Talita's servants manage to cripple Mrs. Primo firm, and eventually recapture Terror's arm.
Pondering about his gratitude, and feelings, for the ever loyal Mrs. Primo and the increasing madness of Talita, Terror gathers enough strengh for a last stand, reclaiming Talita's arm and foiling her plans.
[edit] Bibliography
- Cage #15-16
- Daredevil #305, 308-309
- Infinity Crusade #6 (cameo)
- Nick Fury #46
- Silver Sable and the Wild Pack #13-14
- Wolverine vol. 2 #58-59
- Marvel Team-Up #15-18
- Beyond! #3 (cameo)
- Punisher/Captain America: Blood and Glory #3
