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| Mister Terrific | |
|---|---|
.png) Terry Sloane as the original Mister Terrific, as he appeared on the cover ofNational Comics #1 (March 1999). Art by Dave Johnson and Lee Loughridge. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942) |
| Created by | Charles Reizenstein Hal Sharp |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Terrence "Terry" Sloane |
| Team affiliations | Justice Society of America All-Star Squadron Black Lantern Corps |
| Notable aliases | The Man of 1,000 Talents |
| Abilities | Olympic-level athlete Master martial artist Genius-level intellect Photographic memory |
Terry Sloane is asuperhero appearing inDC Comics, and the first character namedMister Terrific.[1] He first appeared inSensation Comics #1 (January 1942).[2]
Terry Sloane was a rich man whose photographic memory, Olympic-level athletic skills, and mastery of the martial arts made him a virtualRenaissance man. After graduating college at age thirteen, he eventually became a renowned business leader in the community. Having accomplished all of his goals by the time he was in his early 20s, Terry 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 her. He learned her name was Wanda Wilson. Sloane assisted her brother, who had been caught up in a gang, by creating the Mister Terrific persona. He then designed the "Fair Play Club" to stymie growing juvenile delinquency.[3]
Sometimes nicknamed "The Man of 1,000 Talents", Terry Sloane turned to crimefighting after excelling at everything else. He wore a red suit with a green tunic. A golden emblem on his tunic proclaimed his motto, "Fair Play".[4]
According toJess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, "his Rogues Gallery includes Black Barax, the Tyrant from the Year 7532; Dr. Laff, who uses practical jokes like itching powder and venomous snakes to commit crimes; the Five Geniuses, five talented men who commit crimes to entertain themselves; and Terry Savatte, a tap dancingsavate master".[5]
Mister Terrific became a reserve member of theJustice Society of America, taking part in two of their chronicled 1940s adventures. He also was a full-fledged member of theAll-Star Squadron and assisted both teams on several more occasions throughout the remaining decade, retiring along with his peers in 1951.
Sloane resumed his crimefighting career, at which point he was given full status as a member of the Justice Society. On several occasions he assisted them in various cases, such as combating the Lawless League and the Black Orb crime gang.
Sloane made an appearance inJustice League Year One, at the first gathering of the League. He was seen being looked after byPhantom Lady during a gathering of heroes onBlackhawk Island, after the final defeat of the alienApellaxian army.
Sloane came out of retirement to pursue his old nemesis, theSpirit King. The Spirit King took control of theGolden Age Flash and used him to kill Sloane.[6][7]
Following his death, Sloane appears as a spirit and via time travel.[8][9] InBlackest Night, Sloane is resurrected as aBlack Lantern before his successor,Michael Holt, kills him.[10][11]
The New Golden Age reveals that Mister Terrific had a sidekick namedQuiz Kid who was one of thirteen sidekicks kidnapped by theTime Masters to prevent them from being erased from existence afterDoctor Manhattan altered the timeline to stop the Justice Society from forming.[12]Stargirl later rescues him and twelve other sidekicks before bringing them to the present day.
Terry Sloane had no superhuman powers, but he was a master martial artist and an Olympic-level athlete with a genius-level intellect. He also possessed photographic memory allowing him to remember important clues and information.
Mr. Terrific is one of seven JSA-related heroes whose earliest solo appearances are collected in an anthology entry in theDC Archive Editions series:
| Title | Material collected |
|---|---|
| JSA All-Stars Archives Vol. 1 HC (2007) | Sensation Comics (1942 series) #1–5 |
Writer Gerry Conway and artist Dick Dillin crafted a tale of foul play aboard the JLA satellite, during the team's annual get-together with Earth-2's JSA. Mr. Terrific...was murdered before he could expose a turncoat among the heroes.