Lame Superhero of the Week: Mr. Terrific
By James A. on April 2nd, 2007
Real Name: Terry Sloane
First Appearance: Sensation Comics # 1 (1942)
Affiliations: Justice Society of America, All-Star Squadron
Lame Abilities: Genius-level intellect, Olympic-level athletic abilities, photographic memory, superior math skills, easily led to suicidal thoughts
Creators: Charles Resizenstein, Hal Sharpe
There are so many reasons why Mr. Terrific has the honor of kicking off Blogzarro’s Lame Superhero of the Week series. But this is the clincher: Mr. T. defeats his first nemesis, a gangster named Big Shot, by doing math. That’s right, he challenges Big Shot to a math-off, and when the dunce fails to add up the numbers, Mr. Terrific swoops in, adds like a mothertrucker, and saves the day. Thus is born Mr. Terrific, the human dynamo who is stumped by nothing! It’s one of the lamest origin stories in comicdom. But let’s back up and find out how it all really began.
Terry Sloane began life as a child prodigy who excels at everything, academics, sports, social situations. But all the success is a bit too much for him (obviously, he doesn’t excel at being well-adjusted), which leads Terry to contemplate suicide. “I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do,” he thinks, as he races along in his convertible. “The bridge — ah, there’s an idea. Death — that’s the only thing I haven’t experienced yet.” And this guy’s a genius!
But a young lady named Wanda Wilson, distraught that her little brother is a criminal, is already on the bridge with the same idea. She swan-dives into the water. Terry saves her, and then helps her brother, who’s caught up in a gang headed by Big Shot. Terry humiliates Big Shot with his math skills, the kids quit the gang, and Terry, now known as Mr. Terrific, creates the Fair Play Club to stop juvenile delinquency. Lame!
Mr. Terrific has no superpowers. He’s basically a super brownnose, that annoying kid in class who’s always raising his hand, and doing extra homework. He has the words “Fair Play” emblazoned on his chest and his name is Terry. It doesn’t get any lamer than that.
In 1997 DC introduced a new, hipper version of Mr. Terrific. This one goes by the name Michael Holt. He, too, has superior intellect and physical abilities and the words “Fair Play” emblazoned on the sleeves of his leather jacket. Cool, huh? Nah, just a lame superhero in a leather jacket.
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April 2nd, 2007 at 3:08 am
Very good.
I’ve noticed that MANY superheroes whose “codename” begins with “Mr.” are REALLY lame, including “Mr. America” and “Mr. Scarlet” (who had a sidekick named “Pinky” — the lamest AND gayest sidekick name EVER).
By the way did ANYONE ever establish what the “T” stands for in “Mr. T”?
I often wondered if that “T” was supposed to stand for “Terrific”
And speaking of lame “Mr. Terrific’s”, does anyone recall the short-lived, REALLY TERRIBLE MR. Terrific TV show?
April 2nd, 2007 at 3:48 am
To answer your Mr. T question, Tim, the “T” probably stands for his real last name, Tureaud. Mr. T was born Laurence Tureaud, believe it or not.
April 2nd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
The new Mr.Terrific is a bad ass!!
The TV series M.T was a uber milktoast!!
April 4th, 2007 at 10:56 pm
I gotta say I have really enjoyed the new Mr. Terriffic character in his first appearances in the John Ostrander Spectre series, his appearances in the recently ended Geoff Johns JSA series, and I am enjoying his appearances in the new Greg Rucka Checkmate even more.
Yeah, the Golden Age Mr T. was a bit lame and simplistic, but the new version has had three darn good writers, and I think they’ve done a pretty good job updating the concept and making the new guy worthwhile.
JMHO
June 14th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
He’s just “Swell”!
July 13th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Mr. Terrific, a Renaissance Man, or Polymouth.
A superhero who is adept at just about everything, but with no super powers.
Uhm… Hi, BATfuckingMAN?
Is Batman lame?
No.
So, two reasons why Mr. Terrific (Micheal Holt) is easily one of the coolest superheroes you’ve ever read about;
A) He has all Batman’s abilities at least 10 fold (read up on him if you doubt that), and
B) He’s black… and there are about as many black superheroes out there as there are funny Dilbert comics.
January 5th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Okay, has anyone here SEEN the 1967 Mr. Terrific TV series during the past 40 years?
I now have all 17 episodes. (Though, since it was never syndicated in America, there are 3 eps I only have as German dubs.) It’s really a pretty standard sit-com for the period.
Yes, it suffered from weak scripts and Gilligan-esque goofiness. Still it had generally solid direction and an earnest cast.
This is all subjective stuff but, IMO, MT is a very underrated series. Wish they’d release it on DVD.
January 8th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Hey, read this one Justice Society, where Mr. Terrific is talking about his own lameness. Seriously, he considered himself a loser as far as the super-biz went, and even said that his motto, “Fair Play,” was cliched and campy. Then the person who he’s talking to, I wanna’ say Jay Garrik, a.k.a. the Flash, but I ain’t gonna’ swear to it, asks him, “Do you believe in that motto?” He replies that he does, and Jay, if it was Jay, says, “Then you just might be the greatest hero of us all.” That kinda’ sums up Mr. Terrific.
March 17th, 2008 at 4:26 am
Hey, hey… hey.
Michael Holt is badass beyond badass. He’s a self-made multi-millionaire, a genius inventor an Olympic Gold medal winner, he holds over a dozen doctorates in nearly as many individual fields of study. He also has six black belts, and can soundly kick the ass of anyone this side of the Lady Shiva. He’s also described as the third smartest man on Earth, although those who know him (like Alan Fucking Scott) think he’s just being modest, and know he’s really #1. He was the chairman of the Justice Society of America, and is the White King of Checkmate, one of the most powerful organizations in the DCU. Plus he’s boning an insanely dangerous and hot cyborg girl, who also happens to be the Black Queen of Checkmate.
Michael Holt is the best character from either of the big two to come out of the 90′s, and his jacket is awesome.
April 12th, 2008 at 12:42 am
Lame costume, maybe. Lame character, nadda! The new guy is proof of that!
May 1st, 2008 at 2:03 pm
[...] Terry Sloane began life as a child prodigy who excels at everything, academics, sports, social situations. But all the success is a bit too much for him (obviously, he doesn’t excel at being well-adjusted), which leads Terry to contemplate suicide.2 [...]
December 26th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
This is so god-damn funny!!! How could this super heroes ever get to be published?
April 15th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
You’re absolutely right. He was so gay. But the new one is even gayer, plus he actually worships that old loser! Now can you get gayer than that?