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Rather undersung, and undervalued,
in the Golden Age JSA line-up is the character of Mr. Terrific,
created by Chuck Reizenstein and Hal Sharp. This character enjoyed
a healthy run both in the Golden Age, and has appeared in newer stories featuring
JSA characters, always proving himself to be a stalwart warrior of justice and
"Fair Play.". According to Don
Markstein's Toonopedia: . "
Mr. Terrific first appeared in Sensation Comics #1 (January, 1942), the
comic that also launched Wonder Woman's first series. The story was written
by Chuck Reizenstein, who also wrote the first Dr. Mid-Nite story,
and drawn by Hal Sharp, who also collaborated with writer/editor Mort
Weisinger to create an even more minor DC character, Tarantula.
He stayed in Sensation's back pages for the next few years, never appearing on
a cover or making any kind of apparent impression on readers, while writers and
artists came and went. |  Mr.
Terrific's 1st Appearance: Sensation
Comics #1 (Jan. 1942). Art by Hal Sharp .
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"His finest moment
was in All Star Comics #24 (Spring, 1946), when he and Wildcat (another
denizen of the Sensation Comics back pages) replaced Starman and The
Spectre in The Justice Society of America. But in #25, both were ousted
in favor of bringing back The Flash and Green Lantern, who had been
demoted to honorary members in the JSA's early days."
"That
one All Star adventure was the closest the character ever came to breaking out
of his original venue — And even that ended in Sensation #63 (March, 1947)...Which
isn't all that bad a run, actually — a lot of '40s superheroes had shorter ones;
and many had more going for them in the way of powers than just being good at
everything, and more in the way of motivation than to escape crushing boredom.
"
From
Wikipedia: "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." |