Mister Terrific: History and Key Facts

Mister Terrific is the name of two superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original debuted in Sensation Comics #1 (January 1942), created by Charles Reizenstein and Hal Sharp. The second version debuted in Spectre (vol. 3) #54 (June 1997), created by John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake. Both versions of the characters are superhero polymaths, self-made millionaires, and Olympic-level athletes who use their wealth, intelligence, and skills for the betterment of others, emphasized within their motto of "fairplay".

The original and Golden Age version, Terry Sloane, was a famous former child prodigy who fell into depression as an adult when he found success came too easy and his life lacked meaning. However, after aiding a woman and her younger brother in fending off a gang, he found a purpose and challenge in being a superhero, adopting his fairplay motto in the process. As a superhero, he was a member of the All-Star Squadron and the Justice Society of America until his retirement and subsequent murder by the Spirit King. Eventually succeeding him was Michael Holt, an African-American prodigy who grew up in a poor family, eventually gained accolades in various fields, and founded one of the top tech companies in the world. After the death of his wife, Holt fell into a depression. An encounter with the Spectre and the story of the original Mister Terrific inspired Holt to become a superhero, dedicating his life to helping others as Mister Terrific and adopting his motto. As Mister Terrific, Holt is ranked the third smartest man in the world and has been a major member of the Justice Society of America and Justice League, sometimes serving the teams within a leadership capacity.

The second Mister Terrific has been acclaimed as a high-profile black character in DC Comics. As such, he has been adapted in media, voiced in various animated television series and films by Michael Beach, Hannibal Buress, and Kevin Michael Richardson. In live action, Echo Kellum portrayed a version of the character renamed Curtis Holt in the CW Arrowverse series Arrow, noteworthy for being a openly gay and black superhero for the series. Edi Gathegi portrays the character in the DC Universe film Superman.

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