Terror Inc.

Initially introduced in the short-lived Shadowline comics under Marvel’s Epic imprint back in 1988, Terror was originally a villain to the hero known as St. George. The Shadowline comics were a stroke of brilliance in my opinion that was far ahead of its time. Envisioned as a gritty and sophisticated line of comics based more on the supernatural than super-science, Shadowline consisted of four individual monthly books; St. George, Powerline, Doctor Zero and later Critical Mass (the final crossover event that folded all three series). The brainchild of Archie Goodwin, the Shadowline saga concerned a unique universe where an ancient race of Shadow dwellers were coming out of hiding and doing battle in the world of humanity. It was a striking concept but sadly it didn’t take off. Introduced as ‘Schreck’ (no kidding), the green-skinned (I know) hired killer was the nemesis of St. George.

After the Shadowline saga ended, Schreck creator Dan Chichester was asked if he would be interested in bringing Shreck over to the Marvel Universe. The result was Terror, a strange character who was a threat to heroes and villains alike. Chichester introduced the character to the world of Daredevil as he took old hornhead down some odd paths. A bit like the 1970’s toy ‘the Manglor,’ Terror’s limbs can be torn off and re-attached with ease. He also has the ability to incorporate body parts from others onto his body and in some cases obtain information from the previous ‘owner.’ For all intents and purposes, he is a makeshift zombie composed of so many body parts that it is unclear which pieces are of the initial character.

Squaring off against and alongside Wolverine, the Punisher, Daredevil and the Kingpin, Terror has encountered many of the heavy hitters of Marvel Universe. His biggest impact in recent years, however, was a MAX mini-series by Stray Bullets creator Dave Lapham. The series stretched back to ancient Rome and connected the vague threads from the Shadowline saga books to the traditional Marvel books that the character appeared in. Part of a MAX horror quartet (including Simon Garth the Zombie, Foolkiller and Dead of Night starring the Man Thing), Terror Inc. attracted an all new audience to this obscure character.

I can only hope that his new found popularity results in a nice collection of the Shadowline books.

Recommended reading:
Terror Inc.