Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)

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Mr. Terrific
JSA # 76: Modern Age Mister Terrific by Alex Ross.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Spectre (vol. 3) # 54 (Jun 1997)
Created by	John Ostrander Tom Mandrake
In story information
Alter ego	Michael Holt
Team affiliations	Justice Society of America Checkmate
Notable aliases	White King, White King's Bishop
Abilities	Genius level intellect, Olympic-level Athlete. Cannot be detected by modern technology. Extensive nanotechnology in mask and costume for a variety of sensory, communication and database retrieval functions. T-Spheres that function as a computer, holographic projection unit, projectile weapons and numerous other uses.

Michael Holt is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe. He is the second character to take up the Mister Terrific mantle.

Contents 1 Fictional character history 1.1 Justice Society of America chairmanship 1.2 Infinite Crisis 1.3 One Year Later 2 Religious beliefs 3 Skills, powers & equipment 4 Other media 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Fictional character history

At a young age, Michael Holt showed remarkable intelligence, reading and assimilating the works of Bohr, Einstein, Planck, and Feynman, the pantheon of theoretical physics, at the age of six. He studied advanced science, space, and time "while other children struggled through Sesame Street".^[1] Michael grew up with his mentally challenged older brother, Jeffrey, whom Michael loved dearly. When Jeffrey died at the age of 15, Michael was devastated.^[2]

Holt displayed "a natural aptitude for having natural aptitudes", as he called it, easily picking up and retaining complex skills and abilities that other men spent their entire lives perfecting. Before he began his career as a superhero, he already possessed 14 Ph.D's (two in Engineering and Physics -- including doctorates and masters degrees in Law, Psychology, Chemistry, Political science, and Mathematics).^[3],^[4] was a self-made multi-millionaire^[5] with a high tech firm called Cyberwear (subsequently sold to Waynetech^[6]) and was a Gold medal winning Olympic decathelete.

The accidental deaths of his wife and unborn child were a devastating blow to Holt and while contemplating suicide, he was met by the Spectre, who told him about Terry Sloane, the Golden Age superhero known as Mister Terrific. Inspired by Sloane's life story, he took the name Mister Terrific and later joined the current Justice Society of America, eventually serving as its chairman.

He initially wore ordinary clothes and a leather jacket with Sloane's "Fair Play" emblem on the back. He currently wears a T-shaped mask composed of electronic nanites, a black and white costume with red trim, and a collarless jacket in the same colors (the black sections of tunic and jacket forming a "T") with "Fair Play" written on the sleeves and "Terrific" across the back.

For a time he acted as spokesperson for Tylerco and consulted that company on industrial espionage and security matters in exchange for that company helping fund a youth center Terrific had started.^[7]

Holt has a friendly rivalry with Batman, his opposite number in the Justice League of America (In his identity as Bruce Wayne, Batman owns Holt's business). Also, Michael Holt has encountered Terry Sloane twice through time travel, with Sloane expressing pride in having so worthy a successor. Holt has been noted as the most intelligent member of the JSA in its history, surpassing his predecessor. He describes himself as the third smartest person in the world.^[8] and this notion now appears to be an accepted truth within the DC Universe.^[9]

[edit] Justice Society of America chairmanship

During a conflict over leadership of the Justice Society between former chairman Hawkman and then-current chairman Sand, Terrific was elected as the JSA's new chairman by his teammates, despite not actively seeking the office.^[10] He served in this capacity until the team disbanded following the Infinite Crisis.

Mr. Terrific currently remains a member of the reformed Justice Society of America. He resumed his chairmanship from the last incarnation of the team,^[11] but his leadership responsibilities in Checkmate eventually prompted him to relinquish the position to Power Girl.^[12]

[edit] Infinite Crisis

Main article: Infinite Crisis

Mr. Terrific was part of the team assembled by Batman for an attack on the Brother Eye satellite responsible for controlling the OMACs. He played a critical role as his invisibility to technology allowed him to reach the satellite's propulsion system, sending it crashing to Earth. On this meeting he met and befriended another African American superhero - Black Lightning.

[edit] One Year Later

Main article: One Year Later

As part of "One Year Later", though Holt is still a member of the JSA, he has also become part of the United Nations Security Council's intelligence agency Checkmate. He initially held the position of White King's Bishop, but when the previous White King (Alan Scott) was forced to resign, he became Checkmate's new White King, complicating his relationship with Sasha Bordeaux, Checkmate's Black Queen. He has also given up his chairman position, which has been taken over by Power Girl. Mr. Terrific has also established an ill-defined mentorship with Jason Rusch, over the missing year. The specifics of their meeting are yet to be documented.

[edit] Religious beliefs

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Despite the fact that the Spectre plays a key role in his origin, Terrific is one of the DC Universe's - and arguably comicdom's - most prominent atheists. This has spurred much debate about the plausibility of a character being a non-believer in a universe that includes magic, an afterlife, and mythological beings like Circe and Zeus.[1]

While being held captive by Onimar Synn on an adventure with the Justice Society on Thanagar, Holt first expressed his disbelief in souls and how he was uncomfortable with the notion of reincarnation after witnessing the return of teammate Hawkman. Holt states, "when my wife, Paula, was killed in a car accident. .. she was gone. I didn't feel her 'soul' around me. Didn't feel anything."^[13]

After a near-death experience where he sees his wife and unborn child (who he decides to name 'Terry' after the original Mister Terrific), Holt's beliefs are shaken and he agrees to attend a church service with teammate Doctor Mid-Nite.^[14][2]

However, this attempt to find religion apparently wasn't satisfying as Holt is also seen getting into a theological discussion with Ragman during the Infinite Crisis (Ragman is Jewish while Mr. Terrific describes himself as an atheist). When asked if he had faith in anything, Terrific answered, "Sure I do. I've got faith in my team."^[15]

Terrific, though well aware and having witnessed much of the mystical nature of the DC Universe firsthand, cites scientific and rational explanations for all of them. He described souls as "a unique energy that could quantify as a telepathic discharge upon death."

Many fans point to numerous incidents where the readers have seen the afterlife or where characters have visited realms resembling Heaven or Hell and interacted with deceased characters, such as Green Arrow, that have returned to life from such places.

[edit] Skills, powers & equipment

• Holt is described as having "a natural aptitude for having natural aptitudes"; picking up complicated skills quickly and retaining them, such as performing emergency surgery on teammate Alan Scott after reading about the procedure in a medical text book and subsequently becoming Dr. Mid-Nite's assistant. As Holt himself put it, "everyone has a talent. ..Mine is learning."^[16][17]
• Holt has described himself as the third smartest man on Earth.^[18]
• He is aided by his "T-Spheres", floating robotic spheres which can do many things, including project holographic images,^[19] project laser grids,^[20] serve as cameras, link with outside data networks and orbital satellites, open electronic locks,^[21] allow him to fly by bearing his weight,^[22] explode with enough force to send Captain Marvel flying back,^[23] generate powerful electric charges,^[24] and strike as flying, projectile weapons.^[25] They respond to his mental and vocal commands.
• He is invisible to all forms of electronic detection. Despite a claim to Black Lightning in Infinite Crisis that "I've got one superpower: I'm invisible to technology," this may have been a simplification. In all other instances this ability is tied to nanotechnology woven into his specially designed "T-Mask" (which is molecularly bonded to his face and can appear and disappear at will) and costume. Mr. Terrific was apparently the only super-hero whom the OMACs could not detect. The only exception to his invisibility however, is that of the Red Tornado, who for reasons yet unknown, is capable of seeing Terrific, despite being an android. His mask also protects his face from chemicals^[26] and relays mental commands to his T-Spheres by detecting the subtle movements on his face. The mask works in conjunction with an earpiece to act as a communications system.
• Through his mask, Holt can change instantaneously into costume and back again.^[27]
• He is a black belt in 6 different martial arts disciplines and an Olympic Gold Medalist in the decathlon.^[28][29]
• Holt is also a polymath who has specialized in multiple fields of medicine, engineering, and science. He possesses 14 Ph.D's (two of which are in engineering and physics).^[30]
• Along with teammate and friend Doctor Mid-Nite and Batman, Mister Terrific is one of the three main superheroes with medical training in the DC Universe. Although it is not known if he has an M.D., he did participate in the autopsy of Sue Dibny in Identity Crisis.^[31]
• Holt's mask also doubles as an encephalic broadcaster, picking up aggregate thought-waves, allowing him to communicate with his T-Spheres and even project a speaking hologram of himself, even if he is injured or too weak to speak. ^[32]. The mask can also form and transmit images on low- or high-band light frequencies visible to his teammate Doctor Mid-Nite.
• Holt is also multilingual, though the extent of this hasn't been revealed. He has been shown to speak the language of the fictional nation of Kahndaq. Given Holt's propensity for learning, it likely that he speaks several other languages as well.^[33]

[edit] Other media

Michael Holt makes several cameo appearances in the animated TV series Justice League Unlimited. He moves into a more prominent role in the series' final season, becoming the League's Coordinator and responsible for assigning tasks to the various heroes after J'onn J'onzz resigns from active duty. The animated Mr. Terrific is voiced by Michael Beach.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• DCComics.com's Origin of Mister Terrific
• DCDP: Mister Terrific (Michael Holt)