Black Terror#Dynamite Entertainment

The Black Terror's secret identity was pharmacist Bob Benton, who formulated a chemical he called "formic ethers", which gave him various superpowers. He used these powers to fight crime with his sidekick, Tim Roland, together known as the "Terror Twins".{{cite book |last1=Green |first1=Paul |title=Encyclopedia of Weird War Stories: Supernatural and Science Fiction Elements in Novels, Pulps, Comics, Film, Television, Games and Other Media |date=2017 |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=978-1476666723 |page=25}} His love interest is secretary Jean Starr, who initially despises Benton and loves the Black Terror, but later discovers that they are the same person.

According to Jess Nevins' Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes, "The Black Terror has enemies ranging from Nazis to mad scientists like Thorg (he of the "million dollar death ray"), the femme fatale Lady Serpent (who has a hypnotic glance), and the Japanese scientist Hanura and his "electro-hypnotizer", which is used to assassinate American generals and admirals".{{cite book |last1=Nevins |first1=Jess |title=Encyclopedia of Golden Age Superheroes |date=2013 |publisher=High Rock Press |isbn=978-1-61318-023-5 |pages=26–27}}

With the popularity of superheroes fading in the late 40s, the Black Terror's series ended with issue #27 (June 1949).{{cite book |last1=Mougin |first1=Lou |title=Secondary Superheroes of Golden Age Comics |date=2020 |publisher=McFarland & Co |isbn=9781476638607|page=155}}

In 1983, AC Comics revised the Black Terror, starting in their Americomics title. In it, now-retired Bob Benton (called Mark Benton in this version) returns to action after an attempt to shake him down for protection money leads to the death of his wife. He would operate as an over-the-top vigilante, now just called the "Terror".Americomics #2, June 1983 Later, most likely due to trademark issues, he became a criminal enforcer known as the "Terrorist".Nightveil #2, 1985

In Roy Thomas' Alter Ego mini-series from 1986, several Golden Age characters were used, but renamed. The Black Terror (renamed "The Holy Terror") made an appearance.Alter Ego #1-4, 1986

Bob Benton made a single appearance in the fourth issue of Darkline Comics' Dark Adventures. In the script by Vic Peterson and art by Thompson O'Rourke, Benton's exposure to his secret formula has made him ageless and sleepless, and he begins a new war on crime under the name "Terror Knight".Dark Adventures #2, 1987

Eclipse Comics did a three-issue mini-series "revival" of the Black Terror in 1989. In this series, the character is an undercover FBI agent operating against organized crime who would dress up like the Black Terror for certain operations. He had no superpowers or any connection to the original character.Black Terror #1-3, 1989

File:AmericasBestComics1001.jpg, October 1943]]

The Black Terror, along with other heroes from Nedor Comics, were revived by Alan Moore in 2001 in his series Tom Strong, published by America's Best Comics. This revival set the characters on a parallel world called Terra Obscura, which was also the title of the resulting mini-series.

In Tom Strong #11, Moore and co-creator Chris Sprouse more fully introduce the idea of Terra Obscura being a parallel Earth, "but in our own dimension. In our own galaxy". In this issue, Tom Strange is revealed to have run across the Milky Way for 30 years to reach Strong for help in stopping an alien menace that killed or imprisoned most of the science heroes of Terra Obscura. Strong himself theorized that the duplicate Earth "must be due to some near-inconceivable fluke of mathematics, of statistical probability".Tom Strong #11, 2001

The parallel Earth, as revealed by Strange, was formed much as our own, except that once Earth had completely formed, something large collided and combined with it — a vast spacecraft. The pilot of the spacecraft survived in the Moon, until awakened by astronauts on July 20, 1969. It apparently followed them back to Earth, where it began construction of a ship to return home — by converting the entire Earth into a spaceship. In the process, it was engaged in battle by the members of SMASH. It killed some members, and trapped others in suspended animation for 30 years, until freed by the combined efforts of Tom Strong and Tom Strange.

In Tom Strong #12, it is revealed that the Black Terror had been killed in battle with the alien. However, Benton, a polymath, had transferred his consciousness into a computer program called Terror 2000.Tom Strong #12, 2001

In the Terra Obscura series, the Terror 2000 program institutes a crime prevention program in Invertica City, wherein technologically produced versions of the Black Terror (referred to as the Terror) fight crime. A corporation running the program tries to sell it to other cities in the US. Eventually, the Terror transfers its consciousness into the now deceased Tim and tries to acquire power from the returning Captain Future's spaceship. He is defeated by a time travelling version of his original self, the Black Terror.Terra Obscura Vol. 1 #1-6, Vol. 2 #1-6, 2003-2005

The Black Terror is seen in the Mike Allred illustrated "Stardust the Super Wizard" story in Image Comics' Next Issue Project #1 (also known as Fantastic Comics #24, January 2008). He can be seen with many other notable Golden Age characters, including Daredevil, Miss Masque, the Green Lama, the Face, the Phantom, the Fighting Yank, and Samson, who headlines the book. He also made a small appearance on the cover and in some panels of Savage Dragon #141 (November 2008).

In June 2008, pulp publisher Wild Cat Books released Legends of the Golden Age, a prose anthology featuring new stories of the Black Terror and Lev Gleason's Daredevil.

Black Terror was one of several Golden Age characters to appear in the comic book series Project Superpowers, by writer Jim Krueger and artist Alex Ross.{{Cite web | url=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=121397 | work=Newsarama | date=July 18, 2007 | title=Ross and Krueger on Superpowers | first=Matt | last=Brady | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071009204415/http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=121397 | archive-date=October 9, 2007 }} He was also the first in the series to get a spin-off series, written by Krueger with art by Mike Lilly.{{Cite web | url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080709-LilyBlackTerror.html | title=Mike Lily: Black Terror, Exclusivity and More | work=Newsarama | date=July 9, 2008}}{{Cite web | url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/080730-BlackTerror.html | title=Alex Ross & Jim Krueger on The Black Terror | work=Newsarama | date=July 30, 2008}} In the Black Terror series, which began in November 2008, the Terror leads a one-man assault on the White House in search of his lost partner, Tim. The series was cancelled at #14 in 2011. The character appears in the 2013 Masks series along other pulp heroes. He again had a solo series in 2019 entitled Black Terror which consisted of 5 issues unrelated to his previous Dynamite versions.

The 2009 Metahuman Press serial Out for Vengeance uses both the Black Terror and Black Fury as a basis for the character. He maintains the traditional secret identity and costume. The series is set in the modern day and involves Robert Benton suddenly finding himself young and semi-amnesiac in the city of New Salem.{{cite web|url=http://www.metahumanpress.com/metahumanpress/Vengeance/index.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714075018/http://www.metahumanpress.com/metahumanpress/Vengeance/index.html |archive-date=2011-07-14}}

The webcomic Heroes Inc. started in 2009 and takes place in an alternate reality where the allies of World War II lost the war. In present day, the American Crusader gathers DNA from Golden Age heroes in order to create a new generation of heroes. One of these Golden Age heroes is the Black Terror (now going by the alias Duncan Boone), who is currently on death row for first degree murder.

In February 2011, Broken Soul Press launched a webcomic called Curse of the Black Terror. The comic is described as a superhero/noir story. The webcomic follows a re-imagined version of the Black Terror. Writer Curtis Lawson has stated that the story keeps the original Black Terror's history mostly intact and that his new Black Terror is a Legacy Hero. This new Black Terror features a new costume, but the same powers as the original. His identity has not been revealed. The visual re-design of the Black Terror in this webcomic was the work of artist Kundo Krunch.

In 2011, Eric M. Esquivel and Ander Sarabia created a version of The Black Terror called "The Blackest Terror",{{cite web|last=Rogers|first=Vaneta|title=New/Old Heroes to Challenge 'White, Right' Status Quo|url=http://www.newsarama.com/comics/blackest-terror-challenges-white-right-111011.html|work=Newsarama|date=19 January 2024 }} who is more of an urban revolutionary, obsessed with social justice, than a status-quo-enforcing superhero. Theirs is the first version of Robert Benton to be portrayed as an African-American. Blackest Terror also appears in their book Thor: Unkillable Thunder Christ, also published by Moonstone Books.The Blackest Terror #1, 2011

The Black Terror appears alongside other Golden Age superheroes in the independent film Avenging Force: The Scarab.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1619016/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast|title=Avenging Force: The Scarab|website=IMDb |access-date=2020-04-20}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Black Terror (Nedor superhero)}}

{{Wikisource|The Black Terror}}

• [http://www.toonopedia.com/b_terror.htm Black Terror] at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. [https://archive.today/20240527114151/https://www.webcitation.org/6b63iNUWN?url=http://toonopedia.com/b_terror.htm Archived] from the original on August 27, 2015.
• [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/b/blackter.htm Black Terror] at the International Catalogue of Superheroes

{{GoldenAge}}

Category:Characters created by Richard E. Hughes

Category:Comics characters introduced in 1941

Category:Comics characters with superhuman strength

Category:Dynamite Entertainment characters

Category:Dynamite Entertainment titles

Category:Eclipse Comics titles

Category:Fictional scientists in comics

Category:Fictional World War II veterans

Category:Golden Age superheroes

Category:Nedor Comics superheroes

Category:Public domain comics