SHRECK

Real Name: unknown

Identity/Class: Extra-dimensional ( Earth-Shadowline) Shadow

Occupation: Mercenary; former enforcer

Affiliations: Dr. Zero, former enforcer  of the Ravenscores (Dirk, Erc, Tyler); Patty Richardson;
People with money (wait...make that people with money who don't mind having their enemies limbs ripped off);

Enemies: Michael Devlin, Marid, Patty Richardson, Skinwalker (John Nighthunter)

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: none

Base of Operations: mobile across Earth-Shadowline

First Appearance: St. George#2 (August, 1988)

 

 

 

Distinguishing Features: Terror's body is composed of an assortment of dead and decaying body parts which gives it a pale, green-gray to greenish-yellow color, and a harsh odor. He has pronounced, sharpened canine teeth, and a face resembling a nearly naked skull without lips or eyelids. He has three 10" long projections of an unknown composition from his face. His left hand is covered by a metal glove (which may be encasing the hermetically sealed hand of a deceased lover).

Powers/Abilities: Shreck has the ability to replace parts of his body (hands, feet, arms, legs, eyes, ears, nose, etc.) with those of other organisms. He usually does this with human parts, but he can do so with animal parts as well. In addition to taking on the physical attributes inherent to those body parts, he is also able to access a combination of psychometry and postcognition to gain talents and memories of those parts. By taking an eye, he can then recall the visions seen by that eye in life. By taking the hands of a safecracker, he gains those skills. By taking the limbs of a martial artist, he becomes a master fighter as well. By taking the parts of a superhuman being, he gains the abilities inherent to those parts, as well.

Although the body parts become part of him, they remain as dead tissue. As such, they continue to decay, and he will eventually need to replace them with fresh parts. Regardless of the nature of the parts he possesses, he retains certain physical abilities, such as athlete to enhanced human strength. Even when he is down to a single arm, he can grab hold of and tear a new limb from anyone who gets within striking distance. Whether this is pure strength, or a direct ability to detach limbs from others is unknown.

Shreck has superhuman regenerative abilities. He can weather attacks and impacts that would slay a normal man. On one situation he was reduced to a virtual skeleton, yet he still clung to life for hours until he came across new victims. He is apparently immune to aging, and he may be 1000 years old or more. 

His body remains a separate series of body parts under his control. If a toxin, chemical, etc., were introduced into one of his parts, it would affect only that part.

The spikes on his face may be removed and replaced at well, and can serve as weapons (see Terror entry for a further discussion of his powers).

 

 

 

 

History:
Shreck is apparently a native to Earth-Shadowline, and he is either the alternate dimensional counterpart of Terror of Earth-616, or some other incarnation of him. His exact origins may or may not be identical to those of Terror.


(Critical Mass#5/2 (fb)) - In the Dark Ages, Zero was gravely wounded by George of Cappadonia. Zero had his squire, the then mostly human Shreck, bury him, to complete the illusion of his death, and to allow him to recover his strength in solitude.

 

 

 

 

 

(Critical Mass#1/2 (fb)) - <April, 1986> - Shreck, having served as an enforcer for the Ravenscores for many years, attended their party. When Eric Ravenscore blasted off Ripley Weaver's metal hand, Shreck quietly kneeled down and took the hand for his repertoire.

(Saint George#2) - In Turkey, two rogue drug dealers stumbled into a confrontation with Michael Devlin when they kidnapped an acquaintance of his. One of them was blinded in the struggle. Fumbling about, he inadvertently opened a door that unleashed Shreck. Shreck slew the man who had opened the door, and then enquired of the surviving drug dealer as to what had happened. The man started to describe Michael Devlin, but Shreck told him not to bother, since through the expediency of removing his eye and popping it in his own socket, Shreck was able to recall an image of Michael Devlin.

Recognizing Devlin as a member of the Order of Saint George, and aware of his identity, Shreck set out to prevent Devlin from leaving Turkey. To that end, he killed a pilot, stole his hand, and caused a plane crash on the runaway at the Turkish airport. This prevented Devlin from taking a plane, so he took a train to Paris.

A representative of Shreck saw Devlin on the train and tried to persuade him not to get on. Devlin refused, and Shreck disposed of his lackey. Later, Shreck confronted Devlin in his compartment. Horrified at the sight of Shreck, Devlin ran to the compartment of his traveling companions Barnabbas and Tony. They closed and locked the door, but Shreck penetrated through it. Devlin donned his armor, smashed open the window, and climbed to the roof of the train with Tony. However, Shreck then pierced his hand through the ceiling of the cabin. Devlin managed to sever one of Shreck's hands, but, unfazed, Shreck simply replaced it with a spare he carried with him; Ripley Weaver's metal hand.

Shreck again pursued Devlin and Tony. He smacked Devlin off the top of the train, and thinking he had killed him, set out to get Tony. He confronted Tony just as the latter had reached another car of the train. However, Devlin had actually survived, and managed to tie chains around Shreck's legs, fastening Shreck to the car of the train he was on. Using his staff, Devlin then blasted the car of the train Shreck was on so that it separated from the rest of the train. However, Shreck grabbed for the rail of the car Devlin and Tony were on, and refused to let go. Though he held on with all of his power, Shreck could not resist the force of the other train pulling him in the other direction, which tore his legs off.

This did not kill Shreck, who managed to crawl on his hands onto the car Devlin and Tony were on, making one last attempt to get Devlin. However, Devlin swatted him away with his staff. Shreck, who usually avoided any feelings about his victims, felt such humiliation and shame upon his humbling defeat that he swore to get revenge on Devlin...who had just made things personal.

 

 

 

(Saint George#4) - Shreck met with Dirk Ravenscore in a graveyard. The lackey Sapir went looking for replacement legs for Shreck as the assassin discussed terms with Dirk. Shreck told Ravenscore that he would not serve as the assassin for the Ravenscore family until he had settled up with Devlin, and that he would seek the permission of Doctor Zero to do so.

(Doctor Zero#5) - Doctor Zero faced Marid, a Shadow who could project illusions, take on an intangible form, as well as connect himself to computer systems. Doctor Zero, investigating a scientist killed by Marid, brought the remaining body parts to Shreck. The scientist had burned to death, so his cornea was melted and his auditory canal charred, but Shreck did his best to relive what had happened through them. Shreck then asked for permission to pursue Michael Devlin, but Doctor Zero did not want to immediately give an answer.

Doctor Zero and Shreck investigated the launch of a rocket that Marid had sought to stow away on to escape Earth. As Doctor Zero and Marid fought, Shreck severed the hand off of a corpse of an operator of the rocket, thus gaining the knowledge as to how to defeat Marid. Telling the launch system to simulate a power loss situation, this caused the system to increase power levels to the computer system, which caught Marid, who had connected himself to the launch computer system, by surprise. He reverted to solid form. However, Marid then bedazzled Doctor Zero with pleasant illusions. Shreck observing this, took action by removing his eye, replacing it with that of a marksman, producing a gun, and shooting Marid.

Shreck then went back to the tower and caused the blast-off countdown to resume. Doctor Zero then threw the weakened Marid underneath the rocket, so that he lay below where the blast-off flame would come out. At the last two seconds, Shreck caused the countdown to stop. Marid, relieved, ejaculated "Allah be...Allah be...." thinking he was saved, but then Shreck reinitiated the countdown again. Marid burned to death.

After this, Doctor Zero informed Shreck that he could stalk Michael Devlin, but not kill him unless he informed Doctor Zero ahead of time. Zero then remarked this was unlike Shreck's standard business practices, and Shreck agreed, saying this one was strictly for pleasure.

(Saint George#6) - Shreck went to Shade's Haunt, a Shadow drinking establishment. He went to a table where the Shadow low-lifes Lenard, Skigger, and Fachan were sitting. Shreck asked Fachan to leave, and enquired of Lenard and Skigger's encounters with Michael Devlin.

 (St. George#7) - Shreck learned of Devlin's destination--Nicaragua--from the unwitting Father Carew.

(Critical Mass#2/1) - Picking through the body parts of the dead of a Nicaraguan town that Michael Devlin had just made his way through, Shreck took the eyeball of one of the people he had killed. On his way out, he made sure to take care of his guide...

 

(Critical Mass#3/2) - Tracking Devlin to a bar, Shreck confronted him. Devlin's friend Skinwalker shot his arm with a poisoned dart, but Shreck simply ripped off the arm and replaced it with another's. Devlin jumped to action, but the bar was severely smashed from the battle. While the others ran, Shreck merely stood in the bar while it came crashing to the ground. Skinwalker and Barnabbas, who was also in Devlin's party, tried their best to buy Devlin time to escape, and Skinwalker even shot Shreck in the eye with another poison dart. However, when Shreck got his hands on them, they were easily taken care of. Interrupting a beautiful scene between Devlin and Patty Richardson, Shreck and Devlin continued their battle. Devlin was well on his way to taking care of Shreck when Patty fell down a large hole in the ground. Devlin ran over to save her, but had to take off his armor to fit in to save her. After doing so, was ambushed and quickly taken out by Shreck. The next morning, Shreck crucified Devlin to a large tree.

(Critical Mass#4 - BTS) - Devlin remained staked to that tree.

(Critical Mass#5/1) - Unable to kill Devlin due to Zero's orders, Shreck simply left him to the jungle and went off to find a new eye. Finding some parts and a carriage from a local merchant, Shreck was prepared to go on his way when Devlin caught him by surprise. Shreck fought back as best he could, but his right arm was broken. Devlin knocked Shreck over a waterfall, but even this wasn't enough to kill him. Their battle raged on until Devlin knocked him into a lake, where he was attacked by piranhas. Devlin tried his best to save him, but when he offered Shreck his arm, he could tell Shreck was taking him far too literally. Devlin let go and Shreck fell back into the lake where he was sunk beneath a pool of hungry fish. Devlin continued on his journey...

That evening, a group of human scavengers searched the area, and came across Shreck's skeleton.

One of the men was impressed: "I know a man who'll give his right arm for these gold fillings!"

Shreck suddenly leapt at the man saying, "I can appreciate that pricing structure!"

As Shreck did what he does best, he thought to himself, "These are fellow entrepreneurs...after a sort. As such, I will attempt to make it clear to them that this is not the nightmare it is about to seem--that it is, instead, an investment opportunity in the rebuilding of a major corporation.
Perhaps they will even listen--before their screams grow so loud as to prevent them form hearing anything else--ever again...
Unless, of course, I take their ears..."

 

 

 

(Critical Mass#7/2) - Shreck, still very much alive, met up with Patty Richardson again and told her of Michael Devlin's heroism, and that he was also still living. Shreck attempted to get to know her better (He hit on her), but she wasn't interested.

 

Comments: Created by DG Chichester, Margaret Clark and Klaus Jansen.

Does Shreck = Terror?

A few years after the conclusion of the Shadowline saga, Chichester was enlisted to re-invent Shreck for the Marvel Universe. The result was Terror. While the editor, Marc McLaurin, insisted that they were not the same character (meaning they would be alternate dimensional counterparts), they remained virtually identical, despite the fact that Shreck is the only known being (short of real world characters written into comics, like politicians) to have a counterpart on Earth-616, and vice-versa.

Their origin, powers, identity and look are all identical, but this brings you to the question "How did he cross over from Earth-Shadowline?" This would depend on how you view the Shadowline universe. I think it's highly possible that the events of Earth-Shadowline took place just prior to FF#1. If that's the case, it's simply Shreck waiting five or so years (Oh, you cute lil' sliding timescale) and deciding Terror was a cooler name.
Maybe in Earth-616 the movie Shreck came out earlier and Terror was embarrassed into changing his name? (-Zerostar)

Shreck and Terror are absolutely identical.

The only argument I see is whether they are the exact same guy, or alternate dimensional counterparts.

How could he have gotten to Earth-616?

Finally, straight from from D.G. Chichester himself:

          Came across your excellent site while browsing something or other and wanted to thank you for a very nice walk down 
          memory lane with Shreck and Terror. I admire and appreciate just how many references you picked up on, as well as 
          how much you "got right" in your assessment and analysis of the character(s).

          No matter what Marcus may or may not have said as a "good soldier" in the Marvel Universe army, Shreck was Terror 
          and Terror was Shreck [emphasis added]...but for the fact that Terror got to develop more of a a back story as time 
          went on. We never did address the transition from Shadowline to MU, however, and probably never would have (as at 
          that point the Shadowline was long since relegated to "Who cares?" among the larger editorial staff at the office (although 
          those of us who invested a lot of time and effort in it kept a warm spot in our hearts).

 

The Top image is from the OHotMU Master Edition entry on Terror. Full shots of Shreck are hard to find, and since the two are physically identical, I'm going with this one.

See the entry on Terror for possible insights on the powers and origins of Shreck.

Profile by: Zerostar, Snood, and Per Degaton.

Profile updated/edited by Kyle Sims

CLARIFICATIONS:
The policy at the time of the Terror series was that Shreck and Terror INC were alternate dimensional counterparts.

He had no known connection to:

Archie Goodwin, who helped develop the Shadowline concepts, should not be confused with Archie Goodwin, Nero Wolfe's partner from the Rex Stout novels, although a joke about the coincidence did appear one of those birthday calendar back covers of Marvel Age
--Per Degaton.

Last updated: 06/23/04

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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