The Black Terror

With his black costume and bold skull-and-crossbones chest emblem, the Black Terror cut one of the most striking figures of the Golden Age. Published by Nedor (also known as Standard), he first appeared in 1941. In his origin, pharmacist Bob Benton develops a formula that grants him extraordinary strength and near-invulnerability, and he fights crime alongside a young sidekick — the pair billed as the "Terror Twins." The menacing pirate iconography, unusual for a hero, made him instantly memorable even amid a crowded field. Like the rest of the Nedor line, the Black Terror was never renewed and passed into the public domain, and he has become one of the most frequently revived Golden Age heroes. Later writers and publishers have folded him into new team books and reimaginings — most famously in Alan Moore's work built around forgotten Nedor characters — precisely because the character is free for anyone to use. He remains a favorite example of how a lapsed copyright can give a long-dead hero a vigorous second life.