The Terrific Whatzit (real name Merton McSnurtle, also known as McSnurtle the Turtle) is a fictional

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked tu ...

appearing in

American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...

s published by

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

. DC's first

talking animal A talking animal or speaking animal is any non-human animal that can produce sounds or gestures resembling those of a human language. Several species or groups of animals have developed forms of communication which superficially resemble verbal ...

superhero, the Terrific Whatzit first appeared in ''Funny Stuff'' #1 (Summer

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

) and was created by Martin Naydel.

Natasha Lyonne Natasha Bianca Lyonne Braunstein ( ; born April 4, 1979) is an American actress, director, writer, and producer. She is known for playing Nicky Nichols on the Netflix comedy-drama series ''Orange Is the New Black'' (2013–2019), for which she r ...

voices the character in the animated film ''

DC League of Super-Pets ''DC League of Super-Pets'' is a 2022 American 3D computer-animated superhero comedy film based on the DC Comics superhero team Legion of Super-Pets. Produced by Warner Animation Group and DC Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. ...

'' (2022).

Fictional character biography

McSnurtle is a

and shopkeeper who lives in the town of Zooville and is famed for both his honesty and his laziness. He is granted superpowers by two powerful, otherworldly entities (the nice Prince Highness and nasty Prince Lowness) who want to see how a completely honest person would handle being granted superpowers. When in action as the Terrific Whatzit, McSnurtle removes his shell and dons a costume almost identical to that of the Golden Age Flash save that the lightning bolt emblem is replaced by a "TW" in a yellow circle. The name "Terrific Whatzit" stems from the fact that without his shell, it is hard to tell what kind of animal McSnurtle is. McSnurtle's last

Golden Age The term Golden Age comes from Greek mythology, particularly the ''Works and Days'' of Hesiod, and is part of the description of temporal decline of the state of peoples through five Ages of Man, Ages, Gold being the first and the one during ...

appearance as the Terrific Whatzit was in ''Funny Stuff'' #17 (January 1947), although he continued to appear from time to time as McSnurtle the shopkeeper in other features. His superheroic identity would not appear again until ''

Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew ''Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!'' is a DC Comics series about a team of talking animal superheroes called the Zoo Crew. The characters first appeared in a 16-page special insert in '' The New Teen Titans'' #16 (February 1982), follo ...

'' #9 in November 1982, in which he is seen helping the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

during " the Second Weird War". The series reveals in an earlier story that the Terrific Whatzit is the uncle of Zoo Crew team member

Fastback A fastback is an automotive styling feature, defined by the rear of the car having a single slope from the roof to the tail. The kammback is a type of fastback style. Some models, such as the Ford Mustang, have been specifically marketed as ...

Powers and abilities

As the Terrific Whatzit, McSnurtle possessed super-speed powers similar to those of the Golden Age Flash. These powers, while primarily based on superspeed, also include some superstrength (enough to bend a tank's main gun barrel) and the ability to fly. McSnurtle also gains a ghost-like "automatic

conscience Conscience is a cognitive process that elicits emotion and rational associations based on an individual's moral philosophy or value system. Conscience stands in contrast to elicited emotion or thought due to associations based on immediate sens ...

" who won't relent until he goes into action against the threat of the story.

Other versions

An ordinary turtle wearing the classic Terrific Whatzit costume is seen in ''

DC Super Friends The Imaginext System is a brand of role-playing, adventure toys designed for kids 3 or older made by Mattel, as part of their Fisher-Price brand. History At the time of its introduction at the 2002 Toy Fair,

'' #14 (June 2009), as the adopted pet of

the Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...

. A redesigned version of the Terrific Whatzit appeared in the DC Super-Pets children's book ''Salamander Smackdown

as a superpowered pet of the present day Flash (comics), Flash. Unlike the previous versions, this version of the Terrific Whatzit wears a costume similar to the modern Flash's.

In other media

* McSnurtle the Turtle appears in ''

The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...

'' in two different forms. The first version appears in the episode "Revenge of the Rogues" as the childhood stuffed animal of

Iris West Iris West is a fictional character, a supporting character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She has been the main love interest and later wife of Barry Allen, the alter ego of the Silver Age version of the superhero The ...

. The second appears in the episode "Borrowing Problems from the Future" as a regular turtle that Harrison "HR" Wells gives to Barry Allen as a housewarming gift. * The Terrific Whatzit appears in the '' DC Super Hero Girls'' episode "All Pets Are Off". * Merton the Turtle / Terrific Whatzit appears in ''

'', voiced by

. This version is a non-anthropomorphic female turtle who acquires super-speed after being exposed to orange

Kryptonite Kryptonite is a fictional material that appears primarily in Superman stories published by DC Comics. In its best-known form, it is a green, crystalline material originating from Superman's home world of Krypton that emits a unique, poisonous r ...

and goes on to become the

Flash Flash, flashes, or FLASH may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional aliases * Flash (DC Comics character), several DC Comics superheroes with super speed: ** Flash (Barry Allen) ** Flash (Jay Garrick) ** Wally West, the first Kid ...

's pet and a founding member of the titular League of Super-Pets.

References

External links

Toonopedia entry on the Terrific Whatzit

* ttp://www.capstonepub.com/product/9781404864788 Capstone's DC Super-Pets book ''Salamander Smackdown'' {{GoldenAge Golden Age superheroes Comics characters introduced in 1944 DC Comics characters with superhuman strength Fictional turtles DC Comics superheroes DC Comics male superheroes DC Comics characters who can move at superhuman speeds Animal superheroes Fictional anthropomorphic characters DC Comics animals Flash (comics) characters Legion of Super-Pets