WARNING: This article contains spoilers for The Terrifics #26, by Gene Luen Yang, Sergio Davila, Vicente Cifuentes, Protobunker and Tom Napolitano, on sale now.

The Terrifics have always been one of the smartest teams in the DC Universe. Since they were formed in the wake of Dark Nights: Metal in 2018, the team has been led by Mister Terrific, the hi-tech hero who's the third smartest man in the DC Universe.

While Terrific's presence alone is enough to make his team one of DC's brainiest groups, he's joined by two veteran DC heroes: Metamorpho --the Element Man who can change his body into different elements and forms -- and the elastic Plastic Man. Those three are also joined by Phantom Girl, who the team came across on their first adventure. Although her name has been used by some of DC's other heroes, this iteration of the character is a new version that the team discovered while exploring the Dark Multiverse.

Together, this team of heroes could be reasonably called DC's answer to Marvel's Fantastic Four, to some extent. And in the same way that the Fantastic Four has inspired affiliate groups like the Future Foundation, The Terrifics #26 introduces one of the smartest groups of DC heroes ever assembled, the Terrific Council.

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The Terrifics

From the beginning of their series, the Terrifics have been engaged in an uneasy alliance with industrialist Simon Stagg, who they kept from using a portal to the Dark Multiverse in their first adventure. Since then, they have been working with Stagg to carefully explore the Dark Multiverse and explore the “cosmic bond” the team has shared since first venturing together into the other dimension.

In The Terrifics #26, the team is investigating the disappearance of Stagg and his intern Luke, who happens to be Plastic Man's son, when the holographic train they're riding disappears. While investigating what went wrong with Mister Terrific's new invention, the team begins to suspect that Stagg is somehow involved in the disappearances. Mister Terrific uncovers a heat signal a quarter-mile below the site of the incident, and he and his team set off to explore.

Upon exploring, the Terrifics find a terrified Stagg, who warns them that someone immortal is coming and that he wants to join him to save himself from a terminal diagnosis. When monstrous demonic forces begin to overwhelm the Terrifics, the T-Council jumps onto the scene to save the day.

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The Terrifics T-Council

Led by inventor Ted Kord's Blue Beetle, this team includes several heroes who are known for the intelligence or scientific acumen. While Ray Palmer's Atom is busy dealing with a Batman Who Laughs-infected Hawkman in space, this group includes his younger counterpart, Ryan Choi's Atom. It also includes Man-Bat, who is the brilliant scientist Kirk Langstrom in his more human form.

This group also includes Shay Veritas, a scientist who's been called the smartest person in the DC Universe and had a few encounters with Supergirl and Superman during the New 52.

Most notably the T-Council also features super-scientist Tom Strong and his wife Dhalua Strong. Created by Alan Moore and Chris Sprouse, Tom Strong and his family were originally part of Moore's editorially independent America's Best Comics imprint. But much like the characters of Watchmen, these characters have been absorbed into the fabric of the DC Universe. In their introductory DC storyline, Tom Strong asked the Terrifics to help him find his family and save the Dark Multiverse.

Collectively, the members of the T-Council have expertise in everything from robotics, biology and shrinking technology to even more exotic forms of science. While it's not entirely clear how this will help the Terrifics' imminent monster problem, the combined rosters of the Terrifics and the T-Council have enough brains to think their way through any situation.

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