History: (Detective Comics I #253) - The Terrible Trio were a group of criminal masterminds and inventors, each having a specialty. Fox's inventions and schemes were based on land, Shark's on water, and Vulture's on sky, and they wore rubber masks of the animals they represented. Commissioner Gordon, Batman and Robin responded when an earthquake shook the Gotham bank, and the culprits were the Terrible Trio, who used a boring machine to tunnel underneath the bank. The Dynamic Duo pursued them into their getaway tunnel, but they set off a bomb, causing a cave-in that blocked the heroes' path. Vulture of the Trio next robbed the Freedom Plane containing historical treasures, and parachuted to safety. Batman and Robin saw Vulture ready to hop into the tunneling machine, so they destroyed the storefront of a bottling plant, making the sound of gunfire, and scaring the Trio away. Using the Batmobile's sonic range tracker they followed the machine to the Trio's lighthouse headquarters. The S.S. Cairo was scheduled to pass by the lighthouse on its way to delivering treasures from Cairo, and Batman deduced that was the next place the Trio would strike, and asked for Gordon's help setting up a trap. Trio member Shark used his pilot fish ship to latch onto the Cairo, opening a hole in it for the Trio to enter and steal the goods within. They brought their treasure back to their hideout, but Batman and Robin had disguised themselves as mummies, and after ripping off their wrappings they made short work of the Trio.

(Doctor Mid-Nite #1) - The Trio moved their operations to Portsmouth City, Oregon, becoming industrial giants. They fetishised their identities, performing rituals to channel the powers of earth, water, and air, and considering themselves totems for the elements. They used the A39 steroid, a derivative of Venom to create an army of superstrong goons, and created disasters that only spared their own properties in Portsmouth. Interested in marine scientific projects, they had their coordinator  Mr. Sham kidnap marine biologist Prof. Searles. "Midnight Doctor" Pieter Cross was interfering in their schemes, so they had one of their henchwomen drug his drink at a bar. Cross drove home, and was engaged in a car crash that left him conventionally blind, but with the power to see infrared light. He took on the heroic identity of Dr. Mid-Nite, and vowed to continue his work.

(Doctor Mid-Nite #2, 3) - The Trio checked in on P.U.P.A.E. (Praeda Underwater Paramilitary Enclosure)  and found it well into becoming operational. They demanded the goons that were arrested after Searles' kidnap would be taken care of by Sham. Before they could be hit, Mid-Nite found them, and forced them to tell him of their connection to Praeda. To get more information on them Mid-Nite, as Cross, talked his way into Praeda Industries and installed a transmitter modem in their mainframe. The Trio had Sham restrain him, and tied him to a pagan structure. After a ritual dedicated to the elements they intended to make a human sacrifice of him. They left while the sacrifice room was filled with poison gas, but Cross used lock picks to make his escape. Mid-Nite returned to Praeda to confront the Terrible Trio. They gloated about the near fruition of their plans, releasing toxic waste into Portsmouth sewer lines, sharks into the bay, and causing a massive oil spill with Searle held hostage so his  chemical couldn't clean it up, so their property would be the only land worth having in Portsmouth. The Trio tried to flee but Mid-Nite's man Lemon brought along hundreds of homeless to confront them about what they were planning for the city. They managed to escape, but Mid-Nite alerted federal authorities, and utilized his growing street crew to foil all their plans. The Trio were completely indignant that their plans were ruined, and hid out in a remote light house waiting to escape Portsmouth. Mid-Nite arrived, and in a panic the Trio fatally shot Sham. Mid-Nite easily defeated them, and they surrendered, cowering in fear, realizing their predator days were over.

Comments: Created by Dave Wood & Sheldon Moldoff.

The Terrible Trio received a profile in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #23.

The Terrible Trio's appearance in Detective Comics I #253 was reprinted in Batman I #176.

The Terrible Trio had a cameo in DC Retroactive: Batman - The ‘70s #1.

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