Terrible Trio

The Terrible Trio is a group of fictional characters, DC Comics supervillains. The Trio’s first appearance was Detective Comics #253, published in March 1958. The real names of Fox, Shark and Vulture were originally Warren Lawford, Armand Lydecker & Gunther Hardwick - though these have changed over the decades.

Fictional Character History
The Terrible Trio were originally three famous inventors in Gotham City, who sought new challenges by starting a criminal career. As a gimmick, they dress up in business suits while wearing cartoon masks of animals. From this, they become known as the Fox, the Shark and the Vulture. Tapping into their respective areas of expertise, they base their technology on their respective animal themes. The Trio were recurrent foes of Batman and Robin for years, but they have also battled G'nort, and, more recently, the new Doctor Mid-Nite. In the Doctor Mid-Nite mini series, the three have moved their operations to Portsmouth instead of Gotham, and have become the industrial leaders Fisk, Shackley, and Volper, heads of the investment firm Praeda Industries (Praeda meaning "spoils" or "booty", and sharing a root with the word "predator"). In this story, the Trio adopt their guises as part of rituals they perform to bring good fortune to their endeavors, calling upon the spirits of earth, air, and water. The trio attempt to cause simultaneous disasters to much of the city and its coast, leaving only the property in the worst sections of the city - which they owned and could then resell to enormous profit. As part of their plan, the Trio also operate as drug lords, selling the Venom-based steroid A39 to create an army of superstrong zombie-like soldiers. When Doctor Cross begins investigating their affairs they attempt to kill him, but succeed only in apparently blinding him (unbeknownst to them, he gains the abilities that would make him Doctor Mid-Nite). Mid-Nite foils their plans for the city, and the members of the Trio are caught and sentenced to a total of 800 years in prison. In Detective Comics #832, published in April 2007, the presumed to be deceased Shark is named as Sherman Shackley. In this issue the Fox’s last name is Fisk and Vulture’s last name Volper, though no first names are given for either character. Here, the Shark, in an attempt to reinvent himself after suffering a psychotic breakdown - presumed to be due to substance abuse - fakes his own death and attempts to murder his partners, only to be stopped by Batman. The trio wind up in Arkham Asylum where Fox and Vulture switch their allegiance to Warren White — the "Great White Shark" — who informs Sherman that he can't be Shark anymore and that he's taking his place.

Television
In Batman: The Animated Series, the Terrible Trio are bored, rich men versions of Warren Lawford (voiced by Bill Mumy), Armand Lydecker (voiced by David Jolliffe), and Gunther Hardwick (voiced by Peter Scolari). Each of them inherited family fortunes. Lawford gets his from oil; Lydecker's father owned an aerodynamics firm; and Hardwick's father was a shipping magnate. They had the influence and power to turn to crime. They assume the identities of Fox, Vulture, and Shark, respectively. The creatures they select represent Land, Air, and Water, respectively, and each element is also where a majority of their money came from. Although they strike Gotham hard in the beginning, they are ultimately sent to jail after being defeated by Batman. In the last scene, Warren is ushered into his cell at Stonegate Penitentiary. He takes in the cockroach-infested sink, and his leering, hulking cellmate, and backs away in terror, only to bump into the bars which have slammed shut behind him.

The Terrible Trio appear in the fifth season of The Batman. The Terrible Trio are university students and social outcasts named David (voiced by David Faustino), Justin (voiced by Googy Gress), and Amber (voiced by Grey DeLisle). Instead of costumes, they mutated by using formulas stolen from Dr. Kirk Langstrom's computer. David—the brains and de facto leader of their group—remade the formula and put it into dissolving patches. After applying one each, David became a therianthropic Fox, Justin became a therianthropic Shark (resembling a hammerhead shark), and Amber became a therianthropic Vulture. Throughout the episode, their schemes were mostly for amusement and vindication, rather than financial gain. One recurring theme was turning others into therianthropes against their will. Since Batgirl (as Barbara Gordon) went to the same college, she assisted Batman in combating them. After receiving a DNA sample from a feather belonging to Vulture, Langstrom also provided an antidote to the mutations. After some difficulty, Batman and Batgirl administered the antidote to Justin and Amber, respectively. David, however, was accidentally covered in a mutagenic fluid meant for several other students when Batman destroyed the mutagen detonator. This turned him into a horned Griffin-like creature. After being electrocuted by the stadium sign and presumably cured, David was sent to prison with Justin while Amber was presumably sent to a women's prison.

The Terrible Trio appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Return of the Fearsome Fangs!" with Fox voiced by Phil Morris, Vulture voiced by Edoardo Ballerini, and Shark having no dialogue. This version of the Terrible Trio are bored millionaires who become martial artists wearing masks of their totem animals. They studied at the Wudang Temple alongside Batman and Bronze Tiger. As members of the Shadow Clan, they plan to steal the Wudang Totem from the temple, first killing off the last line of defense: Master Wong Fei. Batman and Bronze Tiger end up battling them to protect the Wudang Temple. When the Terrible Trio obtains the Wudang Totem, they turn into monstrous versions of the animals they represent. Attempting to take over Hong Kong, they are stopped by Batman and Bronze Tiger who use the Wudang Totem's powers to likewise become monstrous versions of their own totem animals.

Miscellaneous
The Terrible Trio appear in issue #11 of the Batman: The Brave and the Bold comic series. Batman and Green Arrow fight them in order to keep them from obtaining a secret weapon that would give them ultimate power.