McSnurtle is a turtle 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 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 appearance as the Terrific Whatzit was in Funny Stuff #17, 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 #9 in November 1982, in which he is seen helping the Allies 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.
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 and the ability to fly. McSnurtle also gains a ghost-like "automatic conscience" 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 #14, as the adopted pet of the Flash. A redesigned version of the Terrific Whatzit appeared in the DC Super-Petschildren's bookSalamander Smackdown, as a superpowered pet of the present day 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 as the childhood stuffed animal of Iris West in the "Revenge of the Rogues" episode of The Flash. Later, in the episode "Borrowing Problems From The Future", HR gives Barry a turtle named McSnurtle as a housewarming gift.
