Terry Butcher is a minor, but pervasive, character in Garth Ennis's Hellblazer run. He is never seen on-panel, but is referred to by several largely unconnected characters, suggesting that he gets around quite a bit. People who have referred to, or admitted knowledge of, Terry include John Constantine, Header, Brendan Finn and Robbie Brooks. Exactly what Terry did for a job is unknown, but it doesn't appear that he was a magician - although he was certainly aware of John's supernatural dabblings.
Fictional biography[]
In 1985, for reasons unknown, word got around that Terry Butcher had - ironically, given his name - been murdered and put into meat pies that were then eaten backstage at the Live Aid concert. This was such a pervasive rumour that both John and Brendan believed it. (Hellblazer issue 62, 1993; Hellblazer issue 76, 1994)
Nevertheless, Terry lived on and, in 1992, got into some nasty dealings with a loan shark named Mike Adams. Dealings that ended up with Adams cutting off Terry's penis. (Hellblazer issue 63, 1993)
Possibly as a result of this, he moved up to Liverpool, where he became acquainted with a young lad named Robbie Brooks. He told Robbie all about John Constantine, whipping the boy up into such a frenzy that he started looking into the occult himself. (Hellblazer issue 62, 1993)
Terry later moved further north to Glasgow, where - despite his lack of a member - he managed to talk his way into the bed of Maggie and Kate, Header's siamese twin daughters. Header walked in on them and, incensed, dragged Terry away and killed him. He later told John that Terry's body was 'in the Clyde (river) wi' a baseball bat up his arse'. (Hellblazer issue 63, 1993)
Notes[]
- Terry may take his name from the 1980s rugby player of the same name.