Caleb Ketchum

Golden Age Origin
Caleb Ketchum was the Black Terror's chemistry professor in college who left his job because "a teacher doesn't get rich!" Instead he became an exterminator who developed a gas which, as he proudly advertised, could stun human beings. It used a rare chemical called cacobane. This didn't work out either and he became desperate to avoid being a failure however he could.

Dapper Dan Halney the gangster read Ketchum's advertisement and got some ideas. He approached Ketchum to use his gas in his crimes. Ketchum agreed, at first reluctantly, but was then excited to be making more money than he had ever seen in his life. He also started experimenting on the gas in his spare time and discovered that without the cacobane it would cause termites to become gigantic.



After a while he started running out of cacobane and needed to buy some from Bob Benton. The Terror figured out that he was helping Dapper Dan from his use of cacobane. He tracked Ketchum by giving him powder that would glow under a black light instead. The Terror Twins burst into Dapper Dan's headquarters but the gangsters captured them using the gas. They imprisoned the Terror Twins in a tank full of giant termites. But the Terror Twins burst free of the tank and sent Ketchum to jail.

Golden Age Appearances
America's Best Comics #26