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The original Terminator film turns 40 years old this year, and in the 4 decades since it's grown to be a massive franchise full of all different kinds of Teminators, all different kinds of timelines, and all different kinds of ... stuff. But when James Cameron and Gale Ann Hurd created The Terminator, it was none of that - it was a slasher-horror movie. And now, Declan Shalvey and Luke Sparrow are slashing it backs to its roots.

Launching this October, 40 years to the month the original Terminator slashed into movie theaters, The Terminator comic book series from Shalvey and Sparrow imagines a world where there are no other Terminator movies or TV shows. They're not re-writing continuity or rebooting anything - they're simply going back to the beginning and following attempts by the predatory future AI known as Skynet to try other methods to prevent the human rebellion - by targeting other members of the human rebellion when they were children, or before they were even born. But again, this isn't some sci-fi hunt through time - we've had enough of those. This is a killer robot on the loose in the 20th century. 

"My contemporaries were all doing slasher-horror movies," Cameron said in a special feature of the original movie's home video release. "John Carpenter was the guy I idolized the most. He made Halloween for $30,000 or something. That was everyone’s break-in dream, to do a stylish horror movie. It was a very slasher film type image. And it really was the launching pad for the story."

Popverse talked to Shalvey about how this became the launching pad for his and Sparrow's Terminator story.

Popverse: Declan, thanks for talking to me. This new Terminator seems right up your alley - sci-fi with lots of shadows, and lots of room for humanity. After the initial chance of writing Terminator came up to you, how did you kind of 'crack the nut' in terms of figuring out the Terminator stories you wanted to tell versus making 'just' another sequel to a movie?

Declan Shalvey: There were two things that really clinched it for me.

First, was the restrictions on the license, dealing only within the continuity of the first film. Initially, I was worried it would be limiting. But then when I revisited the film, I realised there were a lot more opportunities to do something different from all the well-explored material that's been examined before. 

Also, after rewatching the film, the more grounded, thriller, noirish elements were something I was more interested in leaning into, and not the exhaustive lore that's followed within the franchise. Myself and Luke are doing a moody thriller here, not a sci-fi spectacle.

Popverse: Can you say who the Terminators are sent to kill in the early issues, and how they fit into Terminator continuity?

No one who we have seen before. Each story is in a new time we haven't previously explored so therefore there are no recurring characters. We're doing something different. In issue one, we meet an elderly couple who have managed to escape the havoc of the War With the Machines, until now. We'll also meet a marine who is looking to pull out of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War, but a Terminator is hunting him through the jungle. Can he escape in time?

The classic movies all take place in the present day or the very near future, but in all we've seen visions of the far future. Is this primarily set in modern times, or could we see a story or two set completely in Skynet's future? 

Mainly, we'll be bouncing around the late 20th Century, through notable moments in humanity's past but that doesn't mean we won't be seeing moments after say, Judgement Day.

Is it possible we could see Terminators sent further back in time to kill the parents or grandparents of targets they have? 

Possibly. Sorry, I really can't say more without giving anything away.

I've noticed the only familiar face in the covers is the T-800 - and then its sans its skin. Will there be any other familiar faces in this, or at least a skinned T-800 looking like Arnold Schwarzenegger?

The boring answer is no, no familiar faces as we can't use the Arnie likeness. But honestly, I'm happier not to as that stuff has been done to death across multiple films. Again, we're doing something different in this book. 

If you've seen enough Terminator movies & TV shows, you know it lives or dies on the humanity around the T-800 - we have to care about who it's after. What can we look forward to in this - or who, should I say?

Yes, very much this. This is really the most difficult aspect of this series. Since we're not revolving around Sarah Conner etc., we need to introduce the reader to new characters that the reader will have to feel engaged with. That's the real challenge, making you care and wanting the Terminator to fail.

Last question - if I told you in the future you will be a leader in the rebellion against Skynet, what would you do to prep now for a T-800 coming for you?

Well I'd stock up on snacks. I bet they'd fetch a good price after Judgement Day. Bound to get a few rats for them, at least. As for the T-800 I guess I could learn how to use Chat GHB or whatever and use it to distract them.

Terminator #1 debuts October 9.

While you wait for that first issue, here is every Terminator movie and TV show, ranked!