James Cameron at Hand and Footprint Ceremony. TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, California.Credit: Axelle Woussen/BauerGriffin/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images
By
Ambrose Tardive
Published 33 minutes ago
Ambrose Tardive is an editor on ScreenRant's Comics team. Over the past two years, he has developed into the internet's foremost authority on The Far Side. Outside of his work for ScreenRant, Ambrose works as an Adjunct English Instructor.
Sign in to your ScreenRant account
Summary
Generate a summary of this story
follow
Follow
followed
Followed
Like
Like
Thread
Log in
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Try something different:
Show me the facts
Explain it like I’m 5
Give me a lighthearted recap
James Cameron's Terminator is back with an unexpected spin-off: a Christmas special. Yes, the T-800 is donning Santa's trademark red-and-white gear on a mission to infiltrate the holiday season, in a twisted dystopian riff on "Night Before Christmas." It's not what Terminator fans expected under the tree this year, but it might turn out to be a truly killer gift.
The Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming To Town #1 is written by Paulina Ganucheau, with art by Kendall Goode. It comes out December 3, making it a perfect stocking stuffer for Xmas.
Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town #1, a T800 dressed as Santa firing a machine gun
The story is set to ask a question nobody knew they wanted the answer to: what if Santa was a Terminator?
Skynet Declares War On Christmas As The T-800 Infiltrates Santa's Operation In A New "Terminator" Holiday Special
The Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming To Town #1, Written By Paulina Ganucheau; Art By Kendall Goode; Available December 3, 2025 From Dynamite Entertainment
Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town #1, Santa with glowing red T800 eyes
Here is publisher Dynamite Entertainment’s full synopsis for The Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming To Town:
It’s Christmas Eve in Skynet’s apocalyptic future, and the atmosphere is pretty far from festive. But even in the blasted rubble of civilization, the surviving elders of the Resistance have fond memories of the holiday — and in between drone attacks, the younger members are eager to hear about them.
The story of the jolly old man in a red suit who infiltrated people’s perimeters is especially intriguing. How did he avoid the sentries and guard dogs? What kind of exfiltration technique was he using? And most important, did he have glowing red eyes that matched his fur-trimmed hat — like the hulking figure that’s now advancing on their position?
It's a tongue-in-cheek twist on both Christmas lore and the Terminator premise. The question is how well the X-mas-themed issue will balance humor with the trademark action and horror that are the foundation of the franchise.
Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming To Town feels like a story that could really only happen in the comic medium. That makes it a novelty; the job of the book's creative team is to elevate it into something more than that. Conceptually, it would be hard to make the book not fun, but some effort will have to go into making it awesome.
Setting it in the context of the franchise's dystopian future, and making it a tall tale told by a Resistance member, are smart creative choices that will allow for some fanciful turns and departures from "reality." As far as Terminator goes, it's certainly going to be an entry in the franchise unlike any other.
Terminator's X-Mas One-Shot Could Be The Start Of An Unexpected New Era For The Franchise
Or It Will Be A Wild Footnote In Terminator Lore
Terminator Santa Claus is Coming to Town cover, a T800 dressed as Santa hauling presents
The Terminator x Christmas crossover offers ample opportunity for a more humorous take on the cinematic killer robots than fans are naturally used to. It also serves up a natural Jingle All the Way callback, if the T-800 Santa in any way resembles the OG Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger. Overall, Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming To Town is a fun extension of the franchise.
If successful, expect it to pave the way for more holiday-themed Terminator one-shots. Once the door is open to the franchise taking itself less seriously, there is ton of potential for Terminator stories like Santa Claus is Coming To Town in the comics. And if that doesn't pan out, it will be a quirky artifact of Terminator history.
Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming To Town will be available December 3, 2025 from Dynamite Entertainment.
Terminator (1984) Movie Poster
Terminator
Movie(s)
The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator Salvation (2009), Terminator Genisys (2015), Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Created by
James Cameron, Gale Anne Hurd
First Film
The Terminator
Latest Film
Terminator: Dark Fate
First TV Show
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Latest TV Show
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
Expand
Collapse
-
Comics
-
James Cameron
-
Terminator
We want to hear from you! Share your opinions in the thread below and remember to keep it respectful.
Be the first to post Images Attachment(s) Please respect our community guidelines. No links, inappropriate language, or spam.Your comment has not been saved
Send confirmation emailThis thread is open for discussion.
Be the first to post your thoughts.
- Terms
- Privacy
- Feedback
7 hours ago
Dad Of Viral ‘Cruise Ship Murder’ Victim Points To Someone Close To The Family
58 minutes ago
Tom Cruise's $357M Cult Classic Action Movie Sets 4th New Theatrical Release In 40 Years
3 hours ago
CBS's Ghosts Companion Show Casts Lead Role
2 hours ago
RFK Jr.’s "AI Slop" Thanksgiving Pic With Trump Is Still Being Roasted Days Later
More from our brands
Finally, You Can Watch One of the Greatest, Most Terrifying Fusions of Horror and Sci-Fi for Free
Anticipated Spawn Crossover Features Detectives Sam And Twitch -- And Santa Claus?
Epic Games Store: A Comprehensive List Of Every Free Game It's Had To Date
The Best Graphic Novels of All Time
James Cameron Shared the Real Meaning of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day'
The 10 Most Anticipated Blockbusters of 2025, Ranked
For the Terminator Franchise To Survive, It Has To Move On Without Arnold Schwarzenegger — and He Agrees
Trending Now
2025’s Best Horror Series Just Proved It's Ready to Become Hollywood’s Next Hit
Every New Christmas Movie & TV Show 2025 (& Where To Watch)
Ingrid Kersh's Connection To Pennywise In It: Welcome To Derry Twist Explained
