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June - July 1958 |
The Challengers' gold jet "knifes through a crackling lightning storm high over the Caribbean." The Challs are pushing to head off Roc, a maniac bent on conquering the world, before he reaches Dr Hascomb's island lab. But upon landing, they see a rainbow halo envelopes the lab. Dr Hascomb is out cold - and Roc gloats over him. Prof, "Surrender! It's four against one - you haven't got a monkey's chance!" Bad choice of words. Roc laughs. "I shall make monkeys of you!" And just like that, Roc conjures up a King Kong-sized ape! No dummies, the Challs "make for the jungle - it's our only cover!" The ape throws whole trees as the Challs dive into a river and swim underwater. They need "brainwork". Prof tackles a cliff with camouflage. When the ape arrives, it spots the Challs running into a thatched "cave". Charging, the ape brains itself on the disguised cliffside. Then the beast disappears! Back at the lab, Dr Hascomb explains his thought machine - that turns thoughts into matter. Roc forced the doctor to give him the treatment, and he imagined the giant ape. |
In fact, Roc is rowing out to the Challs' jet to escape. He realizes he forgot to destroy the machine, then IMAGINES a missile aiming for it. The lab explodes - but fortunately the Challs have hustled the equipment to safety. Imagine what Roc can do now. Conjure up monsters to intimidate the populace, create an army of robots to enslave us. Prof, "We need to fight fire with fire." A Challenger will get the brain treatment until they can capture Roc and neutralize his power. Dr Hascomb objects. "The Challenger who is exposed to the machine may never return to normalcy." "We've got to take that risk." Ace draws the short straw.  |
Ace is woozy, but feels no different - until he imagines a spaceship and it appears! And disappears. "The specimens - of an unknown matter - only remain as long as they fulfill the purpose they were conceived for - or fail to do so." While Dr Hascomb works on a neutralizer, off go the Challengers after Roc. Almost immediately their jet is threatened by giant grasping hands. But Ace handcuffs them, and they fade away. Roc is surprised. "Very well. We'll have a duel of minds." (Really this is a scientific sorceror's duel, as found in some fairy tales and Disney's animated THE SWORD IN THE STONE. Which means the title would better be THE MAGIC MAKER.) Roc responds in a big way, with a fire-breathing dragon!  |
Ace counters with a giant knight on horseback. But what of the fire breath? Ace adds a giant frying pan to block it. Both creatures fade. Spreading fire endangers a village. To confuse Roc, Ace sketches a hall of mirrors around him. In the village, Ace imagines water towers tilting to extinguish the fire. But Roc is back in action with a vacuum machine! (Who else but the Challs could be threatened by a vacuum cleaner? Okay, the Atom. But who else?)  Ace counter with a can of imaginary acid that rusts and disintegrates the fan blades. More attacks. Ace imagines police cars to surround and hound Roc, then a jail cell. Roc mentally electrifies the bars - and they disappears. |
It looks like stalemate, until Ace pulls his final "ace". Whirling pinwheels surround Roc, and make him freeze. Ace has hypnotized Roc, who falls asleep!  Back at the lab, Roc and Ace are both pluggedinto the machine and "neutralized", their powers withdrawn. The reversal process destroys the machine. Just as well. Roc will go the police, and "another adventure into the unknown will be finished, men!" "Yes.. Until the next challenge!" |
This tale got a second cover, by Joe Kubert, when reprinted in COTU 79.  |
On to "The Traitorous Challenger"! |