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October - November 1958 |
"The dark shadow of the unknown not only extends beyond the vast reaches of outer space. It also winds mysteriously through the centuries... A path of peril, not meant for the trespasser. Yet, this fantastic trail becomes the scene of grim pursuit when the Challengers of the Unknown battle an incredible foe... The Wizard of Time." Two mechanics kill time reading a newspaper at an airfield. Seems three thieves - two dressed as ancient Egyptians - broke into an optical firm and stole a telescope. "Daffy!" Except here come some ancient Greeks who steal an airplane! A mechanic grabs one Greek who ends up in the slammer. Enter the Challs, summoned by Dr Fuller, an archaeologist. The prisoner is dressed like, and speaks only, ancient Greek! He wants to return to the Island of the Wizard. The Challs "play along". Following the prisoner's description, Ace remembers an island with a rock spire far out in the Atlantic. They find the island and land. Ace warns, "There's something about this setup that smacks of surprises." |
In a house is a lab with a fantastic red machine. The Challs pulls guns, but the sinister scientist notes, "It's not against the law to experiment with time travel." You mean?  |
Rocky dives into a chariot and pitches the driver. "Gotta do this, pal! It's a matter of life and death!" Ace drives, naturally.  |
Thundering out of town, they spot the plane and fire guns to scatter the guards. Ace and Rocky pile into the plane and take off for the rendezvous site. But soon the "museum piece" engine is leaking oil and catches fire! Deftly Ace lands the fiery plane and the Challs crawl from the burning wreckage. Ace notes, "We gave them a sight they will long remember and record for generations to come. We'll be legends, Rocky!" And Rocky (again brainy) recalls the famous Greek legends of Phaeton driving his fiery chariot across the face of the sun. Ace marvels, "Great Scott! That incredible tale is based on fact! Its origin must stem from this incident!" And this incident isn't closed yet. Thousands of Greek soldiers are coming their way! "If that time cube doesn't show up in the next 30 seconds - we're done for!" |
Rescue prospects look slim as we cut to Ancient Egypt. Red and Prof have been forced onto a labor gang!  |
Prof gripes, "I warned you to find cover when we arrived in the time cube! But you were too impressed by the sights! Now let's start thinking our way out of this jam!" Red blows a coach's whistle, stunning the locals, who've never heard one before. (Come on! Carving a wooden whistle goes back a long ways!) Red announces, "That was the cry of the great invisible eagle I have summoned from the land of shadows!" Prof wields his pencil flashlight. "Behold the blazing eye! Free us - or it shall cast a harmful spell on you!" The locals fall into line and lead the Challs to Rhamis, the Pharoah's astrologer, who received Tiko's gift of the telescope. Rhamis tries to shoo them as he plies "the cosmic eye" to chart the heavens. His work has roused the jealousy of the Sorceror's Sect - and speak of the devil, in they burst to kill Rhamis and the "emissaries of the shadow-land!" Prof and Red fight swords with furniture and judo - then tear after Rhamis as he ducks out a secret door. The telescope was smashed. |
Emerging from a tunnel, the Challs bid Rhamis farewell. "History records astronomical charts just like yours!" They plunk onto horses and dash for the time cube. They've got to pick up Ace and Rocky! Who are, at the moment, dodging a hailstorm of arrows. They can't leave the spot where the time cube will reappear. "We die if we run - and die if we stay!" But the cube appears. "Gangway!" Safe in the green swirl of the time stream, the Challs compare notes. They've got nothing to show for their past journeys, and no idea where Tiko is. But "the past! You've hit on it, Ace!" Prof explains. "The oracle of Ancient Greece was supposed to have the ability to predict the future! The astrologers of Ancient Egypt won fame in the same field! Tiko must have traded the modern gadgets for formulas for calculating the future - because Tiko's cubes can't travel into the future!" |
But Tiko never returned and probably didn't get sufficient information, so where did he go? Ace has a hunch about "the one man in history whose predictions have survived the centuries because of their uncanny accuracy!" Ace sets the Way-Back Machine for the 15th century to find "Nostradamus, the famous sage prophesier!" The Challs find Nostradamus (Santa in blue), but he shrieks for guards, having been forewarned by a "great wizard!" Tiko's obviously been here. A lot of swords are pointed their way, but from the rear Red yells, "Hit the dirt!" The swords fly overhead - and stick to the time cube. It operates on electro-magnetic principles, so Red just increased the field and "disarmed the guards with the mightiest magnet ever made!" The Challs calm Nostradamus. The seer is still rattled by "visions of ships that go beneath the sea and in the sky... Battles found with mechanical monsters that spout flame... Things beyond my limited ability to predict!" In return for this knowledge, Tiko consulted the seer's notes and adjusted his time cube. The Challs adjust theirs too, to venture to 3,000 AD! Soon they're "set for a hop to the other side of time!" Rocky says, "I wonder what marvelous things we'll see in the years beyond the 20th century?" Ace is grim. "Things we know nothing about! This time we may be risking hazards - from which there is no return!" |
Thumping down in the future, the Challs feel might small alongside giant machine-buildings. Rockets blast off while futuristic cars zip by.  |
Sticking to their mission, the Challs find Tiko's time cube - full of stuff! There's an ore-transmuter to convert common metals to gold and silver. A can of energized crystals: powdered light. Tablets and medicines to cure fatal ailments and prolong life. In short - - Darius Tiko, entering with gun in hand, will become the ruling power of our world! Tiko fends the Challs back with a heat ray. Then he sets up a small platform and - as they rush - suspends them in mid-air on an anti-grav ray! (As seen on the cover.) Tiko will leave the Challs stranded while he returns home. But Tiko himself gets nailed by energy rings. Natty cops in white suits - the United Earth Police - have tracked him since his first theft. He was under surveillance by radar because he landed in a restricted zone. Tiko didn't foresee all these advances in crime detection. The police free the Challs, but they're also under arrest for being in a restricted zone. "Tell it to the judge!"  |
Soon, a fantastic sight, the Challs and Tiko are wired by helmets to a tall machine - a mechanical judge! The Challs and Tiko tell their stories into the speaking tubes - "Wow! Talk about progress!" and the machine renders a verdict. Tiko gets - all charges dismissed! What? The machine pronounces, "Darius Tiko, motivated by antiquated conditioning, cannot be held responsible for violating the existing laws in a more rational society." He's free! The same holds for the Challengers. Time to head home. They're all escorted to the time cube to be "deported". It's empty. The police removed all the stolen goods and destroyed the second cube. Tiko objects, "I can't go back with these men!" But he can't remain, so must face the thefts in the 20th Century. The police also advise the time-vandals get clear of the cube when they arrive at their destination. Wonder why? |
Through time zip the Challs. For the last time - they think.  In fact, Tiko makes an unplanned stop in 1990s Metropolis. (Adventures of Superman 508, a story cleverly shoehorned between panels!) Getting out of the big bad city alive, the Challs heed police advice and abandon the cube. They drag Tiko kicking and screaming. Good thing. As their jet takes off, the entire island explodes! "The future police booby-trapped the time cube! I guess they had their fill of time-travelers! Frankly, so have I!" |
Comments Beautifully drawn, of course, with lots of appealing and varied visuals. But for some reason, time travel stories are inherently boring. Is it because they're too easy? Too simplistic? Feel like cheating? Dunno. But I never could stay awake during a Rip Hunter, Time Master comic. Rocky's rough-and-tumble attitude hasn't resolved yet. He sounds downright erudite keeping mental pace with Ace and Red. Shortly after this story, the Challengers probably battle Hunzar for the first time (shown in flashback in COTU 10). |
Part of the fun of the Silver Age were the Murray Boltinoff cartoons spread throughout. Many took up a whole page. Moolah the Mystic and Doctor Rocket were regulars.  |