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August - September 1960 |
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In Cell 3 at the State Prison, Duncan Pramble is prisoner #13181. And he's also Multi-Man, planning "an eye-popping surprise" for the guards - as an explosion roars from his cell. A guard catches on quick. "Great thunder! If he dies in that explosion, he'll emerge with a new life and some sort of new power!" |
MM laughs. "I feel very
strong! Hmm... Let me test these bars!" Sure enough,
"they pull apart easily - like taffy candy!" Bullets bounce off
"like rice grains!" MM walks out of prison. |
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"No time for a landing! Lower the rope ladder!" Prof grabs the controls as Red, Rocky, and Ace swing down to confront MM. Ever the super-villain, MM brays, "The Challengers, eh? So we meet again!" MM brushes the heroes off "like flies", then urges they "Watch me perform wondrous feats of strength... at your expense!" Jumping on a steam shovel, snapping off the giant shovel, MM scoops up Ace and Rocky. "He's picking us up like pancakes on a flapjack turner!" (That would be a spatula, Ace.) But Prof swings the rope ladder close, and they jump. |
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"Brother!" gulps Red. "Everybody had better stay out of that character's way until we overcome his super-strength!" MM runs off into the trees "yonder". The Challs pursue but lose the trail. |
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First up. "A golden flower!" Yes, it's one of three parts of a fabled Golden Turtle statue. The other parts are a turtle and a base. Gurk knows where they are. It's up to MM to get them! Next day, MM and Gurk lurk around a seaside estate, home to a wealthy art collector. The electrified fence "could dry a dinosaur", but MM just tears it down. Inside, as the terrified homeowner watches, MM rips out the wall safe. "This is what I came for!" |
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Where MM and Gurk approach an Aztec-like temple. Native guards hurl spears. MM catches them on his palm "like hitting a steel wall", then ties them into "iron pretzels". |
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Rocky readies a net, and Ace swoops low to snare MM. No good. MM just digs in his feet. The net and cable tear right off the jet. (The jet comes with a giant steel net? For what? Fishing on the fly?) |
| Landing, Ace takes Red and Rocky to attack MM from the front. Prof will circle and try to douse him with antidote. MM laughs, ready to bowl them over "like tenpins." (Can this guy speak in anything but metaphors?) The Challs stop dead - as Prof rains down antidote from the lintel of the temple. |
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The scouts don’t find Gurk, but Prof notices an isolated hill. "I’m beginning to get some ideas about that golden turtle statuette! Come on, let's get back!" They get a rude reception. Natives make them prisoner. Multi-Man managed another death: he made a break and a native killed him with a spear. Now, opposite his earlier form, he's got a puny body but magnificent brain. He conned the natives with his "remarkable change", and leaves to solve the secret of the turtle statue. |
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As for the Challs, Prof negotiates. "I know where you'll find the Golden Turtle... and prove that we are friends!" |
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Prof holds up the Golden Turtle statue. It resembles the hill. Insert the golden flower to match the tree, turn, and CLICK - a secret panel opens!  MM sneers. "How long do you think you can keep my brain power
penned up?" Flying home with two prisoners, even Ace frets.
"I'm afraid that brain is going to cause up plenty of trouble in the
future."
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Second Story
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June Robbins, "Honorary Member of the Challengers of the Unknown", uses
the mountain lab to analyze some new microbes brought back by a balloon
from 75 miles high. (So they'd be space microbes.) The
"fellows" are away.
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In their jet, the guys get the coded message, but June's voice fades out. "Sit tight, pals," says Ace. "I'll set a speed record getting us there!" But the secret hinged cave door is broken. Ace has to land outside the mountain. The lab looks like it was hit by a tornado. And June is missing. Except for giant bare footprints - human! What could it be? Did it take June? Wary, the Challengers venture back outside and - "Great Guns!" - there's June, big as the Colossus of Rhodes! And frowning! "Scatter! |
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Giant pink feet tromp toward Red and Prof. "She's trying to step on us - squash us like a couple of mushrooms!" No, wait. "She wasn't trying to step on them! She seems dazed - as if she's about to -" |
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Prof and Red don't get far. "Even men like the Challengers, who have faced every form of mortal danger, are chilled by the giant menace that comes toward them down the mountainside." It's a giant horned lizard, crimson red. "What on Earth is it, Prof?" No time for answers as, for the second time in minutes, a giant tries to squash the duo. Prof urges them to run up the mountain, above it. They hurl boulders that only bounce off. |
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The lizard is after easier prey - Ace and Rocky. They too throw rocks without effect, then run for the stream. "We can circle back to the plane, and maybe gun that baby from the air!" But the monster "stops cold" at the stream's bank. "Maybe it doesn't like water!" OK, back to the original plane. Split up and wait with June - But she's awake. "Ace - fellows! Where are you?" |
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Always quick to use local resources, Ace wants June to carry them to the fight, to head it off. "No, I have a better idea! Why don't you take the plane? I can let the thing spot me and decoy it back! Only if she's careful. "It's as big as you are." But June figures the lizard will be "in your sights by then." But the beast is fast, and soon enters the village. People scatter like chickens. (Gee, just like a Saturday night drive-in movie come alive! |
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The silver jet streaks in low, firing rockets, but "No use! They
have as much effect as marshmallows!" They'll land and try
something else - - and within minutes are in danger of being stepped on again. A long shadow falls. June bulldogs the giant lizard! (As seen on the cover.) (Is that girl plucky or what? Even at her size, the lizard is big and dangerous as a rampaging bull!) |
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June gets thrown head over teacup, lying in the street. The Challs aim hoses and blast the beast. "Let's hope we're right, figuring it doesn't like water!" It doesn't. The beast roars in anger. "Ace, the deal's working! It's backing away!" It's still plenty powerful, however, and lashes out, bowling over the truck. "Jump!" |
 A voice sounds behind them. "So small that you won't be able to see it... without a microscope!" |
(Huh? If you say so, June. But how did you get back to normal? You're not even wet! And if giantism wears off, why not just lead the beast out of town?) Ace figures, "We've got a lot of cleaning up to do back at our cave-lab! Let's get started!" |
Not the greatest issue. Multi-Man is back with really boring powers: super-strength is the best you can do? Lack of ideas must have prompted the creators to chuck the "he dies and acquires a new power" each time, and opt for plain giant brain power. Except later, of course, they'll re-reverse and have Big-Brain drink more Liquid Light and change into weird forms again. And if MM is in prison, why does he need smuggled explosives to die so he can gain a new power? Why not just slit his wrists? "Lady Giant" reads like a slap-dash last-minuter swipe from the movie. June looks good in ripped clothes, though. |
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 But this story - and only this one - was later buffed up, had Ace and Prof shoehorned in, then was dropped into the Challengers' only Giant Annual. |
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