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February - March 1962 |
Flying over the "exotic coast of Southeast Asia", the Challengers are hunting "a small-time magician turned international confidence man" named Manfredo, a charity swindler. Their engine flames out, and Ace must dead-stick land on a beach. Ace and June work on the engine while the others push through the jungle looking for a sign of Manfredo. Emerging on a beach, they spot a Chinese-style junk. Boarding, the Challengers find a feast "like the Purple Prince of Pahooka" is coming, says Rocky. But not a soul anywhere. Banjuk tribesmen arrive in canoes. The Challs have defiled the Feast of Sanjoon! "Battle stations, boys!" They fight, but are outnumbered and dragged to a nearby village, where Sanjoon looks suspiciously like Buddha. Their sentence: Death at sunrise!  But Prof remembers a tribal law. Captives have a right to trial by combat! Okay... |
Rocky battles a crocodile. He's keeping the jaws clamped tight, but gets pitched off. Yet the croc speeds off downstream "like a scared mouse!" Why? A bright orange dye stains the water, acting like shark repellent. It must be from some plant or mineral deposit upstream, says Red. How's that for luck? Red dares anyone to race him to the top of a mountain. But the natives pull a fast one - a guy on an unknown bird, "first cousin to an ostrich". The race is on, but the bird is fast as a greyhound.  Until a spout of water smacks the bird out of the race. The rider will be killed by the fall, unless Red catches him. Which he does, of course. And reaching the top, Red finds someone dammed the stream to make that water spout. Who did it? |
Meanwhile, Ace and June track Manfredo. They find tiger tracks intersect the villain's. All that's left are a scrap of clothing and staggering tracks to the river. Manfredo, wounded, must have been swept away. Oh, well. They continue on. Right then, Prof issues his challenge. He can make the village medicine man disappear! Prof throws "a minute smoke bomb" while calling in Pig Latin, "Adgray the odybay!" Rocky and Red, fluent in Pig Latin, grab the shaman and truss him up behind the idol. Freed, they rejoin Ace and June. They thank them for spreading the dye bomb and damming the spring, but Ace and June did no such thing! Returning to where Manfredo "died", Ace notes, "What a chump I am!" The tiger paw prints show claws, but cats retract their claws when walking. Manfredo faked his death and saved the Challs so they could report his death to the authorities. On they go, and find the famed Field of Rajima. And marchers, including a man who carries a basket on his head. But in this area, only women carry baskets! |
 Rushing, they spook Manfredo. The villain hurls a grenade that topples a huge set of arms, almost killing June. The Challs chase Manfredo up the statues, hopping to and fro, until Ace exits through an eye, trapping the villain. He surrenders. Flying home, Rocky wishes him well "trying his carnival magic on prison bars". |
"Multi-Man, Master of Earth" |
The Challengers hunt Multi-Man all over the face of the earth. With his giant brain, he easily broke jail. Cut to Owapu Island, where MM has a gang. He's isolated the one ingredient needed for the ancient Liquid Light formula, and now can ingest pills (from a pouch around his neck) to change forms and make them all "fantastically rich." As a demonstration, he turns into an energy being and blasts a mountain. Passing overhead, the Challengers see the blast. Landing and splitting up, Ace and Rocky take on the gang. But Rocky can't grab MM, who turns into a moon man.  |
Landing and reverting to human form, MM orders the natives to destroy the Challs. Ace grabs a torch and throws down a wall of fire. No good: MM turns into a giant sponge (the forerunner of Sponge Man?). Locked up, Ace and Rocky must listen to MM boast of world conquest. Rocky notes, "Your giant brain must have blown a fuse!" MM demonstrates by blasting the moon with an energy amplifier - a weapon that might just be powerful to destroy Earth! MM takes off while the Challs are stuck under guard. But a cuckoo bird(!) sounds from a nearby tree. Red and June drop in!  |
The Challs charge after MM, belting his gang flat along the way. MM, now in energy form, flies to avoid capture. Prof comes swooping in the Challs' copter, but MM zaps the copter to shreds. Prof dives out - and splashes MM with the antidote for the Liquid Light formula!  Multi-Man crashes into the mountain, exploding in a fireball. But the Challs find he's still alive - but with amnesia. Rocky's glad for a break, because MM is no longer a threat. Yet Prof notes, with his genius, imagine the great things he could have accomplished. |
Comment This issue was advertised with other "strange adventures" titles in Tales of the Unexpected 69, which at the time starred Space Ranger.  |