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October - November 1977 “Seven Doorways To Destiny!” |
The cover is a riff on the original issue, Swamp Thing 8, with the first appearance of M'Nagala.  |
Continued from last issue. . . Under a new logo, the heroes find a
“scene from a nightmare”. In Perdition, in New England, in a
deconsecrated church, Heathcliff Monroe and an icky alien-god hold June
hostage. “Do as I command – or the girl will die!” (Girl?) |
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Chapter 1 (No Title) Continued from last issue. . . Under a new logo, the heroes find a
“scene from a nightmare”. In Perdition, in New England, in a
deconsecrated church, Heathcliff Monroe and an icky alien-god hold June
hostage. “Do as I command – or the girl will die!” (Girl?) |
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“Obey you?” roars Red, who’s been
elevated to a “mountaineer and electronics genius”. Rocky, still in
his purple undies, adds, “Like Hell we will!” Prof isn’t with us, because he’s
sick, which is why the Challs are here in the first place, seeking
medical help. Good idea, bad execution. The Challs charge, but the cultists
have “the combined strength of a single, hydra-headed east (s/b
beast).” They fall. Monroe gloats, “They shall open the Seven
Doorways. . . and [M’Nagala’s] kind shall inherit the Earth!” |
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Chapter 2 "Savior From the Swamp?" Meanwhile, in Challenger Mountain
(which doesn’t have a lock on the door, it seems) the “spoiled little
richboy named Clayburne, would-be Challenger” queries the biggest
computer on the planet with its crossword-puzzle keyboard. He
gripes the computer is “as bad as those nitwit Challengers.” Clayburne expected a thank-you,
since he got a tissue sample from infected Prof and ran tests. He
even remembers the dinky town of Perdition, Pennsylvania. (Which
is in New England in the DCU?) The file tells of a Swamp Thing
involved with a cult, not seen since 1976. So what? The computer notes Dr. Alex (AKA Alec) is an “expert in biochemical abnormalities.” Paydirt! |
In
Quinn, Oregon, at a small university, Dr. Alec Holland works on a
“bio-restorative formula”, though the work must go slowly with a woman
mashed against his chest. She frets, but Holland soothes, “The Swamp
Thing is dead. . . Thanks to you [Ruth Monroe] and my brother Edward,
I’m human again.” And in walks Clayburne. “Doctor Holland? I need your help.” (No, "please", note.) |
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Chapter 3 “The Gods Crawl Closer” In Perdition, Rocky (still in his
undies) agrees “We do what you tell us,” so Red, June, and Prof aren’t
hurt. “Some bargain.” Creepy Monroe gives Rocky an
ancient book and materials. “Follow the instructions in Chapter
13.” Ace and Rocky blast off in Challenger 1. |
Red and June are bound. Red rails. June asks what’s in the book, “what’s going to happen?” Millennia ago, our world was the
site of a “cosmic doorway” or portal for gods. Gods such as
M’Nagala the Eternal watched us grow and gave us evil and
violence. Yet eventually M’Nagala and company were shut out of
our cosmos by The Golden Ones: rivals for control of the galaxies. Ever since, “M’Nagala and his
brethren have waited for a chance to come to our world. . . to conquer.
. . and to claim the evil they created.” With the aid of his
brother RH’Thulla of the Wind and their sister Kag’Naru of the Air,
they reached out and granted men visions that “corrupted their souls”. Those men wrote that book,
including an ancestor, Malcolm Monroe. When a man named Abraham
deciphered and spoke the spell, M’Nagala was brought to Earth.
(Swamp Thing 8) |
We
get the spooky flashlight-under-the-face effect from Keith
Giffen. Like Jack Kirby, the man may be sloppy at times, but he’s
got a terrific sense of design. 
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So when Rocky invokes that spell, M’Nagala and all his Icky Cousins will conquer Earth. (Cool.) They fly to Charing Cross, near
London, England. Rocky grouses, “Cripes! This stuff is
sick! . . Are we gonna go through with it, really?” Ace figures it’s mumbo-jumbo and candles. “It’s not like setting off an atom bomb.” |
Another
jet, “borrowed” from the Challengers, lands in Perdition.
Clayburne and Alec Holland wear Challenger-style suits with hourglasses
on their foreheads. Containment suits, maybe? The jet
crossed the USA in 50 minutes. “The Challengers may be arrogant
snobs, but slowpokes they’re not.” They approach the home of
Heathcliff Monroe, MD. Holland recognized the fungus from his
earlier adventure as Swamp Thing. He wants to help Prof “before
he begins to change.” Because it’s too late for himself, who’s
already reverting to Swampy despite the bio-restorative formula. Entering, they’re jumped by cultists, who are probably hampered by their clumsy robes – - or not. These cultists are bags of squirming slime and tentacles, already absorbed. And Prof? |
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Chapter 4 “All Monsters Good and Evil” Prof is almost consumed by ichor. Yuck. “For the love of god. . .”
Demonstrating why he’ll never be a Challenger, Clayburne gives up immediately. “It’s hopeless.” Dr. Holland consults the
patient. Prof croaks, “fungus. . . plant life. . .
Sensitive to high-frequency sounds. . . Sonics. . .” |
Over
London, on a tight schedule, Rocky parachutes to Scratch Alley.
He hopes “all Hell doesn’t break loose. Man, does this bug me!” Ace lands in the country.
He’s got an idea how to stop whatever “thing” shows up, but it’s “the
longest shot ever made. If I make it.” He breaks out an
emergency fuel pod marked DANGER. At midnight, in a pentagon, with
candles, Rocky chants. “Sons of darkness, brothers of the night.
. . hear our prayers. . . Seven brothers and seven doors, Seven
sisters and seven more. . . Blah, blah. . .” “Yaaahh!” A giant icky sea-squirmy thing burst out a cosmic portal! |
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Back
in Perdition, Clayburne and Holland drag the icked-out Prof toward the
church. They have an emergency siren from the jet. They
won’t get a second chance.
Especially Holland, who’s reverting
to Swamp Thing under cover of darkness. “And that’s how I want
it. Le the world remember Alec Holland as a man – not a monster!” In the church, the siren “pierces the silence like a singing sword!” REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Slime-cultists explode into gore. June yells, “None of them can stand the sound!” |
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But
Holland thinks M’Nagala might, but “with a little help”. Swamp
Thing rips a torch from the wall. “No longer a man, not quite a
monster, but condemned by forces beyond his control – but still a
fighter – still a hero!” He torches M’Nagala, who roars, “You dare not disrupt me again!” And dies. |
Half
a world away, Rocky is whipped around by icky tentacles. Ace runs
with the fuel pod. He orders Rocky aside, “What do you think I’m
doing, boss man? Playing hopscotch!” Ace pitches the
pod. He has time for one shot from his pistol – WHABOOM! The cosmic intruder is blasted to eternity! |
Epilogue Two hours later, the Challengers
are reunited in Perdition. The entire town is ablaze. One says,
“Clayburne, for once in your life, you did good.” The rookie sneers,
“Hold the medals.” They have to get Prof to a hospital. But where’s Alec Holland? Disappeared. Clayburne thinks the fungus got to him. “He must be . . . dead.” And the “muck-encrusted mockery of a man” walks on. |
Next Issue: “The startling return of comics’ most demanded hero: Deadman!" |
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Challenger Mountain Mail Room The column jumps off
with comments from the Super-Team Family appearances. James
Planck of Poughkeepsie, NY congratulates DC on the successful revival
of the Challs. To which Ye Editor, Jack C. Harris,
admits an “aversion to the term ‘Challs’ (which) tended to wipe away
some of the nobility of the team.” He reports Showcase 11 was the
very first comic he ever read, so from now it’s… The Challengers. James doesn’t think Mike Nasser is
the right artist for the guys’ “Lovecraftian, Burroughsion and
Merritian concepts.” He worries about Gerry’s team-writing
abilities. The editor promises Gerry will give “each Challenger
his own moment at doing what he does best”. Mike Christiansen of Rockford, IL
welcomes characterization. He’s glad Red and Rocky are feuding
again. He hopes Prof won’t be killed off. And likes that
Ace is jealous of Clayburne’s mooning after June, who “never looked
better!” JCH thinks the Challengers had
characterization way back, because “readers can easily determine which
character is speaking just by the way they said it.” Gerry
promises more “modern comics style” wonderment. “The best is yet
to come!” |
Comments In most Gerry Conway issues, it seems, the “girl” is only hostage-bait, and the Challengers are repeatedly pummeled and defeated by ordinary people. It's nice to see them finally pull of some heroics. Bob Rozakis must have cried to see
the typos. Pennsylvania vs New England. Alec vs Alex
Holland. Sloppy, like the rest of the production. Can’t
blame the size: cutting corners, the story is only 17 pages long. |
Bob Rozakis’s DAILY PLANET page has an immortal Guardian of the Universe dying.
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And for a Public Service page, Superman helps out the Special Olympics.
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Continue to Challengers of the Unknown 84! |
