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Volume 3, 16 May 1998 |
"And THAT was the end of Tyrannosaurus X!"  |
Cut to... A bar in Los Angeles. Rocky Davis tells five admiring women how the Challengers tossed Tyrannosaurus X, the Nazi dinosaur, off a cliff. Clay Brody horns in. "How much does your ghost writer charge for great names like Tyrannosaurus X?" Rocky laughs. "Sound like someone's having a testosterone fit. Shouldn't you be out challenging the unknown or something?" Nope. Sarah, the office manager, gave the B Team the night off. Rocky's waiting for a date. And drinking ginger ale. (He's a recovering alcoholic.) Clay doubts the story. Rocky laughs, "Junior, you haven't seen a tenth of what the Challs saw... I ever tell you about the time we rescued the space program? It was thirty-some years ago..." |
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For the record, Tyrannosaurus X is real and pops up again at the Grand Opening of Warriors. And check the cover. Rocky is spinning yet another yarn about some skull-baddie. Is that the Iron Dictator? Or another untold tale? |
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The Challengers were summoned to the Kennedy White House. (Rocky's already visited as the World Wrestling Champion.) The President's in Germany. They meet instead Agent Phillips, Mr. Whitney from the NSA, and Major Straw from USAF. The major is not happy with a "spookshow that'll waste time." Another man enters. Jeroen Klingsor, "a visionary". Prof knows his reputation. The mission? Last week the USA launched a man into space - without anyone knowing. Reeves was the pilot. Why did they launch? Because Earth received a warning from space to stay ON Earth or else. Reeves went to investigate. And disappeared. The Challengers are to get Klingsor into space to find out why. The Challengers don space suits. Prof gives "the skinny" on Klingsor. Worked for the Nazis' rocket program. Used slave labor. Abuses his employees. They blast off, a gut-wrenching experience. Red is flabbergasted. "We're in bleeping space!" Ace, piloting, asks, "Now what?" As the Challengers vanish from inside their suits. |
The Challengers reappear on a spaceship in their purple jammies. Ugly green aliens (Xerons) - what else? - blast away with ray gloves. Ace yells, "Head for the high ground!"  Even running flat out, Prof can observe. "I've got a feeling these aliens are as out of place as we are. Look around. Nothing's in proportion to them." |
The Challs are surrounded. Klingsor demands, "Do something!" The Challs surrender and are called cowards. A robed alien named Zyrax orders them turned over the Inquisitors "to grind out your secrets". Oddly, Zyrax thinks the Challengers speak Xeron. (Has someone set them up to communicate?) Klingsor ditches the Challs. "They're nothing but servants! I'm in charge!" He offers to exchange information. "Why not?" Red is outraged at being sold out. Ace is strangely complacent. The Challs are chucked in a dungeon - and find Reeves, the missing astronaut. |
Alien guards come to drag the "meat" to the Inquisitors. Rocky rebels, despite having no weapons. "I'm my own weapon, pal! And don't you forget it!" Rocky punches an alien, and they shoot wild. Touching is taboo! Not to the Challs, who flatten them and escape. Klingsor, meanwhile, bargains with Zyrax. "Allow me carte blanche. As your regent on my conquered homeworld, I could serve both our purposes." Zyrax shows the turncoat a honking big ray gun aimed through a port. "It destroys worlds." And is pointed at Earth. The Xerons wanted to make sure Earth could not strike at Xeron. Done with Klingsor, he's incinerated. "No Xeron would sell his race for dreams of glory." Off-stage, the Challengers listen. The Xerons strike within the hour. Ace says, "That sounds serious." Rocky quips, "That's what I like about you, Ace. You never miss a trick... Has someone been charbroiling hamburgers?" Prof's made a discovery. "The biggest gun in space - and Mother Earth's staring down the barrel." |
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Prof fiddles with controls and - bingo! - the planet Xeron is suddenly the target. "This thing's so simple, a child could operate it." The Challengers could "get them before they get us," except they don't. They're good guys. Ace says, "There must be innocents even on Xeron. Can we condemn them, even to save the Earth?" Rocky answers, "We're not killers and never will be." But if it's us or them? Prof offers, "Maybe we can make both worlds safe. I'll need everyone's help..." Aliens rush in as the Challengers rush out! "Brace yourselves!" |
A massive explosion rocks the ship. "We blew up the machine - turned its own power on it. Both our worlds are safe, Zyrax. There's no need to fight." The Xerons scream. "We are nothing now!" And attack. And FREEZE. Hanging in mid-air are two globs with tentacles. "Enough! We have chosen!"  |
Their accent is tough, but they are the Ee-nah-kee-yunz (Enochians), Guardians of the Space-Time Continuum. Both races are ready to leap into space, but both are violent. Yet the humans showed courage and mercy. "The universe needs those qualities." The Xerons are banished to their planet for 1,000 years, until they're ready to join "the community of worlds". The Enochians kidnapped the Challs and engineered the fight as a test? Yep. First of many. "You are not locked out of space. The rest is up to you." They add, "There will be other challenges. The universe is full of unknowns." Rocky laughs. "That's right down our alley! Count us in!" |
Flashing back to the future... Clay snorts. "Enochians! What a crock!" Rocky's date arrives - Sarah Hargate, the Chall's office manager! "Oh, hello, Clay. Drop by the office and pick up your fan mail one of these days, OK?"  Clay salutes with his mug. "Hats off, old man! Now THAT's what I call challenging the unknown!" |
Comments Just plain fun from Stephen Grant, his chance to write a "classic" Challengers adventure. It's also wonderful to see heroes relaxing in a bar for once. And that Rocky still has his drinking under control AND has a social life. And if Clay doesn't believe him, so what? It's still a great story! |