A COMPLETE and EXHAUSTIVE History

of the Challengers of the Unknown

Challengers of the Beginning

Continued

Issues

History

13 Years Ago
The Crash

Thirteen years ago... (Timeline in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time 0)

Ace Morgan leaves his friend Hal Jordan standing on the tarmac as he boards a prototype B-47 jet to go pick up three other guests for the TV show "Heroes" (New Frontier 2). The TV appearance will launch a nationwide tour to inspire young people (COTU V2 2).

"When Destiny Calls," Rocky Davis, Red Ryan, Ace Morgan, and Prof Haley meet for the first time at a small airport in Texas (Adventure 493) to appear on "Heroes". Ace will fly them in his new jet, "Lucky Ace". Rocky sticks gum on the plane's name "for good luck, just like in all them old war movies".

(Discrepancy. Which plane crashed? Ace's private jet or the B-47? It's likely that, since the military jet was a prototype, Ace was officially "advised" to not mention it crashed. Thus he claims it was his own private jet.)

The jet is number is 57, the flight number AF772 (New Frontier 3).

They fly into a storm.


The controls go haywire (from a sabotage "gizmo" planted by criminals. Adventure 493).

Off-screen, Dr Carcosa, in a secret complex hidden under the Mojave Desert, orders his latest test of a Tesla-field generator that disrupts the earth's electromagnetism. They focus on Ace's plane and press a button.

Ace's jet disappears off the radar screen, then reappears. The four unknowing victims are actually disincorporated for a short while. (Explained in COTU V3 9.)

The pre-Challs have no sense of lost time. But during that blip, the jet traveled hundreds of miles off course. The controls are dead, the jet falling.

Each man has only time only for last-minute regrets, things undone (COTU 31).

All the guys see a tremendous weird light (confessed in COTU V3 8).

For a full explanation of the jet's disappearance, and speculation about the fierce light, see Challengers of the Crashes.

See also the map of the flight path and crash.

The plane crashes, carving a long scar in the forested Colorado Rocky Mountains (Showcase 6, COTU 31, Adventure 493, New Frontier 3).

The plane finally plows to a halt, a total wreck.  Parts of the plane burn furiously (Brave and Bold 6).  Everything grows still.

Then Rocky tears off a door (SO 12). "The Men Who Fell to Earth" (New Frontier 3) emerge from the plane bloodied but alive. Red's watch is still ticking, keeping perfect time. "Borrowed time," says Ace (Showcase 6, COTU 31, SO 12).

Stunned, the Challengers walk away from the wreck.

Challengers of the Unknown crash
Elsewhere, according to The Book of Destiny, the Challengers were supposed to die.  They didn't.  And, as reasoned by Batman (Brave and Bold 6), the Challengers "walked right off The Book's and onto an uncharted path".  Thus, "every move they make can - and does - change the universe in unexpected ways."

So the four Challengers, alone and unique in the universe, are auto-destined for great and strange events.


Weeks pass. Each survivor is haunted by what happened. Why did they survive?

Red returns to his motorcycle stunt demos with the Circus Colossus in Montreal. But every night brings the same dream of crashing and he wakes up "not dead". He tries to drown the nightmares with sex, pills, and Jim Beam whiskey, but nothing works. Finally he mounts his motorcycle. He can only tell his lover, "It's crazy, baby. Like nothing's big enough to see anymore. Like I may as well have died in that plane." He bikes away. (NF 3.)

Ace undergoes an investigation by the FAA into the crash (not recorded, but legally required). Is he censured for the crash?

Sifting the wreckage of the plane, Ace uncovers the sabotage gizmo (Adventure 493).

Rocky drinks heavily (not recorded early on. By
COTU V2 1 he's a slave to alcohol, then sent to rehab.
He drinks responsibly in COTU V3 16).

Prof?

Return to the Scene of the Crime

One by one, the haunted survivors are mysteriously drawn to the crash site. Red arrives by bike and walks the site alone - only to be greeted by a voice. "About time you got here, hot dog!"

The other three survivors have also returned - on the same night! "It's downright spooky". Yet all four are oddly happy. Are they relieved to find they're not alone, or crazy? Or do they sense the start of something big? (New Frontier 3)

Looking at the twisted scraps of the jet, Red says, "I'm just a country boy. I don't know from fate or destiny, but you gotta wonder... Why did the four of us survive this?" In the silence, Rocky grins. "You guys want to grab a beer?" (New Frontier 3)

Around the fifth beer (NFAE Annotations), the Challs decide to team up.  To make the most of their lives, to use their remaining time wisely. (Showcase 6, COTU 31, and Adventure 493.)

By mutual agreement, the Challs agree NOT to mention the white light (confessed in COTU V3 8).

Somewhere along the way they decide to "challenge the unknown", to take risks and help others.  (And now we know the phrase "Challenge of the Unknown" had been used before.)

Mister Sands, a later benefactor, wherever he is, knows each man saw the fierce light - he has second sight. Does he contact each man? Is he too busy amassing a fortune? Has he not started his recruitment campaign yet? Unknown. (Unrecorded, not known.)

Detour to Adventure

Ace shows his new buds the gadget that helped crash their plane - they were sabotaged! (Still in Adventure 493.)

Rocky guesses he was the target, earning a "Contract on a Champ" (Adventure 494) since he refused to throw a fight. Rocky's death has made Daily Planet headlines, and the mob gloats. The Challs plow into the mobsters and prove their fighting skills. Rocky is shot at point-blank range, but finds the bullet hit his belt buckle. He jokes he's leading a charmed life. (He'll need it.) The guys recount how they came to be on "Heroes" by sifting "Yesterday's Clues" (Adventure 495), but only Red can recount a killable grievance.

"Tomorrow's Answers" (Adventure 496) takes Rocky and Prof to see Prof's cousin Freddie, but they find the un-deceased Uncle Cyrus instead! As Ace and Red enter a casino. Red demonstrates a gambling addiction. He owes $50K to a mobster. Finally "All Together Now" (Adventure 497), the Challs figure out the sabotage gizmo was plastic, so in fact intended to kill Red's friend Johnny Green, not any of the Challs! Pounding more mobsters, the guys uncover the saboteur and collect $300K for Johnny Green, who presumably pays off Red's debt.

And - finally - they keep their original appointment. In Las Vegas's Caesar's Palace casino, the four heroes appear on the TV show "Heroes" where they are dubbed "Challengers of the Unknown!" (Adventure 497)

Considering the four pre-Challs are basically loners, they take to teamwork immediately. It's almost as if they've waited their whole lives to belong to something great. In jumping at the chance to help others, they're helping themselves.

Good thing. Bigger threats await...


Off to adventures above and beyond!