 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Earth gets invaded and the aliens win! Armies of Appelaxians overrun the world. Heroes fall by the dozens and are imprisoned on Blackhawk Island in "Stalag Earth" (JLA Year One 11). Busted loose by the JLA, the Challs work with the Sea Devils, Cave Carson, Aquaman, and Animal Man to imprison some Mercurian water-men. The JLA finally brings about "Justice For All" (JLA Year 12). "The Curse of the Evil Eye" (COTU 44) is a giant floating eye with dazzling powers. "The Queen of the Challenger-Haters" (COTU 45) is the new and improved Multi-Woman II, who frees the villains from their volcano prison. The villains run an epic scam, tricking the Challs into allying against space dragons that threaten a new Ice Age. The Challs catch on almost too late, but finally trash Multi-Woman and slap the Chall-Haters back into prison. During this adventure, the Challs are summoned to extinguish a coal mine fire. Since it's a private mine, this might be a paying job, though a raging underground fire could be considered a public safety hazard. The Challs answer a personal appeal from President Lyndon Johnson. Only later do they discover he's a fraud. Does it still count as a presidential summons? A Quasimodo-type robs the city in "The Strange Schemes of the Gargoyle" (COTU 46). The hunchback has a soft spot for a blind girl, but it doesn't stop him from creaming the Challs. |
 |
"The Sinister Sponge" (COTU 47) started life as a sponge diver. Transformed into a freak, he goes on a rampage before diving into the sea, his new home. The Challs are nearly killed twice by the Challenger Haters in "Twilight of the Challengers" (COTU 48). The Doom Patrol pulls their fat out of the fire. The adventure spills over into... ... "8 Against Eternity" (Doom Patrol 102), where Multi-Man resurrects Atlantean warriors to attack the mainland. He's finally laid low by humble barnacles. The Challs get a mysterious call to meet, not a villain, but a corps of good guys: the Challenger Corps! Saved by the Challs from the Evil Eye (COTU 44), they alert the Challengers to evil around the world. Ships are disappearing. The Challs are sucked into a gyre onto an island run by Korba, "The Man Without a Country" and "The Tyrant Who Owned the World" (COTU 49). Korba captures slaves to construct his own "world" full of famous monuments. The Challs battle the Iron Emperor (a giant robot gladiator) and the Totem (weird monsters) with their super-gadgets. |
Villo is a braggart who dubs himself "The Vilest Villain in the World". Hired by a criminal consortium (Scorpio?) to kill the Challs, Villo burns the check. He'll do the job for sheer spite! Luckily for Villo, he has Brainex, the most powerful computer in the world, to do the heavy lifting. The diabolical pair set a trap where Ace gets monsterized for the "Final Hour of the Challengers" (COTU 50). The Challs save Ace, but Ace's assault blows Challenger Mountain to smithereens! The Challs are homeless. Luckily, the Galloping Gizmo debuts in this issue (COTU 50), so at least they've got great wheels. The Challengers learn about Scorpio, a secret criminal organization. (Unrecorded, but Ace knows of them in COTU 51.) Did they hire Villo? |
The Sponge Man runs amok after his finny friends are bombed by humans. He's co-opted by Scorpio, who plot to sabotage an underwater base with poison gas. The Sea Devils arrive only to brawl with the Challs! Will they "Smash the Sponge Man - Or Die"? (COTU 51) Off-screen, Villo and Brainex travel to Mongolia. They turn innocent hillsmen into vicious Brutals, then alert the Challengers to come and get it. (Mentioned in COTU 52.) Villo and Brainex use a time-scanner to search the Challs' past for weaknesses, revealing scenes from pre-Challs days. The villains manage to kill Ace and Red DEAD! "Two are Dead - Two to Go" (COTU 52). Desperate, Prof and Rocky turn the tables and use Brainex's time-scanner as a time-transporter. It sends all four Challs back to the start of the adventure - as the villains pull a fast fade. The Challs are left with nothing except a feeling of deja vu. |
Unknown to the Challengers, an alien (to be dubbed Scientist X) arrives on Earth. His mission is to invent devices to save humanity centuries of experimentation. But he can only remain a short time, and needs someone trustworthy to handle the inventions... Drawn by an irresistible force, the Challengers get clues to the whereabouts of fantastic devices bequeathed by the alien Scientist X. Dimension-Man and the Iron Dictator plot to snatch the inventions and conquer Earth. While the boys wonder, "Who is the Traitor Among Us?" (COTU 53). The Challs gain a a new headquarters under the Pacific, which they reach by submerging the Galloping Gizmo. (COTU 53). |
By this time, the boys have fine-tuned their uniforms. The wings flare off the shoulder and the hourglass logo has shrunk to a breast pocket patch.  |
 |
The boys sometimes wear a tiny pack on the back of their belts. Prof carries a mini-lab and mini-bombs in his. The other guys - car keys and wallets? Here the colorist forgot to color the wings red. |
Villo and Brainex team with Bubblemaster (the Bat-Craze is hot!) for the "War of the Sub-Humans!" (COTU 54). Prof defeats the calculus-based subhumans by writing a counter-program on a university computer. Red breaks his arm, a rare casualty. Around this time, Tino Manarray, "kid mechanical wizard" becomes a rock 'n roll legend, the "juvenile king of the juke box" and the "world's richest teenager" earning $100,000 per show. (COTU 57). Oddly enough, Red Ryan never brags to his buddies that "Tino" is actually Martin Ryan, Red's kid brother. Don't these guys ever talk about their families? |
The Challenger Haters are back to blow up the entire world. The Challs plant counter-explosions to halt the devastation, but Red must trigger his by hand. It's the Challs' saddest day as they hear "Taps for Red" (COTU 55). So the Challengers are down to three, which just doesn't seem right. (And so the fans prove, because they deluged DC with demands to bring back Red!) "The Chall Without a Memory!" (COTU 61) and "The Mad Challenger: Me -- The Walking Nightmare!" (COTU 62, second story) tell Red's backstory of his survival. The explosion blew away his uniform and memory. Recalling dimly, he ventures to the Challenger Island, the prison. Multi-Man cons Red into making Liquid Light, but Red drinks it instead. The formula warps his brain and form. For a while Red exhibits himself as a man-fish, "The Lord of the Ocean." His only friend is a simple Polynesian girl, Tiana, who knows he's "Nuano, a Good Guy". An evil promoter convinces Red to morph into Seekeenakee, the stone idol, a living god. Tiana objects and is killed. Furious, Red the stone idol terrorizes his imagined enemies as first Seekenakee and then The Thing That Could Not Die. |
Distraught over Red's death, the three Challs mope awhile, but finally decide to get back into action. They journey to Mexico to find an antidote for a dying scientist, but run afoul of a hidden Aztec tribe. More dangerous is a red-headed rock star with a "License to Kill!" (COTU 56). He's Tino Mannaray, "a scrambled form of Martin Ryan, Red's kid brother", determined to punish the Challs for his brother's death. Rocky is teleported to the Arctic to investigate earth tremors, and battles a polar bear. (Flashback seen in COTU 57. See Rocky's bio.) |
"The Kook and the Kilowatt Killer" (COTU 57) are Tino and Power Man, a giant with energy-absorbing powers. They almost scotch the Challs, until Prof proves with a mini-tape viewer that Red sacrificed his life to save thousands of lives in Turkey. Shamed, Tino zaps Power Man by plunging into the ocean. The Challs invite Tino to join in Red's stead, but "those corny uniforms and boy scout schedule" turn him off! During that adventure (COTU 57), Power Man tore into a major power center and blacked out the entire East Coast! Did the Challs ever explain the snafu to the millions of people left in the dark? The Challengers face Neutro, an element-transmuting villain (easily confused with Power Man of the previous issue). Can they "Live Till Tomorrow?" (COTU 58) Rocky looks to be transmuted to pure carbon, but is clever enough to dump black paint over himself. Neutro can't transmute living things, and is so spooked he flees. The Challs finally nab him outside their sub-Pacific headquarters. |
"Seekeenakee - The Petrified Giant!" (COTU 59) is the missing Red Ryan! A stone Tiki idol enslaves an army and almost conquers the South Pacific! The Challs drop a bomb down his throat, but the "god" knew a whole lot about them - and vanished besides. How is that possible? Stay tuned... "The Thing That Could Not Die" (COTU 60) is a giant lizard-man, a gorilla, an octopus, and other weird menaces. Sounds like Multi-Man, except he's still imprisoned. The shapeshifter finally becomes a giant metal madman named Red! Blasted by a bomb, he reverts to good ol' Red and is pardoned for his crimes. How did he survive? Wait'll you hear the story... "A Legion of Death Cheaters Special: 2 Hours to Die!" reprints an earlier adventure (COTU 60). Four Musketeers again, the Challs dodge "The Robot Hounds of Chang!" (COTU 61). They finally knock the biggest robot and Chang off a cliff. |
Next: Into the Occult! |
