Challengers Of The Unknown 1958 1

Four years before Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created Marvel's Fantastic Four, there was another adventurous foursome co-created by Kirby that set forth to challenge the unknown.

Jack Kirby reinvented the superhero genre with his sprawling saga of the Fourth World—a bold storytelling vision that was decades ahead of its time. In honor of this extraordinary talent’s centennial, DC Comics is proud to re-present the groundbreaking work of the King of Comics in a brand-new series collecting his classic DC titles in all their four-color glory! After walking away from a seemingly un-survivable plane crash, test pilot Ace Morgan, mountain climber Red Ryan, heavyweight boxing champ Rocky Davis and underwater explorer Prof Haley make a pact to continue defying death and seeking out mystery around the world. Their motto is “Dare Anything,” and their assignments are the most unusual and incredible tasks ever encountered! There is no danger that they fear, or risk that they will not accept! They call themselves…the Challengers of the Unknown! Discover some of comics’ most daring writing and dynamic art—and thrill to the imaginative power of one of the medium’s greatest masters—in CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN BY JACK KIRBY, collecting all of the King’s stories from SHOWCASE #6-7 and 11-12 and CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #1-8, accompanied by illuminating essays from former DC editor Paul Kupperberg and acclaimed Kirby historian John Morrow.

ÒThe Man Who Tampered with Infinity.Ó A mad scientist uses an Òinfinity machineÓ to teleport monsters from other dimensions. ÒThe Human Pets.Ó An alien boy collects Òanimals.Ó

ÒTHE CREATURE FROM THE END OF TIME!Ó A giant box appears in Toronto, and the Challengers, accompanied by Swamp Thing and Deadman, investigate. When Deadman tries to enter the box, it opens and releases a monster. After they kill the monster, the Challengers haul the box and carcass to Challengers Mountain, where tests indicate the box is from the future. The heroes fly to Rip HunterÕs desert lab, which appears abandoned. Swamp Thing pushes a button and RipÕs Time Sphere appears with a skeleton inside. They use the time sphere to travel to 12,000,000 AD. Amidst crumbling ruins, they are surrounded by future-men and Rip Hunter in rags and a crown.

ÒTHE LURKER BELOW.Ó Prof is dying of an all-consuming fungus infection. Rocky, June, Ace and Red rush him to their jet. Gaylord Clayburne, playboy/Challenger wannabe, learns Prof is sick and finds a specialist to heal him. Ignoring Clayburne, the Challengers zoom off to Perdition, Pennsylvania, a farm town, but as soon as they land, the Challengers are mobbed by farmers with pitchforks. Dr. Monroe calls off the farmers and relates the townÕs history to the Challengers. Seventy years ago, a man summoned a demon to the town. Enthralled, the locals sacrificed strangers to the ÒgodÓ until Swamp Thing came to town and collapsed its cave, burying the monster Òforever.Ó Behind the scenes, we see the fungus lived on and still infects many locals.

ÒTHE WAR AT TIMEÕS END.Ó In the present, Prof is wheelchair-bound in Challengers Mountain, where he is attacked by a mutant lizard from the future. Future-boxes keep releasing monsters around the world, and Red (who quit) battles some in the streets. In the future, Rocky, Ace, June, Swamp Thing and Deadman find Rip Hunter (and his crew) are brainwashed pawns of the despotic Sunset Lords. After a fight, theyÕre overwhelmed and captured, but Deadman, sneaking around in a borrowed body, meets Lucas Lawspeaker and his rebels.

Major Sky Masters leads American space exploration.

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