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Showcase, #6

Published: January-February 1957

Cover

Showcase #6

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Issue Contents:
1 page adventure

"Great Scott! What's coming out of that giant fossil egg?"

Characters
Credits
Story Notes

Nick Caputo believes someone other than Kirby inked the cover. The linework on characters faces, hair and clothing is unlike Kirby's known inking style.

Story 1 1 page
Story Notes

Sold by Honor House Products. Inside front cover.

The Secrets of the Sorcerer's Box! [Chapter 1]
Story 2 6 pages adventure
Storyline

Four heroes are being flown to appear on the radio show "Heroes" when their jet crashes in a storm. Miraculously, all four survive unharmed, even down to a working watch. Since they are "living on borrowed time", they vow to make the best use of it, taking risks to benefit others, challenging the unknown. In their first official case, they are summoned by Morelian, a descendant of Merlin, to open four chambers of a dangerous alchemist's box and "witness things not seen on this Earth since the dawn of Man!"

Characters
Credits
Story Notes

First appearance of the Challengers of the Unknown. According to Joe Simon and Jack Kirby historians, Jack Kirby brought the proposal for the Challengers to DC. DC bought the concept and folded it into Showcase. Mark Evanier suspects that Dave Wood may have begun scripting with the second issue and believes this story was scripted by Simon and (mostly) Kirby. Possible Stein inks per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo. Although Stein had conversations with Greg Theakston denying he inked any Challengers stories it's possible Stein forgot he worked on them. This story also looks like Kirby may have inked a few pages on his own. An epilogue occurs in Secret Origins (DC, 1986 series) #12 (March 1987) when the Challengers are reunited with the box to solve its final mystery. Letterer credit from Rodrigo Baeza via the editor e-mail list on March 5, 2007.

Story 3 1 page humor

"Whew! That sun is hot!"

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Story 4 0 pages
Whistle Magic!
Story 5 1 page non-fiction
Credits
Chapter Two: Dragon Seed!
Story 6 6 pages adventure
Storyline

The Challs relocate the box to a tropical island and draw straws. The first chamber releases a "Dragon's Egg" that hatches a stone giant of legend. It wreaks havoc on ships, even resisting an atom bomb. What to do? While back on the island, Rocky's ready to crack the next chamber.

Characters
Credits
Story Notes

Possible Stein inks per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo. Although Stein had conversations with Greg Theakston denying he inked any Challengers stories it's possible Stein forgot he worked on them. It also looks like Kirby inked a few pages on his own. Mark Evanier suspects that Dave Wood may have begun scripting with the second issue and believes this story was scripted by Simon and (mostly) Kirby. Letters credit from Rodrigo Baeza via the editor e-mail list on March 5, 2007.

Buzzy's "Famous Books" Quiz
Story 7 1 page non-fiction; advocacy
Credits
Story 8 1 page humor

"This is getting very uncomfortable."

Characters
Credits
Chapter Three: The Freezing Sun!
Story 9 6 pages adventure
Storyline

Picked up by sailors, Red returns to the island to find the second chamber open and Rocky frozen stiff. The menace is a sentient freezing sun from parts unknown that sucks up all heat, freezing people. Alone, Red cobbles a vacuum chamber and lures the sun inside, trapping it. Meanwhile, out on the water, Prof realizes that, since the Dragon Seed Giant can't be harmed by anything, it must be a thought, so he "thinks" it out of existence. All the while, Morelian flies overhead, watching.

Characters
Credits
Story Notes

Possible Stein inks per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo. Although Stein had conversations with Greg Theakston denying he inked any Challengers stories it's possible Stein forgot he worked on them. It also looks like Kirby inked a few pages on his own. Mark Evanier suspects that Dave Wood may have begun scripting with the second issue and believes this story was scripted by Simon and (mostly) Kirby. Letters credit from Rodrigo Baeza via the editor e-mail list on March 5, 2007.

I Fought the Phantom Planes
Story 10 2 pages war
Chapter Four: The Whirling Weaver!
Story 11 6 pages adventure
Storyline

The third menace is a tube that releases a whirling weaver that spins ribbons that snarl entire cities. The Challengers pursue, then discover a dial on the weaver's tube and slow it to a halt. Returning to the island, they find Morelian has opened the fourth chamber for his own selfish reasons. He got a diamond ring of immortality; he'll live forever. Except the inscription on the box is vague, "contained in me, find immortality". Morelian flies off, but his plane stalls and crashes, killing himself and destroying the box. The box granted immortality, but the ring was certain death.

Characters
Credits
Story Notes

Possible Stein inks per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo. Although Stein had conversations with Greg Theakston denying he inked any Challengers stories it's possible Stein forgot he worked on them. It also looks like Kirby inked a few pages on his own. Mark Evanier suspects that Dave Wood may have begun scripting with the second issue and believes this story was scripted by Simon and (mostly) Kirby. Letters credit from Rodrigo Baeza via the editor e-mail list on March 5, 2007.

Story 12 1 page
Story 13 1 page
Story 14 1 page
Story Notes

Inside back cover.

Story 15 1 page
Story Notes

Back cover.