Challengers of the Unknown, #4

Published: October-November 1958

Reviews

No reviews yet
Posts About This Issue

No discussions yet.

Issue Contents:
The Wizard of Time!

Story Featuring Challengers of the Unknown

"Goodbye, Challengers! My suspension beam will keep you helpless in the air!"

Characters
Other
The Challengers of the Unknown
Credits
Chapter 1: The Wizard of Time

Story Featuring Challengers of the Unknown

"I-I can hardly believe it!"

Storyline

When a group of men dressed as ancient Greek soldiers attempts to steal a plane, one is captured. The Challengers are brought in to investigate and find that the captured soldier only wishes to return to the "Island of the Wizard." The soldier leads the Challs to this island where they meet Darius Tiko, who experiments with time travel. Confronted, the scientist disappears in a time cube but the Challs and the soldier follow in another cube, to track down Tiko and recover his stolen technology.

Characters
Other
The Challengers of the Unknown
Credits
Story Notes

Wood inks per Nick Caputo. Previous indexer credited Marvin Stein. Per Stein's conversations with Greg Theakston, he did not ink any Challengers stories. Jack Kirby reused the Time Wizard’s costume for Immortus in his first appearance in The Avengers (Marvel, 1963 series) #10 as per Comic Book Historians article researched by Alex Grand. The Challenger’s yellow square shaped time travel portal is the same device Kirby uses for Dr Doom’s time travel machine in Fantastic Four (Marvel, 1961 series) #19 as per Comic Book Historians article researched by Alex Grand.

Cosmic Time Bomb

"Tension mounted in the steel and concrete bunker at the satellite launching station."

Ad Featuring Midwest Cards

Story Notes

Back cover.

Hey Skinny! ...Yer Ribs Are Showing!

Ad Featuring Charles Atlas Dynamic Tension System

Story Notes

Inside back cover.

Ad Featuring Stephens Credit Sales Mottoes

Ad Featuring 7 Gigantic Dinosaurs

Ad Featuring Palisades Amusement Park Admission

"Be my guest at Palisades Amusement Park, New Jersey."

Chapter IV: The Mechanical Judge

Story Featuring Challengers of the Unknown

"We made it!"

Storyline

The Challengers find Tiko in the year 3,000 AD, but all are arrested and submitted to the judgment of a machine, which dismisses all charges and sends them back to their own time (in one cube) for Tiko to face justice.

Characters
Other
The Challengers of the Unknown
Credits
Story Notes

The fate of the second time cube is revealed in Adventures of Superman (DC, 1987 series) #508 (January 1994). Wood inks per Nick Caputo. Previous indexer credited Marvin Stein. Per Stein's conversations with Greg Theakston, he did not ink any Challengers stories.

Story Featuring Doctor Rocket

"Come, I will show you around our planet, Dr. Rocket!"

Storyline

Doctor Rocket gets a tour on an alien city covered with a giant glass dome where nothing gets done on Tuesdays. On Tuesday everybody in the city spends the day washing the glass roof.

Characters
Other

Ad Featuring Tootsie Roll

"Boys and girls- please, give me a name... enter the big Tootsie Roll "Name the Bear" contest!"

Chapter III: The Sorcerer's Sect

Story Featuring Challengers of the Unknown

"This is a fine welcome to ancient Egypt!"

Storyline

In Egypt, Prof and Red destroy Tiko's stolen telescope, reunite with Rocky and Ace, and head to the 15th century to find Nostradamus and Tiko, but Tiko has already met the seer and gone.

Characters
The Challengers of the Unknown
Credits
Story Notes

The splash page is very reminiscent of a panel in Fantastic Four #19 with Rama-Tut. Wood inks per Nick Caputo. Previous indexer credited Marvin Stein. Per Stein's conversations with Greg Theakston, he did not ink any Challengers stories.

Lost -- A Free Education!

Story Featuring Binky

Characters
Other
Credits
Story Notes

This PSA is produced in sequential comics-art style.

Ad Featuring Tootsie Roll

"The future holds real fun in store unknown planets to explore..."

Storyline

A bear rides a Tootsie Roll Pop rocket in outer space.

Story Notes

Advertisement for both Tootsie Roll Pop and Tootsie Roll Fudge.

Chapter II: The Men Who Rode Across the Sun

Story Featuring Challengers of the Unknown

"Faster, Ace, faster! These ancients play pretty rough!"

Storyline

Having split up, Ace and Rocky are looking for Tiko and his stolen technology in ancient Greece where they are accused by an oracle of being messengers of ill omen. They run from the Greeks, find Tiko's stolen plane, and crash it near where they hope Prof and Red will return with their time cube.

Characters
The Challengers of the Unknown
Credits
Story Notes

Wood inks per Nick Caputo. Previous indexer credited Marvin Stein. Per Stein's conversations with Greg Theakston, he did not ink any Challengers stories.

Story Featuring Moolah the Mystic

"I've noticed you on your flying carpet, Moolah!"

Characters
Other
Do You Know the Legend of Superman?

Ad Featuring Tootsie Roll

"It's fun for some we must agree to dream of treasures under sea..."

Storyline

A bear swims underwater wearing scuba gear and discovers a treasure chest full of Tootsie Rolls.

Draw Me!

Ad Featuring Art Instruction, Inc. courses

Story Notes

Inside front cover.