Challengers of the Unknown silhouettes
 		Challengers in a Star-Studded Spectacular


The Brave and the Bold 9
  February 2008

"Changing Times"

Cover: George Perez, colors by Tom Smith
Storytellers: Mark Waid & George Perez
Pencils: George Perez
Inks: Bob Wiacek (pgs 1, 2) and Scott Koblish
Colors: Tom  Smith
Letters: Rob Leigh
Editor: Joey Cavalieri
 Asst Editor: Stephanie Buscema
22 pages
$2.99
Story and art © DC Comics

Characters: Ace Morgan.  June Robbins.  Blackhawks,
Boy Commandos, Nazis, mummies.  Metal Men, Robby Reed / Dial H for HERO, Mechasaur.  Hawkman, Atom,
Warlock of Ys. 

Synopsis: June Robbins learns how the Book of Destiny became animated as the mystery of Megistus unfolds.

Cover note: The book was solicited showing the Challengers in silhouette.  After all the logos were dropped in (probably for trademark protection), our heroes were cropped, but their logo was included.




Continuing from last issue (The Brave and the Bold 8)...

Inside Challenger Mountain, Ace reads a newspaper account of how the Challs rescued Phoenix from a stampede of extinct animals.  (The Challs rushed off to the mission, which was untold.)
Challengers' rescue of Phoenix in news

Distracted, Ace fails to see the Book of Destiny has become a paper-golem.


Ace blindsided by the Book of Destiny


Ace yells once.  "June!"

In the next lab, June studies microworlds, which "won't catalogue themselves."

For weeks the Challs have taken turns studying the
Book of Destiny for clues to the mysterious Megistus.  The "death-cheaters" can safely read the book because they're not included, so won't accidentally read about, say, their deaths.

For precisely that reason, June is "not welcome in the library".


But when Ace doesn't reply, she peeks. 

And finds Ace sprawled on the floor, knocked cold by the book-golem.
June finds Ace


June delivers a whopping flying kick -
June's flying kick

- to no effect.  The golem grabs her by the throat.

"Who are you?  What are you?"

June learns as stories ripple before her eyes...


June sees a story, several years old, where the Metal Men and Robby Reed, owner of the HERO dial, battle a mechanical dinosaur that screeches "Meg-is-tus!"

She sees another tale from World War II.  The Blackhawks meet the Boy Commandos, whose mission is to keep the Orb of Ra from Nazi hands.  Mummies in a pyramid test it by command of Megistus, but the Orb gets entombed, forever out of reach.

June sees a last tale of Hawkman and The All-New Atom.  The heroes, in mufti, attend a lecture on primitive star charts.  The Warlock of Ys, a Qwardian, crashes the party to steal the charts for Megistus.  In the battle, he gets sucked into a golden void -


The Warlock of Ys animates the Book of Destiny


- and reenters the world through the pages of Book of Destiny.  So now we know whose soul powers the golem.

Unfortunately for June, she's forced to peer deep into the riffling pages of the Book.


June trapped by The Book of Destiny


What June sees terrifies her.  "Oh, God..."

Is it her death?  Someone else's?  Or something worse than death?

Time will tell...



Comments

The War with Destiny (?) hots up.  Who knows what we'll learn?