Challengers of the Unknown
Volume 2, Issue 7
September 1991

"Another World"
Part Six of Eight

Cover: Arthur Adams
Jeph Loeb
Tim Sale
Bob Pinaha
Lovern Kindzierski
Elliot S. Maggin & Katie Main
Challs created by Jack Kirby
22 pages
$1.75
Story and art © DC Comics

Characters: Ace Morgan, Rocky Davis, Red Ryan, Harold Moffett, Prof Haley, June Robbins, Duncan Pramble, citizens of Challengerville.

Synopsis: Continuing... Spurred by Harold Moffett, Ace, Rocky, and Red return to Challenger Mountain to find insanity, demons, and life after death.

Click for Part One or Part Six.

The title parodies a soap opera.

Note the little grinning demons sprinkled around.

 

The cover, as  pointed out by an astute editor at the Grand Comic Book Database, is a homage to Jim Steranko's Captain America 113.

Continued from last issue (COTU V2 6)...

“A little voice in my head” has told each of the Challengers, and Harold Moffett, to gather at the graves of Prof and June in Challengerville.

Ace continues to wonder how the bird can get a worm inside a poison apple.  Red doesn’t care.  Rocky urges patience.  Ace decides the bird chooses NOT to get the worm.  In other words, “Sometimes the path which we believe is in our best interest is not necessarily so.”  Rocky tries to move on.  “We’re here.  Now what?”

Moffett’s capable of his own introverted weirdness.  “I know it’s been a while, guys – but I still love you.”  He has facts too.  Hundreds of people have been showing up at Challenger Mountain – or its ruins.  And Duncan Pramble, the former Multi-Man, claims he blew it up.  OK. “Our path is clear.”  The Challs “saddle up.”

Moffett never knew Pramble was Multi-Man.  “I don’t check my facts.  I just report ‘em.”  When last seen (COTU 81) MM lost his powers and was kept sedated.  He swore revenge.

The Challs get in a cab driven by Ernie.   The town is a mess.  “It looks even worse than when the mountain blew up!”  Ernie says, “People got other things to do.”  Like hurl rocks at the windshield.  Red wants a clear shot.  Rocky tells the cabbie to floor it.  Better yet, he’ll drive.  “I think we’re going to need some of our stuff.”

They pull up to a warehouse marked with the hourglass emblem.  Moffett’s all for splitting.  “I think I left the stove on.”  Red threatens to stuff him in the trunk and shoot him if he doesn’t shut up.

The warehouse contains “Property of Challenger Museum”.  Tons of it.  A jet and aircar hang from the rafters.  Robot parts are littered around.  Scores of crates are stacked high.

Narration: “They were four men living on borrowed time.  The best in their fields a lifetime ago.  Now it comes down to a warehouse filled with memories and little else.  Or does it?”

They dig.  Red finds one of  Prof’s nitro bombs.  “I’m up for leveling a city.”  Rocky says, “Bring it.  I think we need uniforms, if only to spot each other.”  But which uniform?  The museum’s costume exhibit had suits for Zorro, Hawkman, Batman, even Darkseid.  There’s a silly segment where the Challs try on goofy uniforms.  They finally opt to just wear civvies with red-yellow hourglass patches.  And Red pulls together guns and ammo.

Moffett is impressed by The New Challengers of the Unknown, but not the way you’d think.  He’s dreaming of revenue from T-shirts, dolls, movies…

Thirty seconds into the reunion, there’s trouble.  Rocky says, “I’d like to take a shot at running this outfit.”  Red objects, “You couldn’t run a lemonade stand!”  Ace insists Rocky was the heart of the band.  And Moffett sees a movie deal go up in smoke.

For no particular reason, Red takes a swing at Rocky, who evades.  Red even pulls a gun.  Ace murmurs, “Shazbot!”  The gun turns to flowers – and Rocky decks Red.

By now it’s night.  They board an aircar and fly toward the ruined mountain.  STRAIGHT at it.

Unnoticed,  Ace has picked up a passenger, a tiny grinning demon wrapped around his neck.  He drones, “I wish to experience the sensation of driving this craft into a mountain wall.”

Oh, crap.  They grab packs and dive.  The aircar explodes against a cliff.

OK.  So the baddies – whoever they are – know the Challs are coming.  They land, Rocky atop Red, who complains, “How is it you managed to land on me?”

Bullets come flying from a machine gun – in a news copter?   A spotlight nails them.  Red wants to shoot, but Rocky jumps him.  “There might be innocent people on board!  There’s another way, you jerk!”

Moffett is screaming, “We’re gonna die!  Do something!”  Rocky sets off smoke bombs to hide them.

“Kyle, you back with us yet?”  Yes, Ace has his brain back.

They move south.  “We’re going over the top!”

People (mind slaves) carouse, orgy, drink, sacrifice a white horse and – most disturbingly – worship at a flaming altar.

The altar has two tall poles with human sacrifices with wood around their feet.  But between the poles, hanging in thin air, is – what?

For the first time in a long time, the Challengers feel some useful emotion.  Rocky growls, “I don’t like seeing our home used like this.”  Red and Ace agree.

“Hit ‘em high, hard, and fast!  Head for that big altar!”

Duncan Pramble is down there too, sitting alone, gibbering.  “Nope, nope, nope.  Cope.”  But even he can spot the real thing.  “Them.”

Harold Moffett, meanwhile, wishes he’d stayed home.

Our heroes plow into the mind slaves, trying not to hurt anyone.  They’re mobbed, until Red pulls a pistol and fires over their heads.  Zombies run.  “The area is secured, sir.”

Ace examines the altar icon, a “hole” in the air.  “A tear in the fabric of reality.”  Recall Prof was experimenting with alternative energy.  “His theory was that if he could breach the wall at the edge of the universe, he could harness that awesome power!”  With his new magic, Ace might be able to “plug the tear”.

Ace mumbles an incantation, “Ibbidy-aggidy –“

- and the Challs get sucked into the hole!

A minute later, Duncan Pramble reaches for the hole and gets sucked in too.

The Challengers finds themselves on a dirt road under a bright summer sky.  Green fields roll to the horizon.  Telephone wires run overhead.  There’s a farm nearby.  Ace senses, “we are no longer on Earth.”  Red agrees, “We’re not in Challengerville anymore.”

What to do?  Ring the doorbell.

Prof and June answer the door.  “Gentlemen.  Please come in.”

This is weird even by Challenger standards.  It seems like a normal farm house.

Moffett believes it’s some set-up, a Candid Camera stunt.  Ace reflects Prof and June should be dead.  And why is Moffett along anyway?  June yells at Moffett as he lights up.  “No smoking in my home – particularly in my condition!”  Oh, she’s eight months pregnant!

And not really there.  Rocky tries to hug both – and his arms pass right through.  “This is all somebody’s idea of a joke!”  No, Prof assures them, they are dead.  So is this Heaven?  “Not exactly…”

Pan back, and we see the farm is in a fish bowl suspended in air.  Looming over them, larger than Challenger Mountain, is a demon with an unpronounceable name.

“You can call me N’Zrath!  Welcome to Hell!”

The narrator chirps, “Hang onto your seats, kids!  We wind it all up next time in, “The Unlikeliest Challenger of Them All!”

Comments

Well, the boys are back, sort of.  Prof and June are here too, sort of.  Although where “here” is is a good question.  Maybe we’ll get all the answers next issue.  But we doubt it.