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June gets back to challenging full time in uniform (STF 8). In cool weather she adds a fetching vest complete with hourglass logo (SO 12). |
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It's implied but never stated that, for a while, the Challengers undertake secret missions for the US Government. Possibly these were dirty or just too weird for regular forces. Likely they need the money. They do need FAA permission to fly their jet. They might need Department of Interior permission to acquire another mountain. Or they might be co-opted some other way. While the Challengers are off on secret missions, F Gaylord Clayburne III plans a comeback - and starts dating June. It gets serious enough that he calls her "my girl". (Super-Team Family 10) June goes along without saying much. What's her game? The Challengers acquire another mountain in the Colorado Rockies, Challenger Mountain II (not recorded). The nearby town of Hadley embraces their celebrity neighbors, perhaps too much. Hadley spawns Challenger mini-markets: action figures, bobblehead dolls, ice cream, cola, more. Hadley officially changes its name to Challengerville. (Not recorded, but evident by COTU V2 1.) The Tattletale, a weekly supermarket
rag, publishes many weird stories of the Challengers' adventures.
Some are even true. (COTU V2 1). |
"To Doomsday and Beyond!" (Super-Team Family 9) has the Challs trying to stifle a volcanic explosion. They uncover a lost race of aliens at its bottom! For this and subsequent adventures, they don Challenger-tailored hazardous environment suits instead of the old white "Human Bomb" suits.  Able to dematerialize, and armed
with nuclear detonators, "Multi-Man Rules the World!"
(Super-Team Family 10) Or tries to.
He threatens to destroy cities unless he's proclaimed king of
the world. The Challengers beat on MM without effect, and he
grabs June as a hostage! |
At the same time, Prof has been diagnosed with an incurable disease, but never says a word. (Super-Team Family 10) "Multi-Man's Master Plan" (a revived COTU 81) ripens as he seeks to destroy Los Angeles and Denver by overloading their nuclear plants. The Challs stop MM cold - so cold he loses his morphing powers and goes to jail. But Prof collapses from some unknown fever. The only one who can save him is a doctor in Masschusetts - who's currently sacrificing virgins to a tentacled god! F Gaylord Clayburne III is back.
Ace comments that "every time that playboy gets bored he
wants to play Challenger." (Super-Team
Family 10) Gaylord tries to make time with June, who's setting
her cap for SOMEbody. She's let her hair grow long and cut her
uniform low. Ace finally tells Clayburne to take a hike, and
he takes the hint. |
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In this illuminating shot from COTU 82, we learn that, yes, even the Challs' skivvies are purple.  |
Lurking in the
shadows is Dr. Alec Holland, since he fought this ichory tentacled
horror before (Swamp Thing 8), but he's reverting to Swamp Thing. Deadman also
dives in, though no one knows it. The adventure runs through
"Seven Doorways to Destiny!" (COTU 83)
Clayburne brings Alec Holland to Perdition. Monroe, holding Red and
June hostage, blackmails the other Challengers into casting a spell to
bring M'nagala's kin to Earth. The Challs scotch that plan and
Swamp Thing burns the town float. Finito.
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Clayburne brings his own variation on a uniform, or maybe a Hazmat suit in COTU 83.  That's Clayburne in back and Dr. Alec Holland (before reverting to Swamp Thing) in front.
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In "To Save a Monster" (COTU 84), Prof is still infected, but Deadman inhabits his body and helps Prof conquer his fungus disease. Swamp Thing is possessed (still in COTU 84). The Challs find he's mentally dominated by Duncan Pramble, the former Multi-Man. Swampie breaks the spell and MM stays in jail. Red quits the team, jealous of Rocky mooning over June. Giant monsters
start popping up in downtowns. "The Creature from the End
of Time!" (COTU 85) is from the far future. The cube technology
is Rip Hunter's, and he's been missing for ten years. Ace,
Rocky, June, Swamp Thing, and Deadman travel to the year 12,000,000
A.D. to find Rip Hunter - who screams to kill them! Prof, still weak,
is left behind to man monitors. He's jumped by stray monsters.
Red returns to the fold just in time to rescue him. (COTU 86) In the far future, three Challs find Rip Hunter a tool of the evil Sunset Lords. "The War at Time's End" (COTU 86) leads to "Twelve Million Years to Twilight" (COTU 87). The time travelers bring freedom to the future while Batman, Green Lantern, Prof, Red, and others fight monsters in the present. Finally the Challs, friends, and Rip Hunter's crew zip back to the present. Deadman and Swamp Thing walk away. (The revival is
short-lived. Like many other DC titles, the Challs are cancelled.) |
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With the boys so busy behind enemy lines, a mini-saga of Duncan Pramble, no longer Multi-Man, goes unnoticed. Pramble breaks jail (implied but not recorded) and reaches a secret lab (assumed, since he has several). Powerless, Pramble builds a robot in the six-foot bald pointy-eared form.: Multi-Man II. Pramble programs the robot as his stand-in until his powers return (revealed in COTU TP Multi-Man story). He turns the robot loose. Pramble built too well. Believing he's the original, Multi-Man II joins the Injustice League (various Justice League spinoffs, Joker, and elsewhere). Powerless, Pramble
is recaptured and sent back to jail (implied, because when next
seen (COTU
V2 1) he's
on parole). |
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Out in the cold... |
