Challengers of the Unknown #1
In *Challengers of the Unknown #1* (1991), a long-disbanded team is pulled back into action when a mysterious red space mist draws Prof Haley and June Robbins into a dangerous experiment. When a bomb detonates during the test, Challenger Mountain explodes and Challengerville is thrown into chaos—leaving Ace, Rocky, and Red Ryan to save the day, only to be arrested by the very authorities they’ve just rescued. Written by Jeph Loeb and illustrated with sharp, moody precision by Tim Sale, with colors by Lovern Kindzierski and letters by Bob Pinaha, the cover by Brian Bolland captures the team’s grim return in striking detail.
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To the world, the Challengers are history. Rocky is a fat drunk and killing time, Ace is an airhead pondering religion and mysticism, and Red Ryan is angry the team is defunct. Prof Haley and June Robbins probe space for a new energy source for Earth when a red space mist catches their attention. A mad bomber sneaks away from a tour group and plants a bomb. The bomb detonates as Prof pulls the switch to tap the unknown red energy. Challenger Mountain explodes and takes most of Challengerville with it. Ace, Rocky, and Red rush to town and rescue folk. The cops arrive and arrest the Challengers.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).