DC’s Challengers of the Unknown, Explained

Marvel Comics’ First Family, the Fantastic Four, helped kickstart the Marvel Age of Comics and usher in the connected universe that fans have come to know today. However, comic fans who have read the Fantastic Four and DC‘s Challengers of the Unknown have undoubtedly noticed some stark similarities between their origins, team composition, and original creative force. But despite being cut from the same cloth as the Fantastic Four, DC’s Challengers of the Unknown never hit the same notes with fans.

The Challengers of the Unknown debuted in Showcase #6 (by Dave Wood and Jack Kirby.) DC’s fearless adventurers would continue to call Showcase their home for only three more issues before receiving theirown self-titled series in 1958. Despite having a lengthy solo series, as well as several guest appearances in other high-profile series, the Challengers of the Unknown have remained largely unknown amongst comic fans, even becoming the butt of a joke in 2018’s Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. However, a new DC All-In series has fans looking back at the team. To understand why the team failed to take off over the years, it’s important to explore their earliest days as a team.

And There’s a Good Reason For It, Too

It was a day like any other when pilot Kyle “Ace” Morgan, risktaker Matthew “Red” Ryan, athletic Leslie “Rocky” Davis, and resident scientist Walter Mark “Prof” Haley all decided to board the same ill-fated plane.

When their plane suffered an emergency malfunction and crashed to Earth, each of the passengers was shocked to discover that they hadn’t suffered any injuries at all. The bizarre occurrence changed the men as they all swore that they were then “living on borrowed time.” Filled with a newfound desire to overcome any obstacles, Ace, Red, Rocky, and Prof dubbed themselves the Challengers of the Unknown. Now armed with an unconquerable sense of bravery in the face of danger, the team set out in search of adventure.

Now, if this seems even remotely familiar as an origin story, yes, this is incredibly reminiscent of the Fantastic Four’s own origin; however, the biggest difference between the Fantastic Four and the Challengers of the Unknown lies in the fact that none of the Challengers possess a single superpower.

The four men may be incredibly brave and talented within their own field of study, but there is no super strength, flight, telekinesis, or energy projection to speak of between them. This means that every single adventure the Challengers find themselves in must be completed by their sheer wits and natural abilities alone. It might seem like this would make for plenty of white-knuckle and high-stakes stories, but unfortunately for the Challengers, superpowers weren’t the only thing they lacked.

The Challengers of the Unknown Are DC’s Most Fearless Adventurers

But Bravery Alone Doesn’t Make For a Compelling Read

The Challengers of the Unknown and the Fantastic Four are so similar because Jack Kirby had a hand in creating both teams. It needs to be understood that the exact details surrounding the creation of the Challengers of the Unknown are very murky.

Some sources state that the team was created solely by Jack Kirby; others say that they were co-created by Jack Kirby and Dave Wood, while others still claim that they were co-created between Jack Kirby and Joe Simon. There are also stories that Jack Kirby had pitched the idea of the team to Stan Lee, who then helped him turn it into the Fantastic Four. Regardless of where the truth actually lies, the fact is that Jack Kirby was heavily involved in their creation and wrote several of the team’s original stories throughout Showcase and their own self-entitled series.

As previously mentioned, there was just a certain thing that the Challengers of the Unknown lacked: an integral piece of the puzzle that left the entire team out of the higher echelons of popularity enjoyed by DC’s heavy hitters.

First impressions of the series come off as a fantastic example of all the amazing qualities of Jack Kirby’s work that people love today. Every issue was packed with the strangest and most bizarre creatures and beings put to page. There was danger around every corner, and no part of the world was safe from alien forces, mystic entities, and dangerous mad scientists. Action, explosions, and thrills abound filled every issue, but for all the excitement, boy, were the Challengers of the Unknown dull.

The Challengers of the Unknown Have Imagination, Just No Personality

A Little TLC Could Do the Team Wonders

The biggest problem with the Challengers of the Unknown is that Ace, Red, Rocky, and Prof. lack personality. Virtually every line of dialogue between them is simply exposition, serving to further the immediate plot.

Every issue is dedicated solely to their adventure and offers no glimpse into their personal lives. Aside from the odd “Golly!” or “Let ‘er Rip!” hardly any unique dialogue is spoken from one character to the next. When compared to the Fantastic Four, for example, there are differences miles-wide between how The Thing and Reed Richards speak and act. For the Challengers, though, any of them could be swapped out for the other, and no one would know.

Another major issue with the team is how absurd some of their keys to victory are. A perfect example of this can be found in Showcase #6. When the Challengers open an ancient sorcerer’s strongbox, they unleash a massive creature that causes untold amounts of destruction. Nothing the team does to it phases it, and even the military’s strongest weapons fail to damage it. But then, suddenly, while flying a plane near the gargantuan beast, Prof understands the solution.

He tells Ace that the beast is a “thought in three-dimensional form by virtue of the unknown forces of an ancient science!” and, as such, “wishes” it out of existence just like that. Right. In this regard, reading the Challengers of the Unknown can become oddly boring as there are never consequences or failures amongst their antics. Everyone gets along just fine, and every wild story is wrapped up nice and neat. Of course, the good guys have to win, but for all the danger they face, there are very few stakes involved with the Challengers.

The Challengers of the Unknown May Always Struggle to Take Off

But That Doesn’t Mean They’re Down For the Count

The Challengers of the Unknown are not a bad team. They’re a very interesting team that has some of Jack Kirby’s most imaginative and fantastic elements all crammed into a single series. But the original run of the super team is sorely lacking in characterization, an element that made the Fantastic Four so successful. Lacking superpowers also didn’t help the team, either. Compared to Superman, Green Lantern, and Batman, the Challengers of the Unknown didn’t offer the same kind of excitement and personality.

The team has had several other runs over the years, including a 1958 run of 88 issues and even a 2018 run that featured the superstar talents of Scott Snyder and Andy Kubert. The Challengers were also featured in the massive cross-over event Dark Nights: Metal, with their spin-off series breathing fresh air into the classic team. The Challengers of the Unknown have potential as a team, but their earliest days are a bit too bitter of a pill to swallow today.

Compared to the Fantastic Four, it becomes a bit disheartening to see what the Challengers could have become had they been given a little more character and humor. Still, for those who want to discover more of Jack Kirby’s classic era of comic magic, the Challengers of the Unknown are a great team to revisit on a quiet afternoon. And with a brand-new limited series arriving this December, The Challengers of the Unknown have the potential to make a mighty comeback.