The advent of The Marvel Age of Comics is commonly considered the true turning point for Marvel Comics. Despite many of its classic characters having existed for many years, it was the birth of The Fantastic Four that helped kickstart the company into what it is today. Pulling its way out of the slump that was the 1950s, Marvel gave fans superheroes that were lively and dramatic, but personable and relatable, full of humor and warmth. The Fantastic Four laid the foundation for countless characters, places, and events to come throughout the Marvel Universe. The meteoric rise of Marvel’s First Family is suitably fantastic, though very odd considering that another quartet of heroes who had survived an accident aboard a plane had existed for a few years before The Fantastic Four were created.
Calling DC Comics their home, The Challengers of the Unknown were a team of fearless heroes dedicated to challenging any and all obstacles. The Challengers of the Unknown debuted in 1957’s Showcase #6 (by Dave Wood and Jack Kirby.) The Challengers would continue to appear in Showcase three more times before earning their very own title in 1958, Challengers of the Unknown (by Jack Kirby.) The Challengers of the Unknown would continue for 77 issues before facing cancelation. Over the years the Challengers of the Unknown would enjoy various guest appearances and revivals such as 1975’s Super-Team Family, 1982’s Adventure Comic Digest, and a 1991 limited series by Jeff Loeb and Tim Sale.
The Challengers of the Unknown Are a Classic DC Team of Adventurers
When pilot Kyle “Ace” Morgan, daredevil Matthew “Red” Ryan, muscular Leslie “Rocky” Davis, and scientist Walter Mark “Prof” Haley all boarded the same plane none knew that all of their lives would change forever. When a freak accident caused their plane to crash, each of the young men were astounded to discover that they were completely unharmed. Deciding that they were then “living on borrowed time”, the men vowed on the spot to live life to the absolute fullest, seeking out any and all dangers the world could offer them. Calling themselves The Challengers of the Unknown, Ace, Red, Rocky, and Prof became the world’s foremost team of fearless adventurer’s and heroes, never backing down from a challenge.
The Challengers of the Unknown were unique in that not even one of them possessed a single superpower. The Challengers relied solely on their wits and natural skills as scientists and martial artists to vanquish evil. This definitive lack of superpowers only made The Challengers battles that much more daring and fraught with peril. The Challengers battled against far more than simple thugs or masked villains, with many of their foes existing beyond the realm of our own planet and plane of existence. The giant robot known as Ultivac, the evil potion maker Karnac and the fantastical monsters he created, the alien race known as the Tyrans, and the fiery Volcano Men were only a few of the colorful villains that The Challengers battled against.
The Challengers of the Unknown are Similar to Marvel's Fantastic Four
The exact origins of The Challengers of the Unknown is difficult to pin down and varies from source to source. Some people believe that it was Jack Kirby alone that created The Challengers of the Unknown. Others believe The Challengers were a co-creation between Jack Kirby and writer Dave Wood, or even a co-creation between Jack Kirby and his partner Joe Simon. What seems to be the most consistent detail regarding The Challengers creation is that Jack Kirby was involved in many issues before leaving DC Comics and heading to Marvel Comics. Another popular speculation is that Jack Kirby pitched a revised idea of The Challengers to Stan Lee as inspiration for The Fantastic Four. While this is not set in stone, the similarities between the teams is very apparent. Four individuals survive an accident aboard a plane and become adventurers. The major difference between The Challengers of the Unknown and The Fantastic Four is that The Fantastic Four became immeasurably more popular.
The Challengers of the Unknown is packed to the brim with all the classic elements that made Jack Kirby a living legend in the comics' industry. Monsters and beings of the most imaginative order fill nearly every page, the stakes are always high, and The Challengers use every ability they possess to thwart evil. The problem with The Challengers, though, is that they lack the personality and characterization of The Fantastic Four. If it wasn’t for their different colored hair, each of The Challengers would be completely interchangeable. The Fantastic Four are a family and act like a family. They argued with one another, fought with one another, but also loved one another unconditionally. The Challengers of the Unknown, while brave and brilliant, lacked that important sense of characterization that The Fantastic Four had.
Challengers of the Unknown Never Enjoyed Fantastic Four's Popularity
For all of Jack Kirby’s amazing art, reading classic Challengers of the Unknown can be a bit tough. There is no world building around them. There are barely any auxiliary characters that aid them beyond June Robbins, a scientist who frequently gets put on the back burner whenever she happens to show up. Lacking any special powers, The Challengers often rely on some truly far-fetched theories to earn their victories, pushing the ability of the reader to suspend their disbelief. The Challengers of the Unknown are by no means a bad team or comic series, but they definitely lacked that special something that propelled other DC heroes such as Superman, Batman, and The Flash to super stardom. Standing side by side with their spiritual successors, The Fantastic Four, The Challengers of the Unknown come off as humorless statues compared to the liveliness of Marvel’s First Family.
Fans of adventure comics and classic Jack Kirby have plenty to enjoy with his run on Challengers of the Unknown. The Challengers have had multiple revamped incarnations over the years as well with 2007’s Countdown to Final Crisis, 2007’s Brave and the Bold, and 2011’s post-Flashpoint universe being strong examples. The idea of a team of heroes saving the day will always be appealing, but it’s the heart that beats within the chests of our heroes that give them staying power. The most fantastic monsters and adventures all mean nothing if the people engaging with them don’t resonate and connect with their readers. The Challengers of the Unknown are among DC’s bravest heroes, but The Fantastic Four proved that personality goes further than sheer courage alone.