| Issue | #47 |
| Published | December-January 1966 |
| Cover Price | 0.12 |
| Pages | 36 |
| Editing | Murray Boltinoff |
| Notes | Learn more about the Challengers at www.challengersoftheunknown.com. |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Pencils | Bob Brown |
| Inks | Bob Brown |
| Notes | Learn more about the Challengers at www.challengersoftheunknown.com. |
| Characters | Challengers of the Unknown (Ace Morgan, Rocky Davis, Prof Haley, Red Ryan), The Sponge Man / Miklos, Stacy, Lisa. |
| Synopsis | The Challengers answer a call for help from a former sponge diver. Miklos gashed his hand on a curious rock (meterorite) with a tiny sponge figure. Overnight he became a human sponge. The team will research to help. Miklos wanted only to meet his pretty neighbor, Lisa, but she recoils. Then a villainous neighbor, Stacy, promises a cure - for lots of money. A simple man, Miklos proceeds to rob downtown. His absorbing powers cause chaos as he sucks colors from paintings and money and stop lights. When the Challs arrive, Miklos absorbs their strength and all sound! Miklos grabs Stacy and runs. The Challs produce a police report: Stacy is a crook and has no cure! Stunned, Miklos wanders in a daze, absorbing water by the ton and expanding proportionately. At this rate, he'll suck up all the water on Earth! The Challs race on motorcycles and dump sleeping pills into a lake. Miklos absorbs the water and grows sleepy - just as a forest fire springs up, and a child is trapped by flames! A decent man, Miklos douses the fire. The Challs still want to help, but Miklos declares he's a freak, and dives into the ocean. Sitting alone, he thinks, "This is my rightful home now... here in the sea..." |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Script | Bill Finger |
| Pencils | Bob Brown |
| Inks | Bob Brown |
| Notes | The Sponge / Sponge Man returns in COTU 52. As does Lisa, the pretty neighbor, who's a spy! |
| Characters | Challengers of the Unknown [Ace Morgan; Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Red Ryan]; Mr. Tic-Tac-Toe [ Dr. Bradford]; Herbert. |
| Synopsis | The Challengers are entrusted by a scientist and his assistant, Dr. Bradford, to deliver a vial of mysterious liquid to Washington. Along the way, Prof experiments with a stinking potion of his own. Their jet, sabotaged, makes a forced landing in the desert. The guys split up. Ace wanders in a crisscross arroyo, is lassoed, and staked to a giant Tic-Tac-Toe display. Captured by Mr. Tic-Tac-Toe! Red chases Herbert, a thug, climbs railroad ties (another TTT motif), then falls through a trap door. He's "crossed off". Rocky bursts through a wall but ends up behind bars, also crossed off. Where's Prof? He has the coveted vial. With his pals threatened, Prof reveals the secret. The liquid, derived from a meterorite, hardens into diamonds! He refuses to surrender it - then drops it! A pink gas - Prof's new tear gas - overwhelms Mr. TTT and Herbert. The villain is unmasked as Dr. Bradford. Prof crosses him off. "You lose." |
| Genre | Adventure |
| Script | France Ed Herron |
| Pencils | Bob Brown |
| Inks | Bob Brown |
| Notes | The "Challengers Casebook" logo means earlier adventures - before the Challs got their new yellow-red uniforms. Writer id by Martin O'Hearn |