Data courtesy of the Grand Comics Database under Creative Commons license.

Issue Details

Issue #11
Published November-December 1957
Cover Price 0.10 USD
Pages 36
Editing Jack Schiff
Notes Third appearance of the Challengers of the Unknown. Learn more about the Challengers at www.challengersoftheunknown.com.

Cover Details - "The Day the Earth Blew Up!"

Characters Challengers of the Unknown [Ace Morgan; Professor Haley; Red Ryan; Rocky Davis]; General Tolek
Genre Adventure
Pencils Jack Kirby
Inks Jack Kirby
Notes Third appearance of the Challengers of the Unknown. Learn more about the Challengers at www.challengersoftheunknown.com.
Reprinted in Essential Showcase 1956-1959, The (DC, 1992 series) #nn; in Challengers of the Unknown Archives (DC, 2003 series) #1 (July 2003); in Showcase Presents Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 2006 series) #1

7 page Challengers of the Unknown story "The Day the Earth Blew Up"

Characters Challengers of the Unknown [Ace Morgan; Rocky Davis; Professor Haley; Red Ryan]; Carl Jackson; Warren Moss; Commander Lockwood; Colonel Price. Villains: General Tolek; Garnat; and other Tyrans.
Synopsis At the Pentagon, Navy officers and scientists are stumped. Two scientists mysteriously disappeared in Antarctica. They call in "men capable of handling the unknown". Ace takes the call. He, Rocky, and Red fly. They'll pick up Prof along the way. Off New Guinea, Prof is astounded to find a volcano rising from the sea bed. In the Antarctic, the Challengers snow-tractor toward the mystery spot. The tractor bogs in a snowstorm and needs repairs. Ace and Rocky explore and fall through thin ice! They land on a futuristic bridge. Above, Prof and Red are captured by skinny orange aliens in bubble-suits.
Genre Adventure
Script Dave Wood
Pencils Jack Kirby
Inks Bruno Premiani
Notes Chapter 1.
Reprinted in Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 1973 series) #80; in Essential Showcase 1956-1959, The (DC, 1992 series) #nn; in Challengers of the Unknown Archives (DC, 2003 series) #1 (July 2003); in Showcase Presents Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 2006 series) #1

6 page Challengers of the Unknown story "The Tyrans"

Synopsis Prisoners, two Challengers are dropped down a miles-deep airlift. Ace and Rocky find an airshaft and search for miles. The gravity is lighter and they half-float. Finally they reach a vast underground super-city of aliens - with an army ready for invasion! Ace tries to capture a sentry, but the alien anticipates his every move with its computer-like mind. All four Challs are imprisoned with the missing scientists. The aliens are planting charges all over the world to blow away chunks and reduce Earth's mass, so they can live comfortably among enslaved humans. They've conquered whole galaxies this way. Prof realizes the undersea volcano was a test. The Challengers think frantically. How to outwit the aliens? Their super-brains must need rest. Catch one half-asleep and...
Genre Adventure
Script Dave Wood
Pencils Jack Kirby
Inks Bruno Premiani
Notes Chapter 2.
Reprinted in Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 1973 series) #80; in Essential Showcase 1956-1959, The (DC, 1992 series) #nn; in Challengers of the Unknown Archives (DC, 2003 series) #1 (July 2003); in Showcase Presents Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 2006 series) #1

6 page Challengers of the Unknown story "The Thing That Came Out of the Sea"

Synopsis The Challengers summon an alien during the night and succeed in hypnotizing them. The docile alien leads them out a secret panel to a gravity control room. The Challengers crank the gravity high, pinning the aliens to the ground. How to escape? The aliens use "electronic transmission". Ace and Rocky will try to destroy the main detonator from this end. Prof and Red teleport to Washington to alert the military. Prof is given a wearable minisub and torpedo-dives to dismantle one planet-cracking bomb. The Air Force and Navy arrive off Antarctica and shell the hell out of the Tyrans' invasion force. Underground, Ace and Rocky and the two scientists flee a gas attack and gun-cars. One scientist remembers the power comes from a core tap. Cranking a valve brings raging heat that crisps aliens and slags the bomb detonator. Meanwhile, in the Pacific, a wild claw-machine erupts from the ocean to attack the Navy.
Genre Adventure
Script Dave Wood
Pencils Jack Kirby
Inks Bruno Premiani
Notes Chapter 3.
Reprinted in Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 1973 series) #80; in Essential Showcase 1956-1959, The (DC, 1992 series) #nn; in Challengers of the Unknown Archives (DC, 2003 series) #1 (July 2003); in Showcase Presents Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 2006 series) #1

5 page Challengers of the Unknown story "One Minute to Doom"

Synopsis On the Pacific island, Red sprays a new secret chemical weapon, a corrosive gas that eats the machine. Soon Ace leads a fleet of bombers to pound what's left of the alien base, and the menace is over. Their only casualty is Prof, who caught a cold diving off the South Pole!
Genre Adventure
Script Dave Wood
Pencils Jack Kirby
Inks Bruno Premiani
Notes Chapter 4.
Reprinted in Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 1973 series) #80; in Essential Showcase 1956-1959, The (DC, 1992 series) #nn; in Challengers of the Unknown Archives (DC, 2003 series) #1 (July 2003); in Showcase Presents Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 2006 series) #1

2 page Just Imagine story

Pencils Virgil Finlay
Inks Virgil Finlay
Reprinted from Real Fact (DC, 1946 series) #?