Showcase #6

(January-February 1957)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 1) (Expand) /

Honor House Products / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

The Secrets of the Sorcerer's Box! [Chapter 1] (Table of Contents: 2)

Challengers of the Unknown / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Jack Kirby ? (see notes); Joe Simon ? (plot, script, see notes); Dave Wood ? (script, see notes)

Pencils

Jack Kirby

Inks

Jack Kirby ? (see notes); Marvin Stein ? (see notes); Rosalind Kirby ? (blacks)

Colors

?

Letters

Ben Oda (sourced) (see notes)

Genre

adventure

Characters

The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis (introduction, origin); Prof Haley (introduction, origin); Ace Morgan (introduction, origin); Red Ryan (introduction, origin)
Morelian (villain, introduction)

Synopsis

Four heroes are being flown to appear on the radio show "Heroes" when their jet crashes in a storm. Miraculously, all four survive unharmed, even down to a working watch. Since they are "living on borrowed time", they vow to make the best use of it, taking risks to benefit others, challenging the unknown. In their first official case, they are summoned by Morelian, a descendant of Merlin, to open four chambers of a dangerous alchemist's box and "witness things not seen on this Earth since the dawn of Man!"

Reprints

• in Secret Origins (DC, 1961 series) #1 ([Summer] 1961)
• in Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 1958 series) #64 (October-November 1968)
• in Super Héros (Arédit-Artima, 1979 series) #2 (1979)
• in The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told (DC, 1990 series) (1990 [January 1991])
• in The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told (DC, 1992 series) ([May] 1992)
• in The Essential Showcase 1956-1959 (DC, 1992 series) (1992 [February 1993])
• in Secret Origins Replica Edition (DC, 1998 series) #1 ([February] 1998)
• in Challengers of the Unknown Archives (DC, 2003 series) #1 ([September] 2003)
• in Showcase Presents Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 2006 series) #1 ([December] 2006)
• in DC Universe Secret Origins (DC, 2012 series) ([April] 2012)
• in Challengers of the Unknown by Jack Kirby (DC, 2012 series) ([August] 2012)
• in Showcase Presents: Showcase (DC, 2012 series) #1 ([September] 2012)
• in DC Universe: Secret Origins (DC, 2013 series) (2012 [June 2013])
• in Challengers of the Unknown by Jack Kirby (DC, 2017 series) ([January] 2018)

Indexer Notes

First appearance of the Challengers of the Unknown. According to Joe Simon and Jack Kirby historians, Jack Kirby brought the proposal for the Challengers to DC. DC bought the concept and folded it into Showcase.

Mark Evanier suspects that Dave Wood may have begun scripting with the second issue and believes this story was scripted by Simon and (mostly) Kirby.

Possible Stein inks per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo. Although Stein had conversations with Greg Theakston denying he inked any Challengers stories it's possible Stein forgot he worked on them. This story also looks like Kirby may have inked a few pages on his own.

An epilogue occurs in Secret Origins (DC, 1986 series) #12 (March 1987) when the Challengers are reunited with the box to solve its final mystery.

Letterer credit from Rodrigo Baeza via the editor e-mail list on March 5, 2007.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 3)

Shorty / comic story / 0.67 page (report information)

Script

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Pencils

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Inks

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

Whew! That sun is hot!

Genre

humor

Characters

Shorty

Reprints

• in Seriemagasinet (Serieforlaget / Se-Bladene / Stabenfeldt, 1951 series) #11/1957 ([november] 1957)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 4) (Expand) /

Wildroot Cream-Oil / advertisement / 0.33 page (report information)

Whistle Magic! (Table of Contents: 5)

cartoon / 1 page (report information)

Script

Mort Drucker

Pencils

Mort Drucker

Inks

Mort Drucker

Colors

?

Letters

Mort Drucker

Genre

non-fiction

Reprints

• from The Phantom Stranger (DC, 1952 series) #1 (August-September 1952)

Chapter Two: Dragon Seed! (Table of Contents: 6)

Challengers of the Unknown / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Jack Kirby ? (see notes); Joe Simon ? (plot, script, see notes); Dave Wood ? (script, see notes)

Pencils

Jack Kirby

Inks

Jack Kirby ? (see notes); Marvin Stein ? (see notes); Rosalind Kirby ? (blacks)

Colors

?

Letters

Ben Oda (sourced) (see notes)

Genre

adventure

Characters

The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
Morelian (villain); The Giant; unnamed sailors

Synopsis

The Challs relocate the box to a tropical island and draw straws. The first chamber releases a "Dragon's Egg" that hatches a stone giant of legend. It wreaks havoc on ships, even resisting an atom bomb. What to do? While back on the island, Rocky's ready to crack the next chamber.

Reprints

• in Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 1958 series) #64 (October-November 1968)
• in Super Héros (Arédit-Artima, 1979 series) #2 (1979)
• in The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told (DC, 1990 series) (1990 [January 1991])
• in The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told (DC, 1992 series) ([May] 1992)
• in The Essential Showcase 1956-1959 (DC, 1992 series) (1992 [February 1993])
• in Challengers of the Unknown Archives (DC, 2003 series) #1 ([September] 2003)
• in Showcase Presents Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 2006 series) #1 ([December] 2006)
• in Challengers of the Unknown by Jack Kirby (DC, 2012 series) ([August] 2012)
• in Showcase Presents: Showcase (DC, 2012 series) #1 ([September] 2012)
• in Challengers of the Unknown by Jack Kirby (DC, 2017 series) ([January] 2018)

Indexer Notes

Possible Stein inks per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo. Although Stein had conversations with Greg Theakston denying he inked any Challengers stories it's possible Stein forgot he worked on them. It also looks like Kirby inked a few pages on his own.

Mark Evanier suspects that Dave Wood may have begun scripting with the second issue and believes this story was scripted by Simon and (mostly) Kirby.

Letters credit from Rodrigo Baeza via the editor e-mail list on March 5, 2007.

Buzzy's "Famous Books" Quiz (Table of Contents: 7)

public service announcement / 1 page (report information)

Script

Jack Schiff

Pencils

Ruben Moreira

Inks

Ruben Moreira

Colors

?

Letters

Ira Schnapp

Genre

non-fiction; advocacy

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 8)

Moolah the Mystic / comic story / 1 page (report information)

Script

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Pencils

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Inks

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

Colors

?

Letters

Henry Boltinoff (signed)

First Line of Dialogue or Text

This is getting very uncomfortable.

Genre

humor

Characters

Moolah the Mystic; Pasha

Reprints

• in Superman Annual (Atlas Publishing, 1951 series) #1963 (1963)

Chapter Three: The Freezing Sun! (Table of Contents: 9)

Challengers of the Unknown / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Jack Kirby ? (see notes); Joe Simon ? (plot, script, see notes); Dave Wood ? (script, see notes)

Pencils

Jack Kirby

Inks

Jack Kirby ? (see notes); Marvin Stein ? (see notes); Rosalind Kirby ? (blacks)

Colors

?

Letters

Ben Oda (sourced) (see notes)

Genre

adventure

Characters

The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
Morelian (villain); The Giant; unnamed sailors

Synopsis

Picked up by sailors, Red returns to the island to find the second chamber open and Rocky frozen stiff. The menace is a sentient freezing sun from parts unknown that sucks up all heat, freezing people. Alone, Red cobbles a vacuum chamber and lures the sun inside, trapping it. Meanwhile, out on the water, Prof realizes that, since the Dragon Seed Giant can't be harmed by anything, it must be a thought, so he "thinks" it out of existence. All the while, Morelian flies overhead, watching.

Reprints

• in Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 1958 series) #65 (December 1968-January 1969)
• in Super Héros (Arédit-Artima, 1979 series) #2 (1979)
• in The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told (DC, 1990 series) (1990 [January 1991])
• in The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told (DC, 1992 series) ([May] 1992)
• in The Essential Showcase 1956-1959 (DC, 1992 series) (1992 [February 1993])
• in Challengers of the Unknown Archives (DC, 2003 series) #1 ([September] 2003)
• in Showcase Presents Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 2006 series) #1 ([December] 2006)
• in Challengers of the Unknown by Jack Kirby (DC, 2012 series) ([August] 2012)
• in Showcase Presents: Showcase (DC, 2012 series) #1 ([September] 2012)
• in Challengers of the Unknown by Jack Kirby (DC, 2017 series) ([January] 2018)

Indexer Notes

Possible Stein inks per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo. Although Stein had conversations with Greg Theakston denying he inked any Challengers stories it's possible Stein forgot he worked on them. It also looks like Kirby inked a few pages on his own.

Mark Evanier suspects that Dave Wood may have begun scripting with the second issue and believes this story was scripted by Simon and (mostly) Kirby.

Letters credit from Rodrigo Baeza via the editor e-mail list on March 5, 2007.

I Fought the Phantom Planes (Table of Contents: 10)

text story / 2 pages (report information)

Script

?

Pencils

?

Inks

?

Colors

?

Letters

typeset

Genre

war

Chapter Four: The Whirling Weaver! (Table of Contents: 11)

Challengers of the Unknown / comic story / 6 pages (report information)

Script

Jack Kirby ? (see notes); Joe Simon ? (plot, script, see notes); Dave Wood ? (script, see notes)

Pencils

Jack Kirby

Inks

Jack Kirby ? (see notes); Marvin Stein ? (see notes); Rosalind Kirby ? (blacks)

Colors

?

Letters

Ben Oda (sourced) (see notes)

Genre

adventure

Characters

The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
Morelian (villain, death); unnamed civilians

Synopsis

The third menace is a tube that releases a whirling weaver that spins ribbons that snarl entire cities. The Challengers pursue, then discover a dial on the weaver's tube and slow it to a halt. Returning to the island, they find Morelian has opened the fourth chamber for his own selfish reasons. He got a diamond ring of immortality; he'll live forever. Except the inscription on the box is vague, "contained in me, find immortality". Morelian flies off, but his plane stalls and crashes, killing himself and destroying the box. The box granted immortality, but the ring was certain death.

Reprints

• in Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 1958 series) #65 (December 1968-January 1969)
• in Super Héros (Arédit-Artima, 1979 series) #2 (1979)
• in The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told (DC, 1990 series) (1990 [January 1991])
• in The Greatest 1950s Stories Ever Told (DC, 1992 series) ([May] 1992)
• in The Essential Showcase 1956-1959 (DC, 1992 series) (1992 [February 1993])
• in Challengers of the Unknown Archives (DC, 2003 series) #1 ([September] 2003)
• in Showcase Presents Challengers of the Unknown (DC, 2006 series) #1 ([December] 2006)
• in Challengers of the Unknown by Jack Kirby (DC, 2012 series) ([August] 2012)
• in Showcase Presents: Showcase (DC, 2012 series) #1 ([September] 2012)
• in Challengers of the Unknown by Jack Kirby (DC, 2017 series) ([January] 2018)

Indexer Notes

Possible Stein inks per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo. Although Stein had conversations with Greg Theakston denying he inked any Challengers stories it's possible Stein forgot he worked on them. It also looks like Kirby inked a few pages on his own.

Mark Evanier suspects that Dave Wood may have begun scripting with the second issue and believes this story was scripted by Simon and (mostly) Kirby.

Letters credit from Rodrigo Baeza via the editor e-mail list on March 5, 2007.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 12) (Expand) /

All-American Sports Club / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 13) (Expand) /

Nutty Putty / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 14) (Expand) /

Stephens Credit Sales Mottoes / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 15) (Expand) /

Daisy Manufacturing Company / advertisement / 1 page (report information)