Showcase #11
(November-December 1957)

DC, 1956 Series
< Previous Issue |
| Next Issue >
Price
0.10 USD
Pages
36
Indicia Frequency
bi-monthly
On-sale Date
1957-09-15
Publisher's Age Guidelines
Approved by the Comics Code Authority
Indicia / Colophon Publisher
National Comics Publications Inc.
Brand
Superman DC National Comics
Editing
Whitney Ellsworth (credited) (editor); Jack Schiff (sourced) (editor)

Issue Notes

Third appearance of the Challengers of the Unknown.

On-sale date from copyright registration.

The Day the Earth Blew Up! (Table of Contents)

Challengers of the Unknown / cover / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Jack Kirby
Colors
?
Letters
Ira Schnapp ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Our preparations are almost complete--and in exactly one hour, this is what will happen to your planet!
Genre
adventure
Characters
The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
unnamed Tyran
Reprints

Teddy Roosevelt: Guardian of Nature (Table of Contents: 1)

public service announcement / 1 page (report information)

Script
Jack Schiff
Pencils
Ruben Moreira
Inks
Ruben Moreira
Letters
Ira Schnapp

First Line of Dialogue or Text
All nature is in delicate balance--bacteria and plants, insects and birds and animals depending on...
Genre
non-fiction; advocacy
Characters
Theodore Roosevelt

Indexer Notes

Inside front cover.

The Day the Earth Blew Up [Chapter 1] (Table of Contents: 2)

Challengers of the Unknown / comic story / 7 pages (report information)

Script
Dave Wood ?; Jack Kirby ? (see notes)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Marvin Stein ?
Colors
?
Letters
Pat Gordon ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Is man the only intelligent being in the universe?
Genre
adventure
Characters
The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley (also named Prof Harrison); Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
Commander Lockwood; Colonel Price; unnamed Tyrans (villains)
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, Rocky, and Red fly off, picking 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.
Reprints

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. Previous indexer credited Bruno Premiani. Possible Wood script and Kirby revisions per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo.

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

Moolah the Mystic / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff
Inks
Henry Boltinoff
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Here is the famous tomb of Tut-Ankah!
Genre
humor
Characters
Moolah the Mystic
Synopsis
Moolah's companion spends the night in an Egyptian tomb.
Reprints

Chapter Two: The Tyrans (Table of Contents: 4)

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

Script
Dave Wood ?; Jack Kirby ? (see notes)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Marvin Stein ?
Colors
?
Letters
Pat Gordon ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
Go down, down, down for an endless drop into the depths of the Earth--where the doors of the...
Genre
adventure
Characters
The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
Dr. Carl Jackson; Dr. Warren Moss; Garnat (villain); General Tolek (villain); unnamed Tyrans (villains)
Synopsis
Two captured Challengers are dropped down a miles-deep airlift. Ace and Rocky find an airshaft and search for miles. They reach a underground city of aliens with an army preparing 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 intending to enslave the human race. Prof realizes the undersea volcano was a test. The Challengers plan to attack when the aliens are at rest.
Reprints

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. Previous indexer credited Bruno Premiani. Possible Wood script and Kirby revisions per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo.

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 5)

Shorty / comic story / 0.5 page (report information)

Script
Henry Boltinoff
Pencils
Henry Boltinoff
Inks
Henry Boltinoff
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
That's nice!
Genre
humor
Characters
Shorty
Synopsis
A dog and a monkey assault Shorty during "Be Kind to Animals" week.
Reprints

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 6) (Expand) /

Palisades Amusement Park Admission / advertisement / 0.5 page (report information)

[no title indexed] (Table of Contents: 7) (Expand) /

Superman; Tomahawk / promo (ad from the publisher) / 1 page (report information)

Chapter Three: The Thing That Came Out of the Sea (Table of Contents: 8)

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

Script
Dave Wood ?; Jack Kirby ? (see notes)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Marvin Stein ?
Colors
?
Letters
Pat Gordon ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
How much time has mankind left--before it is blasted into chaos by hidden invaders?
Genre
adventure
Characters
The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
Dr. Carl Jackson; Dr. Warren Moss; Garnat (villain); Tyran Commander (villain); unnamed Tyrans (villains)
Synopsis
The Challengers hypnotize an alien who leads them to a gravity control room. The team crank the gravity high, pinning the aliens to the ground. Ace and Rocky try to destroy the main detonator. Prof and Red teleport to Washington and alert the military who bring their forces to the battle. Prof is given a wearable minisub and attempts to dismantle the bomb. Underground Ace, Rocky and the two scientists flee a gas attack and gun-cars. Cranking a valve brings raging heat that crisps aliens and slags the bomb detonator. In the Pacific, a claw-machine erupts from the ocean to attack the Navy.
Reprints

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. Previous indexer credited Bruno Premiani. Possible Wood script and Kirby revisions per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo.

The Man from Nowhere (Table of Contents: 9)

text story / 1 page (report information)

Script
?
Letters
typeset

First Line of Dialogue or Text
I make it a policy never to pick up hitchhikers.
Genre
science fiction
Synopsis
A driver picks up a hitchhiker and becomes afraid of him; only later does the driver realize that the hitchhiker saved his life three times.
Keywords
Ellentown

Time-Traveling into the Past and the Future! (Table of Contents: 10)

Just Imagine / comic story / 2 pages (report information)

Script
?
Pencils
Virgil Finlay
Inks
Virgil Finlay
Colors
?
Letters
?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
If a man can invent a telescope powerful enough to pick up light rays that have receded away from...
Genre
non-fiction; science fiction
Characters
Julius Caesar; John Anderson
Reprints
Keywords
Atlantis; suspended animation

Chapter Four: One Minute to Doom (Table of Contents: 11)

Challengers of the Unknown / comic story / 5 pages (report information)

Script
Dave Wood ?; Jack Kirby ? (see notes)
Pencils
Jack Kirby
Inks
Marvin Stein ?
Colors
?
Letters
Pat Gordon ?

First Line of Dialogue or Text
The chips are down!
Genre
adventure
Characters
The Challengers of the Unknown: Rocky Davis; Prof Haley; Ace Morgan; Red Ryan
Dr. Carl Jackson; Dr. Warren Moss; Garnat (villain); General Tolek (villain); unnamed Tyrans (villains)
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!
Reprints

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. Previous indexer credited Bruno Premiani. Possible Wood script and Kirby revisions per Mark Evanier and Nick Caputo.

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

American Specialty Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

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

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

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

Garcelon Stamp Co. / advertisement / 1 page (report information)

Editing
Related Scans
Series Information
Table of Contents
  1. 0. The Day the Earth Blew Up!
    Challengers of the Unknown
  2. 1. Teddy Roosevelt: Guardian of Nature
  3. 2. The Day the Earth Blew Up [Chapter 1]
    Challengers of the Unknown
  4. 3. ["Here is the famous tomb of Tut-Ankah!"]
    Moolah the Mystic
  5. 4. Chapter Two: The Tyrans
    Challengers of the Unknown
  6. 5. ["That's nice!"]
    Shorty
  7. 6. ["Be my guest at Palisades Amusement Park, New Jersey."]
    Palisades Amusement Park Admission
  8. 7. ["The oldest symbol in comics..."]
    Superman; Tomahawk
  9. 8. Chapter Three: The Thing That Came Out of the Sea
    Challengers of the Unknown
  10. 9. The Man from Nowhere
  11. 10. Time-Traveling into the Past and the Future!
    Just Imagine
  12. 11. Chapter Four: One Minute to Doom
    Challengers of the Unknown
  13. 12. [no title indexed]
    American Specialty Co.
  14. 13. ["Do you want spending money?"]
    Stephens Credit Sales
  15. 14. [no title indexed]
    Garcelon Stamp Co.
This issue was modified by, among others
  • Katie
  • Mark Billian
  • Ray Bottorff Jr
  • Nick Caputo
  • John Censullo
  • Clayton Emery
  • Gregory Fischer
  • Del Gruber
  • Merlin Haas
  • Bob Hughes
  • Daniel Thingvold
  • Jim Van Dore