Challengers of the Unknown #49
In "The Tyrant Who Owned the World," the Challengers of the Unknown answer a call from the Challengers Corps—a group of ordinary people they once saved—only to find themselves stranded on an island of twisted world landmarks, ruled by the enigmatic Korba. With their wits and newly empowered gear, the team faces a mechanical colossus and ancient forces awakened by their victory, all under the watchful eye of a villain with no nation but a world to conquer. Written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Brown, with cover art by Bob Brown, this 1966 DC adventure blends sci-fi spectacle with the team’s signature blend of grit and mystery.
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The Challengers are summoned by the Challengers Corps, a group of civilians saved by the team in the past offering to be their "eyes and ears." When a member reports ships disappearing, the Challs respond, but they are dumped on an island with replicas of world monuments, ruled by Korba, a villain without a country. The heroes are pushed into an arena to fight a giant robot, the Iron Emperor. Rocky wallops the robot with new power gloves, but they awaken an ancient "totem" of three monsters. With their own super-gear, Red, Rocky, and Prof each defeat a monster and Korba is taken to jail.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).