Challengers of the Unknown #51
In "Smash the Sponge Man— Or Die," the Challengers of the Unknown face their strangest foe yet when the enigmatic Sponge Man assaults an undersea base, forcing the Sea Devils to call for help. With Bob Brown’s dynamic art bringing the aquatic showdown to life, the heroes must unravel a mystery tied to a former neighbor, Lisa, and a shadowy plot by Scorpio—before a deadly gas attack turns the tide. Written by Bill Finger and illustrated by Bob Brown, this 1966 classic features a cover by Bob Brown that captures the chaos of the moment.
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When Sponge Man attacks an undersea base, the Sea Devils respond. Ineffective, they call in the Challengers. When Sponge Man appears, the Challs try to reason with him. The Sea Devils' robot Neptimus rises to fight, but the Sponge freezes its gears. Later, the Challs knock out the Sponge with electricity. Lisa, Miklos' former neighbor, an agent of the criminal organization Scorpio, releases Miklos. The heroes figure out what Lisa has done and force her to spill the beans. The teams attack Scorpio HQ as they launch a missile of poison gas. Sacrificing himself, the Sponge absorbs the gas.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).