Challengers of the Unknown #80

Nick Cardy's cover for this 1973 DC entry sets an urgent, dramatic tone: a massive mechanical creature — all steel limbs and smoking joints — emerges from the sea as two Challengers in their signature red jumpsuits fire weapons at it from the shoreline below, explosions bursting across its hull. The teaser "The Thing That Came Out of the Sea!" makes the threat unmistakably clear, promising the kind of larger-than-life adventure that defines this long-running series. With Jack Kirby contributing to the story alongside Dave Wood, and Marvin Stein on inks, this is a fine example of early-'70s DC science-fiction storytelling at a snappy 20 cents.