Challengers of the Unknown #4 is an issue of the series Challengers of the Unknown (Volume 1) with a cover date of November, 1958.
Synopsis for "The Wizard of Time"
The Challengers of the Unknown are called in to investigate an apparent Greek soldier who has appeared in modern times and stolen a plane and other artifacts. They learn that he was summoned by the "wizard of time". Taken to the wizard, they learn that he is a scientist named Darius Tiko, who finished the work of the lat Dr. Hobart Reinmetz. When asked what he did with the objects that were stolen, Tiko explains that he gave them to people from other times. However, before the Challengers can apprehend him, he disappears in his time cube. Finding a spare cube, the Challengers decide to go to the different eras to recover the stolen items. Traveling to ancient Greece, Ace and Rocky clash with Greek soldiers to recover the stolen airplane, however the plane crashes and the two have to face an approaching war army. In Ancient Egypt, Prof and Red try to convince Rhamis to give them back the telescope, however when a sect of socerers attack, the telescope is destroyed. Red and Prof manage to escape and use the Time Cube to return to Greece and save Rocky and Ace before they are trampled by the Greek army.
The entire group traveling to the 15th Century they meet Nostradamus, who tells them that Tiko only came seeking mathematical formulas to probe the future. Using it to rewire their time machine, the Challengers travel to the future after Tiko. Arriving in the future the Challengers are easily subdued by Tiko using future technology, however the scuffle is stopped by local law enforcement who try all present.
Finding them innocent of any crimes in the future, they are told to go back, the future police informing them that they will return all the stolen items and that the other time cube has been confiscated. Returning to their own time, the Challengers take Tiko back to the main land, and as they leave the Time Cube explodes.
Appearing in "The Wizard of Time"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Wizard of Time (First appearance)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
- This issue is reprinted in Challengers of the Unknown Archives Vol. 2.
- Adventures of Superman #508 takes places during the ending of this story (specifically, before the second panel of the last page). While returning to the present, Tiko causes the Time Cube to crash into the city of Metropolis in the year 1994, during the funeral of young Adam Grant. The Challengers team up with the Superman of the era to stop Tiko from wreaking havoc with weapons the police of 3000 A.D. failed to confiscate from him.
See Also
- Cover gallery for the Challengers of the Unknown series
- Images from Challengers of the Unknown Vol 1 4