Challengers of the Unknown Vs. Doctor Doom

 

The Challengers were like a non-powered version of the Fantastic Four, so it's only natural that they would eventually clash with the mad monarch of Latveria.  Speaking of Doom, am I crazy, or does the accent that Robert Downey Jr. is using for him sound like David Corenswet's Hammer of Boravia voice from Superman? Once I realized that, I can't unhear it.

Giant Man and The Chalengers of the Unknown

 

The Microverse certainly fits into the category of the unknown, so it's only natural that The Challengers would be interested in exploring it.  Who better the serve as a tour guide than Hank Pym?

Thanos Vs. The DC Universe

 

Thanos being set loose in DC's silver age would have been wild.

Challengers of the Unknown and Rocket Raccoon

 

The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy may be completed, but I hope that sometime down the line we see the team again.  I liked seeing Rocket Raccoon take his leadership role, and it would be cool to see him calling the shots on a mission.

Invisible Girl and Challengers of the Unknown

 

The Challengers have met the Fantastic Four as a team on the blog, as well as Ben (more than once), Johnny and Reed in individual tales.  I felt that it was time for Sue Storm to have a solo outing with the Team on Borrowed Time. 

Spider-Man and The Challengers of the Unknown

 

The fourth Tom Holland led Spider-Man movie now a go according to the actor.  Rumors have swirled from the plot being tied in heavily to the two upcoming Avengers: Secret Wars films to a smaller, more street level adventure.  I think that I would prefer the latter.  I loved the status quo set up at the end of the last movie, and would like to see that explored a little before he gets mixed up with a big crazy universe-changing story again.

Silver Surfer and the Challengers of the Unknown

 

What's more unknown to The Challs than what lies beyond solar system?  I think it might be fun to read a tale where they are truly thrust out of their element.

The Human Torch and Challengers of the Unknown

 

Ah, Paste-Pot Pete, always trying to be taken seriously. Even a name change and costume upgrade weren't enough to get him out of the C-List of villains.  Will this latest scheme catapult him to infamy?  I doubt it, but that's part of his charm.

Indiana Jones and Challengers of the Unknown

 

Challenging the unknown sounds like a good description for the adventures that Indiana Jones gets into, so he would probably fit right in with these adventurers.  Of course, the real unknown is whether he can provide audiences with a thrilling adventure as he enters his 80's.  I guess we will all find out soon enough!

Indiana Jones on this cover is from an image by the very talented Jackson Guice.  I was lucky enough to pick up an original page of his several years back:

Challengers of the Unknown Vs. The Hulk

 

Pavement sure had some strange properties in the comics I read as a kid.  Characters like The Hulk, Superman and The Thing would often pull stunts like the one above, whipping a sidewalk like it was a towel.  Another move was to roll the street up and wrap your opponents in it.  These were always visually impressive displays, if not always scientifically sound.

Challengers of the Unknown Vs. Kang

 

I was very happy to hear the casting of John  Majors as Kang for the MCU.  He's been well reviewed in Lovecraft Country.  Although I haven't seen that show yet, I enjoyed his performance in Da 5 Bloods.  I have been waiting for Kang to show up since the first Avengers movie, and I can't wait to see the time travelling villain brought to life.  Even cooler, he will make his debut in Ant-Man 3, which is sure to make that the biggest film of the trilogy.  Will his involvement pave the way for the Fantastic Four to make their debut as well?

Challengers of the Unknown and Devil Dinosaur

The Challengers of the Unknown seems like a concept that would work well on a show like DC's Legends of Tomorrow.  Like the team on that show, they spend their time going around the world, investigating anomalies. Since they don't have any super powered abilities or overly fancy costumes, the show wouldn't even have to present a watered down version of the team either, as it sometimes does with other DC heroes.  Heck,  give them a series of their own!

Challengers of the Unknown and Star Trek

Will there be another Star Trek movie?  Word is that Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth (slated for a return as Kirk's father) have walked away due to contract issues.  Hopefully that's just a negotiation tactic and everything will get worked out.

This cover was a suggestion from comics historian and Patron of this blog Marc Tyler Nobleman, and frankly I was surprised I never thought of it myself.  It seems like such a natural to have these adventurers meet for one epic story.  Thanks, Marc!

Challengers of the Unknown and The Thing in "Stranger Thing!"

The Challengers of the Unknown are another group that I would love to see show up on DC's Legends of Tomorrow, or anywhere really.  I am surprised that they've never made it into any of DC's various shows, live action or animated.  They might be somewhere in the background in Justice League: The New Frontier, but I would have to go back and check.

The Thing first met The Challengers way back in 2011, in a MTIO Lost Issue...

Challengers of the Unknown and Jonny Quest

With Jonny Quest's sense of adventure, I can see him joining up with a team like the Challengers of the Unknown.  He's definitely got experience with going up against evil organizations and escaping near-death situations, after all.  Heck, he'd probably eventually end up running the group!

Challengers of the Unknown and Mister Fantastic

No offense to Sue, Ben and Johnny, but I think that this is a team much more suited to Reed Richards' personality than the FF.  He always considered himself more of an explorer than a superhero, anyway.   Family is important to him, but maybe he would be a more effective leader if he didn't always have to worry about putting them into jeopardy at work.

Challengers of the Unknown and Iron Man

The Challenger of the Unknown are a DC property that never quite hit the big time as far as recognition beyond comics are concerned, but they seem to find a way to return every so often.  I think a lot of it all comes down to their team name - it just sounds so cool, and it's a shame not to use it, not unlike The Doom Patrol.   I'm not sure what the Challengers' current status is in the New 52.  Hopefully they'll find their place in the spotlight again one of these days.

Challengers of the Unknown Vs. Fin Fang Foom

The Challengers were known to go up against lots of giant creatures, so it's only fitting that they should cross paths with comicdom's greatest dragon!  Dragons wearing speedos are just the kind of unknown that the team would be drawn to, and you know the ensuing battle would be epic.

Challengers of the Unknown and The Fantastic Four

OK, this on wasn't going to be posted for a while, but folks were asking about pairing these two teams so I decided to move it up in the rotation.  There are certainly similarities between these jumpsuit-wearing foursomes, and it would be cool to see them in one big story together.  I remember getting a kick out of the amalgamated Challengers of the Fantastic that spun out of the Marvel/DC crossover (indeed those Amalgam issues are much more satisfying than the crossover itself).  Both teams are looking good these days - The FF just had their 600th issue with the return of Johnny Storm and DC is currently publishing new Challengers stories with the talented pencils of Jerry Ordway.

The Thing and The Challengers of the Unknown

Here's another all-Kirby cover. The Challengers of the Unknown have one of the cooler names ever given to a comic book team. The concept of a group of adventurers who feel they are living on borrowed time facing off against fantastical hidden menaces is pure fun. I like that they are among the handful of characters that kept the heroic spirit alive between the disappearance of the golden age heroes and the emergence of the silver age. I think that Ben Grimm would fit in well with the Challengers crew, even if he had never been transformed by cosmic rays.