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This month, I'm jumping in the Way-Back Machine for one of my earliest attempts at redesigning comic characters. This goes way, way back to the 1980s, when I worked at a local comic shop and was dumbfounded at the astonishing level of sales for Marvel's G.I. Joe, which I thought was execrable. Even today, I am more of the DC guy, than Marvel, but even more so, back then. So, I tried to think of something DC could do to capture some of that market.
Looking at it realistically, I had no chance to make this happen, but at the time, I had a pretty high opinion of my art. My experience with rejection letters was still in the future. What I did was simply what I do here most months. I look at a character or group and think of something I'd like to do with them. In this case, it was the Challengers of the Unknown.
Going back to the beginning of the Silver Age, the Challs were one of Jack Kirby's early contributions to what would become the DC Universe. Very much in the mold of Doc Savage and his assistants, the Challengers were an old school adventure team. They've been through just about every fad and whim that's blown through comics over the last 50 years, from wearing gaudy super-hero style costumes, to being revamped along more politically correct demographic lines. But, at the core, you have a solid, very marketable concept. A group of men who survived a plane crash and decided to use their "borrowed time" to make a difference in the world.
In a world where there are people who can topple buildings with a flex of their muscles, the Challengers made a name for themselves. Often, they went up against actual super-villains, not just the run-of-the-mill eccentric bad guys.
In their time, they've worn garish yellow and orange tights. Bland, baggy purple jumpsuits and even sleek spandex-like super suits. I always thought they needed something different. Something more real world and more individualistic. But, never street clothes. These are old school adventurers. At the very least, they should wear clothes that offer a bit of protection, as well as a few well-place POCKETS.
In some ways, I've tried to preserve some of the traditions of the Challengers. I've kept all four of the original Challengers and their official/unofficial fifth, June Robbins. But, remember, I said I originally came up with this idea as a counter to Marvel's successful G.I Joe title, in the 80s. While I'm not going to go into it here, I'd add others to the team, associate members, you might say. Like June, they might work their way up to the main team. Like the originals, they'd all be adventuresome people who survived a brush with fate, whose personalities and talents lend themselves to a more hands-on approach to life's mysteries.
Associate members would draw from the same gear as the main team, so here's an idea of what I think they should look like. And, yes, I always thought June and Rocky should be together.
I figured Rocky ought to be outfitted like a soldier, he's basically a ground combatant, after all. Mostly in khaki and tan. June's look is equal parts classic adventuress and modern extreme sports. Her colors are more a muted violet, to evoke some of the old purple jumpsuit look, only not baggy. Red is a bit of a departure from tradition, but brings his character closer to reality. He wears a modern racer's fire suit. With Prof, I freely admit I made him over as a purple Dr. Venture. His poly-blend "speed suit" and zippered Italian ankle boots are what every super-scientist wears, these days. With Ace, I went total retro. Bomber jacket and khaki flight suit, take him back --visually anyway-- to his roots as a WWII pilot.
I figured, build the team up to 15 or 20 members and you'd have a book that would have taken a bite out of G.I.Joe's sales. Nowadays, I just think it would allow for telling adventure stories of a different type from the usual DCU fare. There are monsters and critters and bad guys who never rise to the level to draw Justice League's attention, that's where the Challengers of the Unknown belong.
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Copyright © 2010 Joe Singleton
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