Once considered heroes, the Challengers of the Unknown are now treated like relics, but that all changes when their mountaintop headquarters are blown up and they are placed on trial for their lives.

"Originally published in single magazine form in Challengers of the Unknown 1-8"--Copyright page.

Jack Kirby reinvented the superhero genre with his sprawling saga of the Fourth World—a bold storytelling vision that was decades ahead of its time. In honor of this extraordinary talent’s centennial, DC Comics is proud to re-present the groundbreaking work of the King of Comics in a brand-new series collecting his classic DC titles in all their four-color glory! After walking away from a seemingly un-survivable plane crash, test pilot Ace Morgan, mountain climber Red Ryan, heavyweight boxing champ Rocky Davis and underwater explorer Prof Haley make a pact to continue defying death and seeking out mystery around the world. Their motto is “Dare Anything,” and their assignments are the most unusual and incredible tasks ever encountered! There is no danger that they fear, or risk that they will not accept! They call themselves…the Challengers of the Unknown! Discover some of comics’ most daring writing and dynamic art—and thrill to the imaginative power of one of the medium’s greatest masters—in CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN BY JACK KIRBY, collecting all of the King’s stories from SHOWCASE #6-7 and 11-12 and CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #1-8, accompanied by illuminating essays from former DC editor Paul Kupperberg and acclaimed Kirby historian John Morrow.

The Dark Knights ride through the farthest reaches of the Multiverse to track down the unlikeliest of teams: The Flash, Cyborg, Raven and Detective Chimp. The mission: keep these heroes from completing their desperate quest to save all of existence! Plus, Challengers’ Mountain crackles with dark energy that will release an army of the world’s worst nightmares into the streets of Gotham City! This one-shot also answers the question: Where are the Metal Men? And who is the latest addition to the team?

Time has finally caught up with the Challengers of the Unknown. The world seems to have passed them by, and they are now relics, curious artifacts and faded celebrities. All that changes when their fabled mountaintop headquarters blows up and the quartet suddenly find themselves on trial for their lives. So begins the most audacious case of their careers. This graphic novel is the first creative pairing of writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale, whose highly regarded partnership would give way to legendary works including BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, SUPERMAN: FOR ALL SEASONS and CATWOMAN: WHEN IN ROME. Collects CHALLENGERS OF THE UNKNOWN #1-8.

Four years before Jack Kirby and Stan Lee created Marvel's Fantastic Four, there was another adventurous foursome co-created by Kirby that set forth to challenge the unknown.