21

Superboy

"Hyper-Tension!": Epilogue. Until this issue, it was thought a mere typo that June Robbins was accidentally named June Walker in Kirby's Challengers 1, 2, and 3.  Karl Kesel has worked both Junes into the DCU.  Learn more about the Challengers at
http://www.challengersoftheunknown.com

Continued from 64... Metropolis, in the Planet Krypton restaurant. Mr. Carter, the owner, closes the restaurant for renovations. Just in time. The Hypershuttle smashes through the roof! Superboy breaks free. "We made it!" The Challengers crawl out: Ace, Prof, and June. Here to meet them is Rocky, flown in specially! Their reunion is marred: Red was lost in Hypertime. And June is not June Robbins, but June Walker! Somehow she got switched with an alternate. THIS June has been a full-time Challenger since meeting Ultivac (Showcase 7), not a "mascot". Since Prof has Metron's knowledge of Hypertime, and a piece of hyperium, and the Challengers are "living on borrowed hypertime", they vow to reenter Hypertime to rescue Red. Mr. Carter offers the sub-basement as a "Hypertime Headquarters", because he's actually the cyborg Rip Hunter! The Challengers invite Superboy to join the team as a "death-cheater." Thanks, but Superboy has to go, since Cadmus is trying to replace him right now! At Cadmus, dozens of heroes are gathered. Captain Marvel Jr. The Creeper. Young Justice. Sparx. Flamebird. The Odd Man. Steel. And others come to replace Superboy or meet him or just hang out. Colonel Winterborne and Mickey Cannon host a sort-of tryout, but things get out of hand. Hero Hotline gets miffed. Damage is passed over. The Gadget Guru wants to disassemble the Metal Men. Green Lantern reports Superboy is still MIA. Heat Wave, trying to reform, exposes Hawk and Dove as Punch and Julee! They grab a hostage - and get clobbered by Superboy. He's back! Tryouts are over. Heat Wave gets a "second chance" to be Superboy's backup. And Dubbilex gets haunted by the Gene-Gnome. Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman come to collect and debrief Superboy about his Hypertime adventure. And Mickey Cannon says, "I'll never think of Superboy as a 'kid' again!"

Letterer: Comicraft; Inker: Dan Davis; Penciller: Tom Grummett; Writer: Karl Kesel; Colorer: Buzz Setzer;