Challengers of the Unknown #69 (On Sale: June 3, 1969) has a cover by Joe Kubert; Neal Adams is taking a break from the Challs for a month. This cover is nice and dramatic. I could see Adams utilizing this layout effectively as well.The feature-length Challengers story "The Secret of Skull Mountain" is by Denny O'Neil and Jack Sparling. The Challengers are summoned to Stark Mountain to investigate a strange murder, in which the main suspect is dead. The Challs are attacked by a huge man who, after defeating them, disappears into the forest. The team follows the man to a castle owned by Algernon Stark. They suspect that the giant is inside the castle.
Algernon Stark give them permission to search the castle. While doing so, Prof is possessed by evil impulses and tries to kill Rocky. When Prof fails, the rest of the team realize that he has been trying unsuccessfully to kill each of them. A scream sends the team running to find Corinna Stark, who is being attacked by the giant man.
Corinna explains that the monster is actually a robot created by her father in hopes of unlocking the secrets of immortality. Prof is shot, nobly sacrificing himself to save the team. Using her father's laboratory, Corinna places Prof's body into cryogenic storage. Then, as the cover portends, she offers to join the Challengers of the Unknown as Prof's replacement. .
Edited by Murray Boltinoff.
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I was very fond of the Challs at this point, and I don't think Prof actually died, but he did become injured, so Corinna came in as a temporary replacement. DC had recently reprinted the very first Challengers story (by Kirby), and this was kind of an attempt to revisit their roots, even going so far as to revive the purple jump suits, albeit with a new stripe down the sides.
Characterization was completely different from what Arnold Drake had established, but these last few issues were fun, as I recall.
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