Challenger (comics)

William Waring

Former law student William "Bill" Waring, having traveled around the world to learn skills needed to avenge his father's murder for turning state's evidence over to the district attorney, dons a green costume with a full face mask to become the World War II superhero the Challenger.

Through unexplained circumstances, the Challenger "bounced forward" in time to the present day, finding himself without assets, having been presumed dead, and inquiring of the law firm Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway about reversing his will. The firm puts him in contact with the superhero Captain America, who had found himself in a future era due to suspended animation, for advice and assistance.^[2] He later becomes part of the federal government's Fifty State Initiative of superhero teams, joining the Montana group, Freedom Force.^[3][4]

Demon version

The Challenger is a demon that works as an agent for Mephisto. He was dispatched by Mephisto to drag Ghost Rider to Hell. At the time when Ghost Rider and Daimon Hellstrom were exorcising Legion from the body of Katy Milner, Challenger appeared and challenged Ghost Rider to a deadly race for the fate of Katy. Though he defeated Ghost Rider, Challenger was hit by Ghost Rider's hellfire attack where the spell that caused Katy Milner to be the cursed form of Roxanne Simpson to be broken.^[5]

Peter Parker

At the time when the Avengers and the New Avengers got displaced in the World War II era and collaborated with the Invaders, Peter Parker sported a green costume and took up the alias of the Challenger when fighting Red Skull and the Nazis.^[6]

Elder of the Universe

An earlier member of the Elders of the Universe originally went by the name of Grandmaster until he lost it in a contest against En Dwi Gast whom he shared a gaming hobby with. This Elder was banished to the void of nothingness until the end of time. After the Multiverse was recreated following the end of the "Secret Wars" storyline, the Elder returned and took up the name of Challenger where he challenged Grandmaster to a rematch.^[7]

With Earth was the battleground, Challenger reassembled the Black Order to the point where he resurrected Black Dwarf, Corvus Glaive, Proxima Midnight, and restored Supergiant as a psychic projection. Challenger puts them up against Grandmaster's incarnation of the Lethal Legion.^[8] One of the challenges involved gathering the Pyramoids that are in different locations.^[9]

When it came to the final round, Challenger had an ace up his sleeve in the form of a resurrected Hulk.^[10] When Hulk destroyed the Pyramoid that was in Voyager's possession at the Avengers Auxiliary Headquarters, it cost the Challenger the victory he needed. Though they both heard Voyager's confession to the Avengers for her involvement with Grandmaster. Before Grandmaster can offer him a rematch, Challenger apparently disintegrated him and made plans to destroy Earth under the alias of Grandmaster Prime. He fought off Falcon, Hulk, Rogue, and Wonder Man until Voyager arrived with an army of Avengers to fight Challenger. Voyager's morale boost and power augmentation from Scarlet Witch enabled Challenger to be defeated. Voyager then took Challenger back to the Far Shore and shackled him to observe the Avengers' subsequent adventures where Voyager hopes that they can inspire him like they did with her. Challenger agreed to watch the Avengers until the day he is able to break free.^[11]