Comic Book Resources - Rick Veitch has the answer to "The Question"

"The Charlton line of super-heroes, which saw its heyday in the late '50s and in to the '60s, play an important role in the history of the comics industry. The company boasted talent like Denny O'Neill, Joe Staton, Steve Ditko and Pat Boyette among many with characters like Blue Beetle, Captain Atom and The Question. In 1983 the characters were sold to DC Comics and in 1986 Charlton closed up shop for good, but that sale ensured that the characters would live on for a long time.

In 1985, when DC Comics launched the mini-series 'Crisis on Infinite Earths,' the various Charlton heroes were merged into the DC Universe. And in Alan Moore's proposal for the groundbreaking series 'The Watchmen,' the Charlton heroes were originally to be the stars of the series." (more at link)

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