Whoa nelly, that was stressful.

Season 9, Episode 8: "The Gauntlet" plunged the artists into a frenzied three-part challenge that had them creating victims of extreme heat or cold, applying paint to existing creature prosthetics and -- in the doozy of them all -- creating not one but three characters in one of three categories: Witches & Warlocks, Angels and Goblins.

We're not sure who had the harder time getting through this one without having a heart attack: us or the artists!

1. Here's Meg, best representing the entire collective upon hearing of this newfangled thing called "The Gauntlet."
   
   
   
    
2. After completing this three-part endurance test, Evan sums up the entire experience nicely here.
   
   
   
    
3. Jasmine, too.
   
   
   
    
4. By Stage 3, the artists were so exhausted that they started making questionable artistic decisions. Here's Meg, entranced by some unknown force as her model waits patiently for the rest of the makeup job (or at least some clothes) ...
   
   
   
    
5. ... a state of confusion that led to this unfortunate third eye on the forehead.
   
   
   
    
6. The episode also featured some of the most surreal imagery on Face Off to date. Here's McKenzie on the set of The Stepford Models.
   
   
   
    
7. And here's a goblin pimp.
   
   

Whew.

See you next week for Season 9, Episode 9: "Judgment Day."