Dan Dare

Real Name: Colonel Daniel MacGregor Dare

Identity/Class: Human technology user

Occupation: Officer in Space Fleet; Pilot

Affiliations: Digby; Sir Hubert Guest; Sondar, Professor Peabody

Enemies: The Mekon; Treens

Known Relatives: Ivor Dare (uncle)

Aliases: Pilot of the Future; Daan Durf (Dutch version of his name); 14th Viscount of Vickers, Lord Warden of the Sunk Ports, Hereditary Marshall of Snelgrove, Centurion of the British Legion (last 4 titles claimed when dealing with pompous alien who considered social ranking vitally important)

Base of Operations: Earth

First Appearance: Eagle #1 (Hulton Press, 14 February 1950 - 69); Lion (I.P.C., 1969-70), Eagle (1982-January 1994)

Powers/Abilities: Skilled pilot. Highly resourceful.

History: A senior officer in the Interplanet Space Fleet, Dan Dare fought to defend Earth from the evil Mekon of Venus.

Comments: I know, I know, I originally said I wouldn't include Dan Dare as he isn't really a superhero. So sue me. The 2000AD version (who is so different that I've given him a separate entry) qualifies as a superhero because of the Cosmic Claw. And since I'm including him I felt I should include the original.

Dan was sent on his missions by Sir Hubert Guest. His batsman was Spaceman Class 1 Albert Digby.

Dan was created by Frank Hampson, who also drew him to begin with. Among the artists who later took up the job was Keith Watson, who worked on both the sixties version and the eighties one.

Thanks to Jim Croasdale for additional information on the artists for this character. Jim also recommends the following sites devoted to both Dan, his creator, and the Eagle comic in general:

http://www.dandare.org/dan/fh/bio.htm

http://www.dandare.org/

Peter Inns has another, very nice site on Dan Dare at www.dan-dare.net/ Among other things, it includes a comprehensive overview of the history of Dan and his many incarnations. And Steven Taylor has his Dan Dare, looking at Dan Dare and the Eagle from an international viewpoint.

Thanks to Steve Winders for informing me of the date of the final issue of Eagle Monthly (January 1994). Thanks to Theodoor Westerhof for the Dutch version of his name. Thanks to Martin Davis for informing me that Dare's ship was named after Aunt Anastasia, and to Bob Oldridge for clarifying that Anastasia was Digby's aunt, not Dan's.

CLARIFICATIONS: Not to be confused with

• Dan Dare, the 2000 A.D. incarnation

Any Additions/Corrections? Please let me know.

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