On April 14th 1950 the first issue of a comic called 'Eagle' was published. It was in that first issue of Eagle that the British public were introduced to Dan Dare - Pilot of the Future. With his friend Digby, Colonel Daniel McGregor Dare has spawned a television series and a number of incarnations in the last six decades since he made his first appearance. 26th April 1969 saw the last of the Eagle but not the last of Dan Dare who eight years later on 26th February 1977 returned in the first issue of 2000AD.

The First Issue of Eagle

The Dan Dare story was meant to be the main attraction in 2000AD but after the appearance of the Judge Dredd story in issue two and its ensuing popularity,  Dan's time in 2000AD was limited. Less than two and half years after appearing in 2000AD the Dan Dare story disappeared from its pages.

Dan Dare like a phoenix rising from the ashes reappeared yet again in the re-launch of the 'Eagle' on 27th March 1982 some 33 years after the titles first appearance. The second series of Eagle was not a popular one and was a poor imitation of its first incarnation and the comic came to an end in January 1994.

Dan Dare lives on through the medium of television. 2002 saw the transmission of 'Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future' the television series which was a computer generated cartoon series.

In 2007 Virgin comics acquired the rights to produce new Dan Dare material and there is talk of a possible film.