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DP7 (comics)
Encyclopedia
D.P. 7 was a 32-issue comic book
series
published by Marvel Comics
as a part their New Universe
imprint
. It ran from 1986
to 1989
. Along with Justice
and Psi-Force
, it was one of the few New Universe titles to last for 32 issues.
The title stands for Displaced Paranormals and refers to the seven main characters of the series (who never referred to themselves by this name). All of them received superhuman powers as a result of the stellar phenomenon known as the White Event
.
, the Clinic director who acquired the power to absorb and magnify anyone else's powers for his own use.
Therapy Group C fights off the Clinic staff and the paranormal Hackbarth who can manipulate others' nervous systems. They escape into the night and over the next year (twelve issues; unlike most comics, a year in the New Universe equalled a year in our own), the paranormals adjust to life with their powers. Scuzz runs away at one point; he and everyone else is eventually apprehended by bounty hunters and returned to the Clinic. O'Brien and Landers, the last two to arrive, find their friends have been behavior-modified to not remember their escape or the Clinic's ulterior motives. O'Brien and Landers defeat Voight and he disappears from the Clinic, although he later reappears to run for President
in 1988. He uses his powers to win the election, but subsequently loses his power after a battle with a more powerful paranormal.
Without Voigt and his senior staff (the aforementioned Hackbarth is in a coma, memory manipulator Charne was choked to death by an Antibody, and telecognitive
Speck was shot) to surreptitiously maintain order, paranormals at the Clinic soon form their own special interest groups/gangs (one is composed of Clinic teenagers, one of African Americans, etc.). The potential for major disaster is soon fulfilled, and law enforcement soon comes in to shut the Clinic down, killing many of the patients in the process. By this time, most of the reformed Therapy Group C (along with a few other residents of the Clinic) left to find Walters, who had run to Pittsburgh where his family had been caught in a major disaster. Except for Scuzz, the Displaced Paranormals begin to work with the government after all male paranormals are drafted into the United States Army
after the destruction of Pittsburgh, believed to be caused by a nuclear weapon (though actually caused by another attempt to relinquish the Star Brand). Female paranormals become highly-sought-after assets for other agencies like the CIA. With the exception of Walters, who continues in the Army, the other paranormals either go AWOL or leave the CIA and many of them move into New York City
trying to live normal lives, in the face of the public leeriness of Paranormals.
While in the city, some ongoing romances play out, while other Paranormals decide to become part of a superhero
team.
When the War is over, the Paranormals (that had not been cured) return to lives as normal as they can.
The main group grew to include several supporting characters by the end of the series:
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series
Ongoing series
The term "ongoing series" is used in contrast to limited series , a one shot , a graphic novel, or a trade paperback...
published by Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
as a part their New Universe
New Universe
The New Universe is a comic book imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was created by Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin, Eliot R. Brown, John Morelli, Mark Gruenwald, Tom DeFalco and edited by Michael Higgins.In 1986, in honor of Marvel Comics'...
imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
. It ran from 1986
1986 in comics
-Year overall:* Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, a four-issue limited series written and drawn by Frank Miller and published by DC Comics, debuts...
to 1989
1989 in comics
-Year overall:* "Inferno" company-wide Marvel Comics crossover continues, involving the mutant titles The Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, The New Mutants, and Excalibur, as well as the X-Terminators limited series and various other Marvel titles...
. Along with Justice
Justice (New Universe)
Justice is a character from the New Universe imprint of Marvel Comics, the protagonist of a 32-issue comic book series of the same name published from 1986 to 1989. The title was notable for featuring the early work of Peter David and Lee Weeks as well as rare 1980s Marvel work from Keith Giffen...
and Psi-Force
Psi-Force
Psi-Force was a thirty-two-issue comic book series published by Marvel Comics under their New Universe imprint from 1986 to 1989. Along with D.P...
, it was one of the few New Universe titles to last for 32 issues.
The title stands for Displaced Paranormals and refers to the seven main characters of the series (who never referred to themselves by this name). All of them received superhuman powers as a result of the stellar phenomenon known as the White Event
White Event
The White Event was a fictional occurrence which played a key role in Marvel Comics' New Universe line.-New Universe:The White Event was the name given to a mysterious blinding flash of light which bathed the Earth on July 22, 1986, at 4:22am EST...
.
Plot synopsis
Randy O'Brien first encounters David Landers when he's wheeled into the hospital in incredible pain. Landers rages until two dark arms spring from O'Brien's torso that restrain him long enough for O'Brien to give Landers a tranquilizer that renders him unconscious. The two compare their experiences, and O'Brien reads a classified ad for the Clinic for Paranormal Research, a facility designed to help individuals who've acquired strange abilities. Through his Antibody (see above), he relays the information to Landers and they travel to the Clinic under assumed names. They are at first convinced of the Clinic staff's sincerity and are enrolled into Therapy Group C, where they meet Walters, Beck, Cuzinski, Harrington, and Fenzl. Late one night, O'Brien's antibody intrudes on the Clinic staff, at least four of whom are paranormals themselves, and learn the Clinic has plans to make an army out of them, to be led by Philip Nolan VoigtPhilip Nolan Voigt
Philip Nolan Voigt is a fictional character from Marvel Comics New Universe, first appearing in D.P. 7 #1 in 1986.- Fictional character biography :...
, the Clinic director who acquired the power to absorb and magnify anyone else's powers for his own use.
Therapy Group C fights off the Clinic staff and the paranormal Hackbarth who can manipulate others' nervous systems. They escape into the night and over the next year (twelve issues; unlike most comics, a year in the New Universe equalled a year in our own), the paranormals adjust to life with their powers. Scuzz runs away at one point; he and everyone else is eventually apprehended by bounty hunters and returned to the Clinic. O'Brien and Landers, the last two to arrive, find their friends have been behavior-modified to not remember their escape or the Clinic's ulterior motives. O'Brien and Landers defeat Voight and he disappears from the Clinic, although he later reappears to run for President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in 1988. He uses his powers to win the election, but subsequently loses his power after a battle with a more powerful paranormal.
Without Voigt and his senior staff (the aforementioned Hackbarth is in a coma, memory manipulator Charne was choked to death by an Antibody, and telecognitive
Extra-sensory perception
Extrasensory perception involves reception of information not gained through the recognized physical senses but sensed with the mind. The term was coined by Frederic Myers, and adopted by Duke University psychologist J. B. Rhine to denote psychic abilities such as telepathy, clairaudience, and...
Speck was shot) to surreptitiously maintain order, paranormals at the Clinic soon form their own special interest groups/gangs (one is composed of Clinic teenagers, one of African Americans, etc.). The potential for major disaster is soon fulfilled, and law enforcement soon comes in to shut the Clinic down, killing many of the patients in the process. By this time, most of the reformed Therapy Group C (along with a few other residents of the Clinic) left to find Walters, who had run to Pittsburgh where his family had been caught in a major disaster. Except for Scuzz, the Displaced Paranormals begin to work with the government after all male paranormals are drafted into the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
after the destruction of Pittsburgh, believed to be caused by a nuclear weapon (though actually caused by another attempt to relinquish the Star Brand). Female paranormals become highly-sought-after assets for other agencies like the CIA. With the exception of Walters, who continues in the Army, the other paranormals either go AWOL or leave the CIA and many of them move into New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
trying to live normal lives, in the face of the public leeriness of Paranormals.
While in the city, some ongoing romances play out, while other Paranormals decide to become part of a superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
team.
When the War is over, the Paranormals (that had not been cured) return to lives as normal as they can.
Main characters
- Randy O'BrienRandy O'BrienAntibody is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Pre-White Event:Randy O’Brien was born in DePere, Wisconsin, in February 1958....
, nicknamed Antibody, was a medical resident who could project from his body a dark figure of himself (also called an "antibody", a word playWord playWord play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
on the medical termAntibodyAn antibody, also known as an immunoglobulin, is a large Y-shaped protein used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses. The antibody recognizes a unique part of the foreign target, termed an antigen...
) that flew, could become intangible, and transfer its host's (O'Brien's) memories to another person by physical contact; antibodies could also share their experiences with O'Brien upon returning to his body. At the beginning of the series, O'Brien could only project and within limits control one of these entities. After the original was destroyed, five antibodies manifested themselves and gradually developed their own personalities. Later he developed even more antibodies, as well as the ability to "wear" an antibody like a bodysuit, granting him most of the antibody's powers (except for intangibility) and effectively disguising himself as one of his "swarm" of antibodies. Shortly before the series ended, O'Brien became trapped inside the "skin" of an antibody when he was hit by Pitt-Juice. The antibodies he subsequently created were much smaller, only a few inches tall. The CaucasianCaucasian raceThe term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
O'Brien and the African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Charlotte Beck had an off-and-on romantic attraction, but Randy's upbringing instilled a sort of aversive racismAversive racism-Background:Aversive Racism is a theory proposed by Samuel L. Gaertner & John F. Dovidio based on the idea that evaluations of racial/ethnic minorities are characterized by a persistent avoiding of any interaction whatsoever with that of other racial and ethnic groups, As opposed to old-fashioned...
in him that left him uncomfortable with the idea of a relationship with a black woman; later, when he became an antibody himself, the somewhat shallow Beck did not want to date him because of his altered appearance. - David LandersMastodon (New Universe)Mastodon is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Early life and the Clinic:Dave Landers was born on September 21, 1952 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin...
, nicknamed Mastodon, was a cheese factory worker who became stronger as new muscles grew into his body, an effect that caused him great pain. He had a crush on Stephanie, but felt that a relationship between then would be hopeless. He was drafted into the militaryThe Draft (comics)The Draft was a comic book in Marvel's New Universe imprint, detailing the aftermath of the reintroduction of the draft following the destruction of Pittsburgh. The Draft was put into effect on January 28, 1988, and its unstated purpose was to establish a fighting force of soldiers with paranormal...
, but went AWOL. - Jeff WaltersBlur (New Universe)Blur is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Early life and the Clinic:...
, nicknamed Blur, was a fast food restaurant manager whose body vibrated so fast that he could not stand still. He required vast amounts of foodFoodFood is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
for his accelerated metabolism and could also move at superhuman speed. He was drafted into the Army's Paranormal PlatoonThe Draft (comics)The Draft was a comic book in Marvel's New Universe imprint, detailing the aftermath of the reintroduction of the draft following the destruction of Pittsburgh. The Draft was put into effect on January 28, 1988, and its unstated purpose was to establish a fighting force of soldiers with paranormal...
and participated in The WarThe War (comics)The War was a four-issue comic book mini-series, published by Marvel Comics. The final publication in Marvel's New Universe line, it resolved a number of unfinished plotlines and radically changed the New Universe setting.-The Platoon:...
. - Charlotte "Charly" BeckFriction (comics)Friction is a fictional character appearing in the comic books published by Marvel Comics. She first appeared in D.P.7 #1, which was published under Marvel's New Universe imprint.-Early life:...
, nicknamed Friction, was a dance student who acquired the power to make herself, anything she touched, and any other object she thought about within a limited range frictionFrictionFriction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
-free enough to make the object or person slide effortlessly. Over time, Beck learned to make her power object-specific or to increase friction to stick things together, and during The DraftThe Draft (comics)The Draft was a comic book in Marvel's New Universe imprint, detailing the aftermath of the reintroduction of the draft following the destruction of Pittsburgh. The Draft was put into effect on January 28, 1988, and its unstated purpose was to establish a fighting force of soldiers with paranormal...
became a special CIACentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
operative, but her program was discontinued. - Dennis "Scuzz" CuzinskiScuzz (comics)Dennis "Scuzz" Cuzinski is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Pre-White Event:...
was a teenage dropoutDropping outDropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
who produced a corrosiveCorrosiveA corrosive substance is one that will destroy or irreversibly damage another surface or substance with which it comes into contact. The main hazards to people include damage to the eyes, the skin, and the tissue under the skin; inhalation or ingestion of a corrosive substance can damage the...
substance from his skin, which he himself was immune to. He could increase his skin's production of the chemical, to the point of burning through a steel plate in ten seconds, but could not stop it, turning anything he wore into a tattered ruin within days and affecting other objects such as bedsheets and furniture that he came in regular contact with. He learned to form his chemical-laden saliva with his skin secretion into "gobs" or "spitballs" that he could throw, and was later able to further increase production of the substance temporarily when angry or excited, making his body so caustic that it could incinerate flammable material on contact. By the end of D.P. 7, he became a member of the Cult of the White Event, which believed that paranormal powers were a gift from God, and attempted to stop the Cure, another paranormal who'd acquired the power to remove others' paranormalities. The others stopped Scuzz from killing the Cure, but not without Scuzz succeeding in severely burning the Cure's hands through which his power had to be projected. As a result of the failed attempt, Scuzz became powerless, but was still accepted by the Cult because of the circumstances of his power loss. - Stephanie HarringtonStephanie HarringtonGlitter is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. She first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Pre-White Event:Stephanie Ann Harrington was born Stephanie Lindquist in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in May 1956...
, initially nicknamed Viva but later known as Glitter, was a housewife and mother of three who had the power to heal and energize others by physical contact. The use of this power was accompanied by the appearance of twinkling stars and when not used internalized itself to make Harrington superhumanly strong. She eventually became divorceDivorceDivorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
d from her husband who had placed her in the Clinic and was recruited into the CIA during The Draft. Her husband agreed to take her back, but only because he secretly wanted her to cure him of HIVHIVHuman immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
. - Lenore FenzlTwilight (New Universe)Twilight is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. She first appears in D.P.7 #1.-Early life and the Clinic:...
, nicknamed Twilight, was a retired Latin teacher whose body constantly produced "fatigueFatigue (physical)Fatigue is a state of awareness describing a range of afflictions, usually associated with physical and/or mental weakness, though varying from a general state of lethargy to a specific work-induced burning sensation within one's muscles...
-poison inducing bioluminescenceBioluminescenceBioluminescence is the production and emission of light by a living organism. Its name is a hybrid word, originating from the Greek bios for "living" and the Latin lumen "light". Bioluminescence is a naturally occurring form of chemiluminescence where energy is released by a chemical reaction in...
" that could paralyzeParalysisParalysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
and render unconscious individuals exposed to it. The amount of time would depend on how long one was exposed, and individuals with accelerated metabolisms like Walters would slow to normal speed. Fenzl's power required her to remain covered over her entire body at all times, and she later discovered that exposing others to her bioluminescence renewed her youth and vitality. After leaving the Clinic for the second time she became a special CIA agent during The Draft. She was killed some time later on a mission.
The main group grew to include several supporting characters by the end of the series:
- Miriam Sorenson, nicknamed Sponge, could absorb moisture from the air and release it as pressurized streams of water. She had an unrequited crush on Dave Landers, forming a love triangle. She was cured of her condition by the Cure, a paranormal who could restore others to normal.
- George MullaneyMutator (comics)Mutator is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. He first appears in D.P.7 #1, although he was only identified retroactively. He is first called by name in DP7 #17.-The Clinic and The Pitt:...
, nicknamed Mutator, changed form every 48 hours; thus, his appearance was often in a state of flux as he slowly altered from one mutation to another. His often repellant animal forms led most other residents of the Clinic to shun him, but he was always eager to prove himself. He was eventually cured of his parability by The Cure. - Jenny SwensenJenny Swensen (comics)Jennifer Ann "Jenny" Swensen, also known as Spitfire or Chrome, is a fictional paranormal in the Marvel Comics imprint New Universe. She first appears in Spitfire and the Troubleshooters #1...
of Codename: SpitfireSpitfire (New Universe)Spitfire and the Troubleshooters was a short-lived comic book series from Marvel Comics' New Universe line. It followed "Spitfire" and a group of brilliant but eccentric college students as they used various high-tech exoskeletons to combat crime Spitfire and the Troubleshooters (renamed to...
crossed over to D.P.7 when the former series was cancelled. Exposure to toxic sludge from The Pitt mutated her body and gave her metallic skin and enhanced strength. She was recruited to the CIA along with the other women, and later moved with them to New York. Known as Chrome, she became a sidekick to the telekinetic Captain Manhattan, one of the few costumed superheroSuperheroA superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
es in the New Universe, whom she fell in love with. Though she seemed on the verge of having the Cure remove her powers at the end of the series, it was later revealed in the pages of QuasarQuasar (comics)Quasar is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the . He is one of Marvel's cosmic heroes, a character whose adventures frequently take him into outer space or other dimensions...
that she chose to keep her powers.
Parodies and references
- In Avengers West Coast #65 (Dec 1990), D.P.7 illustrator Paul Ryan drew a splash page featuring Wonder ManWonder ManWonder Man is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, he first appeared in The Avengers #9 .-Publication history:Wonder Man debuted in the superhero-team title The Avengers #9 Wonder...
in a graveyard amongst several D.P. 7 members gravestones.
- In QuasarQuasarA quasi-stellar radio source is a very energetic and distant active galactic nucleus. Quasars are extremely luminous and were first identified as being high redshift sources of electromagnetic energy, including radio waves and visible light, that were point-like, similar to stars, rather than...
#31, part of the main Marvel Universe, Quasar travels to the New Universe and meets the D.P.7. survivors, and makes it back to his normal universeMarvel UniverseThe Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
by acquiring the Star Brand Power, which disappears when he returns. At the end of the issue, one of Randy O'Brien's Antibodies appears out of Quasar's cape. This issue was written by Mark Gruenwald, who also wrote D.P.7.
Collections
- D.P. 7 Classic Volume 1 Trade Paperback
Contains material originally published in magazine form as D.P. 7 #1 - 9. First Printing: August 2007. ISBN 0-7851-2859-X.
Writers
- Mark GruenwaldMark GruenwaldMark E. Gruenwald was an American comic book writer, editor, and occasional penciler. Gruenwald got his start in comics fandom, publishing his own fanzine, Omniverse, which explored the concept of continuity...
- D.P. 7 #1-32 (November 1986-June 1989); D.P. 7 Annual #1 (1987)
Art
- Paul RyanPaul Ryan (comics)Paul Ryan Paul Ryan Paul Ryan ((born 23 September 1949 in Massachusetts) is an American comic book and comic strip artist. Ryan has worked extensively for Marvel Comics and DC Comics on a number of super-hero comics. He currently pencils and inks the daily and Sunday comic strip The Phantom for...
- D.P. 7 #1-32 (November 1986-June 1989) - Lee WeeksLee WeeksLee Weeks is an American comic book artist, known for his work on such books as Daredevil.-Career:Weeks made his professional comics debut in the 1980s, penciling, inking, and lettering a short story in Tales of Terror #5, a horror anthology published by Eclipse Comics...
- D.P. 7 Annual #1 (1987)