The DNAgents

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The DNAgents is a comic book series created by writer Mark Evanier and artist Will Meugniot. It was published by Eclipse Comics from 1983 to 1985 and ran 24 issues. The series follows a team of genetically engineered superheroes created by the Matrix Corporation to act as enforcers for the company’s head. The main members are Amber, Rainbow, Sham, Surge, and Tank.

The creators chose Eclipse over Marvel and DC to keep TV and merchandising rights. Their agent, Mike Friedrich, pitched the project to five publishers, and Eclipse offered creative freedom and a strong promotion plan, so the book was published by Eclipse. The first run appeared from March 1983 to July 1985. After issue 14, Meugniot moved on to other projects. Guest artists included Richard Howell, Dan Spiegle, Jerry Ordway, and Mitch Schauer, with Dave Stevens doing the final issue cover.

The series was relaunched as The New DNAgents with a new #1, and Mitch Schauer remained a key artist. The price started at 75 cents and moved to 95 cents from issue 7 due to sales considerations. The New DNAgents lasted 17 issues and featured guest art from Chuck Patton, Mike Sekowsky, and Rick Hoberg; Erik Larsen became the regular artist for the last five issues, one of his first paid assignments.

There were spin-offs: Crossfire (26 issues, 1984–1988), Surge and Crossfire and Rainbow (a 4-issue mini-series), and the stereoscopy one-shot Three Dimensional DNAgents. In 1994, Antarctic Press released a single-issue retelling of their story, originally made to pitch TV. The DNAgents also made a brief cameo in Savage Dragon during a wedding. Reprints appeared in 2004 from About Comics, and in 2006 Image Comics collected them as DNAgents Volume 1.