DP 7


D.P. 7 was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics as part of its New Universe imprint. It ran for 32 issues and an Annual, which were published from 1986 to 1989.
The title stands for Displaced Paranormals and refers to the seven main characters of the series. All of them received superhuman powers as a result of the stellar phenomenon known as the White Event.
D.P. 7 was the only New Universe series to maintain a stable creative team during its first year: its entire run was written by Mark Gruenwald, penciled by Paul Ryan, and colored by Paul Becton. Inker Danny Bulanadi and letterer Janice Chiang also stayed with D.P. 7 through to the final issue.

Publication history

Eager for the chance to work on "a virgin universe", writer Mark Gruenwald signed on to the New Universe staff and developed D.P. 7, shocking many readers who saw Gruenwald as strictly associated with the Marvel Universe. In an effort to set the series apart from other team books, Gruenwald wrote an analysis of 14 superhero groups in categories such as age makeup, origin, purpose, and budget, and deliberately constructed the group to differ from these 14 established groups in every category. He originally wanted the series to be called "Missing Persons", with a lineup consisting of Antibody, the Blur, Man Power, Quicksand, Twilight, and Vice Versa. Of these six, only the Blur and Twilight were included in the finalized lineup, though the name "Antibody" was used for a completely different character and the character Vice Versa served as a minor villain of the series. Gruenwald also changed the name to "M.P. 7 ", before Jack Morelli suggested D.P. 7. Gruenwald explained, "I wanted the book to have a real punk - new wave - name."
At the time that he conceived the "Missing Persons" skeleton concept, Gruenwald was working on the final issues of the Squadron Supreme limited series with penciler Paul Ryan. He invited Ryan to work with him on the New Universe series; Ryan, being intrigued by the New Universe concept and having no prospects lined up after the end of Squadron Supreme, agreed. He later recounted his experience working on the series: "Mark absolutely believed in the New Universe and especially the cast of D.P. 7. We talked about them as if they were people we knew and cared about. We brought many of our real-life experiences, both positive and negative, to the series. We loved our characters."
Despite the creators' enthusiasm, the series met with mixed reactions from readers. Many criticized the fact that though the New Universe lineup was supposed to take place in real time, the first 13 issues of D.P. 7 cover less than half a year in New Universe time. The remaining 19 issues were widely criticized for the way the series branched off into an increasing number of unrelated plotlines and an almost overwhelming large cast, and Gruenwald himself admitted at the time that "D.P. 7 really hasn't been seven guys for a while, and certainly not the original seven." The lack of a central plotline stemmed from the fact that Gruenwald did not plot the series more than one issue in advance. Praise for D.P. 7 tended to center on its compelling characters, particularly mainstays Randy O'Brien and David Landers.
D.P. 7 was canceled in June 1989 along with the rest of the New Universe line. The creators' interest in the characters remained, and in Quasar #31, Gruenwald has Quasar travel to the New Universe, thus allowing the D.P. 7 cast to guest-star in the issue. Ryan claims that he and Gruenwald had discussed doing a D.P. 7 limited series or graphic novel, but Gruenwald died before he was able to finish the plot.

Plot synopsis

Randy O'Brien first encounters David Landers when he is 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 have acquired strange abilities. 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 Voigt, the Clinic director.
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 few months, the paranormals adjust to life with their powers. They are eventually apprehended by bounty hunters and returned to the Clinic. O'Brien and Landers, the last two to arrive, find that their friends have been behavior-modified to not remember their escape or the Clinic's ulterior motives. O'Brien and Landers defeat Voigt and he disappears from the Clinic. although he later reappears to successfully run for President of the United States in 1988.
Without Voigt and his senior staff to surreptitiously maintain order, paranormals at the Clinic soon form their own special interest groups/gangs. The potential for disaster is soon fulfilled, and law enforcement 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 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. 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 return to lives that are as normal as they can be.

Main characters

The series grew to include several additional protagonists:

Exiles

Due to the multiverse traveling Exiles chasing Proteus, the team recruited D.P.7 just as they left the clinic along with Starbrand, Nightmask and Justice. In the following battle, Proteus took over the body of Justice and fled their universe and the Exiles followed, leaving the team behind, but now aware of other paranormals.

Parodies and references

Writers