DAN DARE 3 : THE ESCAPE
Virgin Games


COLONEL DAN DARE
PILOT OF THE FUTURE

Daniel MacCregor Dare, Colonel O.U.N. in the Interplanet Space
Fleet, began his adventures in the first issue of Eagle comic on the
14th April 1950. Almost a million schoolboys all over the British
Isles bought that first copy of the Eagle and Dan Dare became a
hero in the hearts of British boys. The legend had begun. The Eagle
comic was the creation of the Rev. Marcus Morris, and was
originally intender as a Christian comic, designed to offer an
innocuous alternative to the popular American-style comics of the
day. But it was the British cartoonist and illustrator, Frank
Hampson, who was to devise the dashing Dan Dare character -
famous for his lightning-jagged eyebrows and typically British stiff
upper lip. His adventures and those of his companions were to
inflame the imaginations of the nation's youth for years to come.

The publisher Edward Hulton helped Morris and Hampson launch
the ambitious new weekly comic for boys and Frank Hampson
acted as chief artist and designer. His career had been varied,
starting out as a telegraph boy for the Post Office. His first cartoon
was published in Meccano magazine, who then employed him as
their joke illustrator. He left Meccano in 1935 and, whilst pursuing
a career as a civil servant, he attended evening classes at the
Southport School of Arts. His first cartoon strips were for the Post
Office magazine, The Post. Resigning from the Post Office in 1938
he became a full-time art student. During the war he served as a
driver in the Royal Army Service Corps and was demobilised in
1946 with a grant to continue his art studies. By 1947 Frank was
illustrating The Anvil, a religious publication published by the Rev
Marcus Morris. It was then that they conceived the Eagle, the
most important landmark in post-war British comics.

Frank set up his own studio, employing artists, writers and models and,
for ten years, Dan Dare battled successfully against the 'terrible Treens'
and the 'malevolent Mekons', each week holding the fate of
mankind in his capable hands. From 1951-1955 Dan Dare's
adventures amongst the stars soared through the airwaves:
Horlicks sponsored a daily radio serial on Radio Luxembourg and
Dan Dare was played by the actor Noel Johnson, already famous
for his part as Dick Barton Secret Agent. In 1960 Hultons sold
out to Odhams Press and, although Hampson had not drawn Dan
Dare for some time, his style and influence remained and his work
was carried on by various artists who included Frank Bellamy,
Donald Harley, Desmond Walduck, Bruce Cornwall, Harold Johns
and Keith Watson, and by such writers as Alan Stranks, David
Motton and Eric Eden.

After the take-over Clifford Makins took over the editorship, and
printing changed from colour gravure to litho, Frank Hampson left the team,
and in 1962 Dan Dare was reduced to monochrome reproduction. In 1969 IPC
took over the Eagle but the comic was laid to rest on 26th April of the same
year and, although Dan Dare continued his intrepid adventures, re-
lettered and re-drawn from the originals in the Lion and Eagle
comic, by 1971 that too had gone.

Dan Dare enjoyed a revival in September 1973 when the Dan Dare Annual was
published and Red Moon Mystery and Safari in Space were printed from the
original comics in their entirety and in full colour. It was not until
1982 that the Eagle comic was properly re-launched with Dan
Dare continuing to play his important role of defending the
universe. Now you can enjoy Colonel Dare's intrepid adventures
amongst the stars not only from the printed page but in exciting
computer game form, thus opening another chapter in the history
of Colonel Daniel MacGregor Dare. The titles available are Dan
Dare - Pilot of the Future; Dan Dare II - The Mekon's Revenge; and
this latest game, Dan Dare III - The Escape. The story no doubt will
continue.



WHO'S WHO IN DAN DARE

DAN DARE
Colonel Daniel MacGregor Dare. OUN Interplanet Space Fleet.
Born: 5th February 1967, Manchester, England.
Education: Rossal, Cambridge and Harvard Universities.
Career: 1987 Class 3 Space Pilot. 1997 Chief
Pilot of the ISF Commendations: The Order of
the United Nations for leadership in the Venus
Expedition of 1996. Hobbies: cricket, fencing,
riding, painting and model-making.

SIR HUBERT (often referred to as 'Orrible Urbert')
This character was actually modelled on Hampson's father.
Marshal of Space Sir Hubert Gascoine Guest KCB, OM, OUN, DSO, DFC.
Born: 1943. Career: ex-RAF Controller of the Interplanet Space Fleet.
A member of the crew of the first manned rocket to the moon.
Commander under Admiral Grosvenor on the first expedition to Mars.
Although well over age for active service Sir Hubert accompanied the 1998
expedition to Venus. Hobbies: swimming, riding, chess, writing
technical history of fleet organisation and structure.

DIG (Dan's faithful companion and batman)
Spaceman Class 1 Albert Fitzwilliam Digby
Born: 1960, Wigan, England. Married with 4
children (3 girls, 1 boy). Hobbies: football, jigsaws, sleeping.

PROF Professor Jocelyn Mable Peabody
Born: Moreton, Glos. Careers: Honorary rank of Pilot/Captain.
Expert in nutrition, agriculture and botany. Attached to Venus
expedition 1996 in search of food. Hobbies: skiing, riding, netball.

HANK Pilot Captain Henry Brennan Hogan
Born: Houston, Texas. A brilliant pilot with
a distinct dislike for 'red tape'.
Hobbies: boxing, car racing, photography, baseball.

PIERRE Pilot/Major Pierre August Lafayette
A shrewd analytical mathematical officer from Dijon, France.
He is a close friend of Hank's.
Hobbies: gastronomy, three dimensional chess, fishing.


THE MEKON AND HIS MUTANTS

The fate of all mankind hangs in the balance. The Mekon menace
is back again determined to conquer and dominate the human
race. In doing so the evil Mekon has vowed to wreak his vengeance
upon his arch enemy, Colonel Dan Dare, To further his iniquitous
plans the Mekon is conducting a series of horrific genetic
experiments, attempting to mutate a variety of life-forms into an
army of Treen-like creatures, servile to the Mekon. The experiments
failed, the creatures were twisted and strange. What was needed
to advance the Mekon's ungodly experiments was a human subject, and
who better than the hated Colonel Dan Dare?

The Mekon issued his orders. A gigantic scientific satellite was rapidly
constructed. Manned by an army of loyal Treens, the satellite was set on
course for planet Earth. Many months passed before reaching the Earth's
orbit. Whilst their ship navigated the dark recesses of the universe, the
Mekon and his scientists continued their horrific experiments. But with
little success: no Treen-like beings were created and the weird mutant
creatures formed were left to wander, at will, the corridors of the
satellite.

On reaching the Earth's orbit a small army of Treens were dispatched to
capture the unsuspecting Dan Dare. Their mission was successful:
seizing the Colonel, the Treens transported their prize back to the
satellite where the pitiless Mekon and his team of cruel scientists
waited. But the Mekon had underestimated our hero. While the
scientists are preparing the lethal serum, Dan breaks free from
the operating table and, destroying his captors, escapes into a
store chamber next to the genetic experimentation unit. Searching
the chamber he discovers a jet-pack and sets off to explore the
maze of corridors and chambers of the vast satellite.

Luck is on the side of our brave colonel. Entering a large chamber he
finds an escape shuttle powerful enough to accomplish the return
journey to Earth, but the fuel tanks are empty. Dan calculates that
he will need exactly 50 pounds of high grade rocket fuel to
complete the journey home. Undaunted by this catastrophe, Dan
straps his jet-pack to his back and continues his search of the
Mekon's evil satellite ...


USING THE WEAPON SYSTEMS

During his exploration of the vast satellite Dan discovers the
Mekon's armoury. From the vast arsenal Dan chooses the very
latest plasma cannon. The cannon has three shot strengths,
indicated by the bar readout on the screen; a quick tap on the fire
button releases a low power belt of energy; holding the fire button
down until the bar readout reaches the mid-point in the display,
fires off a medium power blast; keeping the fire button depressed
until the bar readout reaches the limit of its travel unleashes a real
megablast of destructive power. You must master the cannon's
control system before embarking on the quest for Colonel Dare's
freedom - effective destruction of life-forms requires practice.
Also watch out for the recoil when you use the megablast option.

Remember that the more powerful the blast that you unleash from
the plasma cannon, the longer it takes to recharge. So, unless you
are well covered, or have just activated a smart bomb, you will
leave Dan Dare defenceless against the Mekon's mutants whilst
his cannon recharges. Colonel Dare is able to log on to the
terminal found in the start location and can buy some special
weapons. The weapon currently in use by the Colonel is displayed
in a window on the screen - to select one of the items that he is
carrying, press select until the item that you want appears in the
window. Then press the fire button to activate your choice, unless
of course it is fuel or money which is useful to have at hand.


MAKE GOOD YOUR ESCAPE

The start location, which is the satellite's store chamber, is the
only place where Dan can refuel his jet-pack, or buy weapons and
equipment; this is done by hacking into the Mekon's computerised
stock-keeping system. While Dan stands on the Mekon's computer
terminal, press select. This creates a menu of numbered items
that Dan can buy. By pressing the corresponding number on the
keyboard you can allow Dan to buy or use an item. Lives can be
purchased as well, but only in extreme need. Use lives wisely.

In order to escape from the Mekon's evil satellite, Dan Dare has to
collect 50 pounds of rocket fuel to power the escape shuttle for
its flight back to planet Earth. The Mekon has not underestimated
Dan Dare's abilities: before Dan Dare was kidnapped the Mekon
ordered the fuel store to be divided into five equal parts which were
then hidden in the five main chambers of the scientific satellite.
Dan has to search each of these chambers to discover the hidden
fuel; then Dan must find the Mekon and blast away at the evil
creature until the Mekon teleports back to his regeneration unit
to recuperate from the battle. As he leaves, the Mekon drops the
teleport key which Dan needs to teleport himself to the next
chamber. But beware, the evil Mekon has booby-trapped the key.
His intention is to blast our valiant hero into oblivion. Luckily for Dan
there is a critical design flaw in the timing mechanism of each key
which allows Dan three nanoseconds after he leaves the chamber
before the chamber - and everything in it - is destroyed. So there
is no real problem for Dan unless he has left the chamber without
collecting the fuel, in which case our intrepid hero will be stranded
aboard the satellite for eternity ... Time to hit the quit button and
start the game again.


TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Although brave and rugged, our hero, Colonel Dan Dare is not
superhuman. He is not indestructible. Contact with the Mekon's
malevolent mutants drains Dan's life force. Bumping into the walls
of the teleport tunnels that link the satellite's chambers damages
his space suit, reducing his life force. Keep a careful eye on the
quantity of ammo and bombs that you are carrying. Ammo can be
collected from certain places in the play area but bombs have to be
purchased via the terminal in the start location. Keep track of the
jet pack fuel remaining in the tank. If you run out of fuel Colonel Dan
is effectively stranded until he loses and life and is returned to the
start location.


CONTROLS:

Press 'CAPS' & 'SPACE' to abort a game.

Use joystick or keyboard control. Pull joystick down to SELECT.

Keys (redefinable): Q - Up, A - Down, O - Left, P - Right, M - Fire