ClanDestine #1

History

British writer-artist Alan Davis conceived the ClanDestine as a vehicle for a brand-new group of characters unburdened by decades of continuity, expressly because he wanted creative freedom while still being able to draw on established Marvel figures for supporting texture. Davis debuted the family in a short strip in Marvel Comics Presents #158 (cover-dated July 1994) before launching the solo monthly that October, writing and penciling both himself with inker Mark Farmer — his long-time artistic collaborator — and colorist Sophie Heath on the first issue. The series was edited by Paul Neary under Editor-in-Chief Tom DeFalco; Davis handled both scripting and art for the first eight issues before departing, after which writer Glenn Dakin and other artists completed the remaining four issues before cancellation.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First issue of the ongoing solo series for the Destine family, cover-dated October 1994 (released August 16, 1994); the characters had debuted earlier that same year in Marvel Comics Presents #158 (July 1994).
• Entirely written and penciled by Alan Davis, with inks by Mark Farmer, colors by Sophie Heath, and lettering by Patricia Prentice — making it one of the rare mainstream Marvel books where a single creator controlled both script and art from the outset.
• Serves as the chronological first appearance of the Clan Destine as a team, along with individual first appearances of Adam Destine, Walter Destine, Rory Destine (the Crimson Crusader), Pandora Destine (Imp), Cuckoo/Kay Cera, Albert Destine, and Flo Destine within the ongoing series.
• The story 'Family Reunion Part 1: Apparently Unrelated Events' opens the four-part arc in which scattered Destine family members are hunted by mysterious forces seeking an entity called the Gryphon, with cameos from MODOK, A.I.M., and the Silver Surfer woven into the main-universe fabric.
• The issue was published with two cover variants: a standard cover with a yellow-and-green background and a gold foil variant — both featuring identical interior art by Davis and Farmer.
• The series title is a deliberate pun on the word 'clandestine,' reflecting the family's centuries-long effort to hide their powers and identities from the world; the name 'ClanDestine' is used as a series title and external label, not as something the characters call themselves within the stories.
• The issue has been reprinted multiple times internationally, including in Marvel Magazine (Marvel Italia, 1995), a Spanish-language edition by Planeta DeAgostini (1995), the French anthology Titans (Semic, 1996), and the 1997 ClanDestine vs. The X-Men collection, as well as the 2009 Spanish Marvel Gold: Clandestine Classic (Panini España).
• In anticipation of the 2008 five-issue ClanDestine limited series by Davis, Marvel collected ClanDestine #1–8 together with Marvel Comics Presents #158 and X-Men & ClanDestine #1–2 in the Clandestine Classic Premiere hardcover, cementing issue #1 as the anchor of the canonical Davis run.

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Variants (1)