Dan Dare to celebrate their 20th anniversary, "2000 AD" published two issues with additional free comics, the first a reprint of the first issue of "2000 AD", which starred Dan Dare. The second free comic was a speculative issue called "3000 AD" which contained strips partially based on the first issue of "2000 AD". One strip was entitled "The Return of Dan Dare", which also featured the return of the Mekon. In 1982 "Eagle" was re-launched, with "Dan Dare" again its flagship strip. The new character was the great-great-great-grandson of the original hero—the only surviving character from the original strip being the
Dan Dare new supporting cast, who remained with the series throughout the rest of its run. Spacecraft of various designs were presented as the product of inhabitants of various planets. The vehicle most identified with Dan was the winged "Anastasia". Designed by Sondar, it employed both Venusian and Earth space drives. Later, an alien ship was adopted and renamed the "Zyl-bat". There was also an experimental time-travelling ship called "Tempus Frangit" (Latin: "it breaks time" or "time breaks"). There were land and air vehicles – in the first stories, cars conform to styling of the time, while some flying machines were based