| Publisher: | Marvel UK |
| Debut: | Gene Dogs #1 (October 1993) |
| Creators: | John Freeman Dave Taylor |
| Type: | Counter-terrorism squad |
| Organization: | y |
| Base: | S.T.O.R.M. headquarters (North Wales) |
| Employees: | Cat Howitzer Kestrel Pacer Panther Tyr |
| Cat: | military organizations |
| Subcat: | Marvel Comics |
| Sortkey: | Gene Dogs |
Gene Dogs are fictional characters appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, particularly in the Marvel UK imprint. Originally members of an elite counter-terrorism squad known as Team Omega, five dying soldiers become the Gene Dogs after an experimental medical process saves their lives by modifying their DNA, a process which also grants them superhuman abilities. After their transformation, the squad continue to work as a team, now employed by a secret new European defense organization, S.T.O.R.M.
The characters first appeared in Gene Dogs #1 (Oct. 1993), the first part of a four-issue limited series that was promoted as part of Marvel UK's "Gene Pool" event. The Gene Dogs were created by John Freeman and Dave Taylor.
Along with Gun Runner and Genetix, Gene Dogs was one of three limited series launched together under the 'Gene Pool' banner and "linked by a common thread - genetic mutation".[1] As part of this promotion, the first issue of each series was shipped polybagged with collectable "Gene Cards" profiling the characters.
Like the other Marvel UK titles of the time, the Gene Dogs series was set in the shared Marvel Universe and used Marvel UK's villainous Mys-Tech corporation as an important part of its plot. Gene Dogs also briefly crossed over with Genetix, with the Genetix team guest-starring in Gene Dogs #2 (Nov. 1993) and the Gene Dogs later appearing in Genetix.
Writer John Freeman has since commented that Gene Dogs was "intended to be a British X-Men"[2]
The soldiers who would come to be called the Gene Dogs were originally part of an elite counter-terrorist squad called Team Omega. During a mission in the Congo, they were attacked by an unknown creature and infected with a deadly virus. In order to save their lives, they were spliced with animal DNA, as well as receiving bio-wetware chips in the cerebral cortex to enhance their abilities.
The Gene Dogs consist of: