Duke Danton

Duke Danton
Name	{{{name}}}
Age	{{{age}}}
Homeworld	{{{homeworld}}}
Birth place	{{{birthplace}}}
Birth Name	{{{birthname}}}
Birth Date	{{{birthdate}}}
Callsign	{{{callsign}}}
Nickname	{{{nickname}}}
Introduced	Planet of the Slave Girls
Death
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Marital Status	{{{marital status}}}
Family Tree	View
Role	Pilot, Instructor at Defense Directorate
Species	{{{species}}}
Rank	Major
Serial Number	{{{serial}}}
Portrayed by	David Groh
Additional Information
Duke Danton in the separate continuity
Duke Danton in the primary continuity
[[Image:|200px|Duke Danton]]

The problem is you and Duke are too much alike. I mean, once you get to know him, he's not that bad. Come on, Buck, give him a chance.
I intend to. How long have you known him?
Since flight school.
You close?
[morosely] No. Not any more.
Was your moving up in rank part of the problem?
That was the least of it.
Care to elaborate?
No.
[getting the picture] Some things never change.

 — Col. Wilma Deering and William "Buck" Rogers discuss Maj. Duke Danton en route to Vistula, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century's "Awakening"

Maj. Duke Danton is an instructor and pilot in the Earth Defense Directorate in 2491 CE.

In his cadet years, Danton had been trained by Brigadier Gordon. Sometime later on, he and Wilma Deering were romantically involved, both early on in their careers at the Directorate. Due to Deering's relentless determination, the relationship dissolved and they kept their relationship strictly professional.

Achieving the rank of major in the Defense Directorate, he takes on the task of training new pilots in light of recent losses against the Draconian Empire, including Regis Saroyan, the son of Vistula's Earth-appointed governor, Tabor Saroyan. In 2491 CE, following the reanimation of William "Buck" Rogers by the Draconians, Deering and Rogers travel between Stargates as part of his introduction into the reality of the 25th century. It is on return from this exercise that Rogers and Deering come across Danton, and decide to intervene after Saroyan's Thunderfighter comes under attack by pirates, much to Danton's chagrin.

As hotshot pilots with many of the same qualities, Danton and Rogers clash with one another, culminating into "demonstrating" 20th century battle strategy via the use of various football plays—which results in damage to a pilot training room in New Chicago.

Unaffected by the sickness plaguing the Defense Directorate's pilot corps, Danton is assigned by Dr. Elias Huer to the honor guard conveying Saroyan back to Vistula, so that the Directorate may make use of the opportunity to investigate the source of the poisoned food discs.

Following Deering's abduction by Julio and Rogers' discovery of the source of the poison from Processing Plant 347, Rogers and Danton follow Deering into the Sea of Stone using Danton's Thunderfighter, while Maj. Fields returns to Earth with the discovery.

Danton's craft is forced to crash land after a power leech is used against it, with Rogers and Danton making their trek towards Kaleel's mountain stronghold, bonding and hashing out their differences en route.

Upon discovering a mass of Scorpion fighters, Danton absconds with one and flees Vistula at translight velocity to avoid the power leech, while Rogers goes after Deering. Bringing news of the attack squadron to Huer, Danton is astonished to know that the Earth's fighting forces are a small cadre of unaffected pilots, his former instructor Brigadier Gordon, and the duo of Twiki and Dr. Theopolis. With this force of only eight Thunderfighters, Danton's force makes haste back to Vistula to head off Kaleel's force before it launches.

Although too late to dispatch them while grounded, Danton's task force is bolstered by the arrival of Deering and Rogers in stolen Scorpions, and Rogers makes use of "sacking the quarterback" after Danton and his force are able to break the defensive line (BR25: "Planet of the Slave Girls").