Axel first appeared in the strip "Three-Eyes McGurk and his Death Planet Commandos", serialized in four issues of the British rock music magazine Dark Star in 1979–1980.

[2] Skinn requested a female co-lead be added to the strip, leading to the creation of Mysta Mistralis a futuristic hit woman or "Laser Eraser".

[5] They repackaged the Warrior strips, along with other material from the magazine such as Zirk, Warpsmith and Ektryn, as a bi-monthly 6-issue colour mini-series called Axel Pressbutton, from November 1984 to July 1985.

[5] Eclipse then continued the series with new material written by "Henry" - also offering a free subscription to anyone who correctly guessed the writer's identity.

[10] Eclipse also produced the one-shot 3-D Laser Eraser and Pressbutton, featuring black-and-white stories treated in stereoscopy by Ray Zone.

Originally a mild-mannered and plant-loving florist, he took delivery of plant matter which included a sentient, telepathic, anesthetic, carnivorous fungus which attacked his body from the feet upwards.

When rebuilt as Pressbutton, he was fitted with a cleaver as a left arm and, because of his lack of genital equipment, an orgasm-inducing button on his chest clearly marked "Press".