September 21st, 1977 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

On the 16th of September, 1977, Glam Rock star Marc Bolan died in a car crash, aged just twenty nine.

Elsewhere, on the 20th, Europe was hit by The Petrozavodsk Phenomenon, in which a mystery aerial light show was reported, all the way from Copenhagen to Vladivostok.

It centred around the Russian city of Petrozavodsk where a glowing object reportedly showered the town with strange rays, causing concern in the rest of Europe that the Soviets were testing secret weaponry.

But the Soviet leadership didn't have a clue what had caused it and, to this day, it's still not known what lay behind it all.

Clearly it was a puzzle that demanded investigation from a man of my intellectual capacity.

But I couldn't investigate it.

I was too busy catching up with what the heroes of our two favourite comics were getting up to.

Oh what miracles humanity could have achieved by now if its finest minds hadn't been too busy reading comics.

At last we get the arrival of the Hitman, which I've been going on about for weeks.

If only I could remember anything that happens from this point on.

Elsewhere, I believe the Human Torch is still having trouble coming to terms with the fact that Crystal's engaged to Quicksilver, while Captain Britain's still having trouble with Doctor Claw, and the Avengers are having trouble beating up the various members of Zodiac.

I believe this is the tale in which Zodiac launch the World's mightiest super-team into space, in a shed. I can't help feeling that's a fate that lacks a certain dignity.

The cover of this issue is drawn by Larry Leiber. The Captain Britain tale is written by Larry Leiber. Truly, Larry was the Marvel UK Renaissance Man.

I don't know what goes on in this one. Is the Hulk still on the rampage, following the death of Jarella?

If so, this storyline genuinely seems to have dragged on for months. Were Marvel UK reprinting the story at a rate of only one page per week or something?