August 2nd, 1978 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

Little of any interest was happening in the world in this week of forty years ago. Therefore, I shall cut to the chase, climb atop the the cliff of Now and gracefully leap from it, into the swimming pool of History.

As always, I have no memory at all of the main story.

However, I do know that, in the back-up strips, Star-Lord's involved in the tale of a, "Hollow Crown," and, amazingly, the Tales of the Watcher story Run, Roco, Run is still going. Marvel UK have now managed to make a ten page story last for three issues.

Will they be able to make it last for four?

Tune in at the same time next week to find out.

The tale itself would appear to involve a convict trying to escape in a spaceship that has no provision for the presence of a pilot. Just how will this dramatic tale end?

I don't have a clue but, given that he's a criminal and these things are always morality tales, I suspect it won't end happily for him.

The dreaded blurb, "Star of the TV series," makes its Hulktastic debut.

I understand that it was a valuable marketing tool at a time when Marvel UK was under some pressure, sales-wise but I could never help feeling that its presence seriously damaged the comic's credibility as a work of art.

As for the activities within, I would assume the FF are still out to prevent Galactus eating Counter-Earth.

I do know for certain that this issue features a Don Heck drawn Daredevil tale in which Kraven's hired by a mystery man to get rid of the man without fear.

Meanwhile, in The Invaders, we get the origin of the Destroyer.

No, not that one - or the other one. This is the Golden Age one, with the stripey tights, and the skull drawn on his stomach, who likes to give the Nazis a hard time.

It turns out he's an Englishman who got his powers by drinking yet another version of the super-soldier serum. What with Master Man and Warrior Woman getting their powers by the same method in the Invaders' last adventure, I'm starting to wonder if there was anyone involved in World War II who didn't manage to get their hands on that serum.

Wasn't Shadows in Zamboula a Robert E Howard tale? If it was, was it the one with the dodgy innkeeper and the cannibals?

If it is, I can't say I remember much about it beyond that but I do recall the title, so it must have been at least to some degree memorable.

I genuinely can reveal nothing of the contents of this issue, other than that it clearly features Bart Hamilton's fake Green Goblin.

You wouldn't know it from the cover but this issue features a clash between the Hulk and the original X-Men in a tale drawn by Walt Simonson and Alfredo Alcala, which sounds like a quite remarkable combination of artistic talents. Does Alcala's infamously heavy inking totally drown out Simonson's distinctive pencilling, or does the team-up prove to be an epic combination?

I have no idea.

If you have, feel free to say so.

As for the plot, needless to say, the Krylorians are behind it all.