February 27th, 1980 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

Do you remember the British Rock and Pop Awards?

I do.

Admittedly, I remember them as being the original incarnation of the BRIT Awards before their name got shortened to its current form. However, in a shock revelation, heavy research has told me there was no connection at all between the two ceremonies and that the pair of them co-existed for several years, one broadcast on the BBC and the other on ITV.

All of which brings us to this night in 1980, when the second-ever British Rock and Pop Awards took place.

Information about them is difficult to find but I can reveal that, amongst those handing out trophies were the Barron Knights, Kate Bush, Marianne Faithfull, Andy Gibb and Leo Sayer. I know that, if I were an international superstar, I'd love to receive an award from the Barron Knights.

Details of the winners are sketchy but it's known the main recipients that evening were Kate Bush, Paul McCartney, Gary Numan, the Police and Jerry Dammers of the Specials.

Those people were all basking in the glow of triumph but, over on the UK singles chart, there was only one winner, that week. And that was Blondie, the band who ascended to claim the Number One slot, with Atomic.

Over on the LP chart, a far more venerable act was stealing centre stage, as the Shadows claimed the top spot with their collection of covers A String of Hits.

I must confess I know nothing of this week's contents.

I'm certain there's a Star Wars story in it and I assume there's a tale of the Watcher and yet more thrills and spills from Deathlok, as he continues trying to find whoever it is he's trying to find.

Happily, I know far more about this comic's contents.

In the main story, The Star Beast, the Doctor's about to be on the receiving end of surgery from a bunch of aliens who want to hide a bomb in his stomach. God alone knows how they got a license to practise medicine.

We also get an article looking back at the careers of some of the Doctor's deadliest monsters, including the Cybermen.

Elsewhere, we get more of Marvel's adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, a text adaptation of the insane William Hartnell serial The Chase and more from Abslom Daak: Dalek Killer.

And it's another one whose contents are a mystery to me.

I don't even know what the Spidey story is this week, other than that it contains the multi-armed menace of Dr Octopus.

Personally, I don't recall any Doc Ock tales from this period and, so, I can't even say what the villain's up to. Is the gallivanting gastropod going to be making yet another attempt to marry Aunt May?

Who can know?

In this issue's main story, the Fantastic Four are gearing up for their first-ever encounter with the Hulk in a tale from so early in the Marvel era that they're not even convinced the monster really exists.

The Black Knight's still helping elves fight the forces of evil. That's Elves, not Elvis. I would personally pay good money to watch the Black Knight help Elvis battle the forces of evil.

Elsewhere, the Beast clashes with Iron Man - and, thanks to the brain-bending machinations of Mastermind, thinks he's killed him!

In his own strip, the Hulk's crash-landed in somewhere or other, for the start of yet another tale.

And the Defenders are still trying to rescue Jack Norriss from Scorpio, all while trying to avoid being killed by the Hulk, after having done everything they can to get the brute fighting-mad.