February 18th, 1981 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon.

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There comes a time in every man's life when he must revisit the scene of a tragedy.

Today is that day because it was forty years ago this week that Joe Dolce hit the Number One spot on the UK singles chart, thanks to his record Shaddup You Face.

This, of course, means I'm legally obliged to mention that it kept Ultravox's Vienna from the top of the chart, a feat it replicated for week after week after week, plunging a whole generation into despair at the iniquity of the world.

If a whole generation - and Midge Ure - were devastated, there was no such disappointment for Phil Collins. His album Face Value ascended to supremacy on the British album chart, even as all that was going on.

Just as I shall now smoothly ascend down this page to see what our fave UK books were up to, there and then.

Common sense might lead one to assume this issue features the Thor vs Hulk battle I recently covered in the Hulk's US mag.

But it isn't. It's a reprint of the venerable Lee/Kirby Thor/Hulk battle that's supposed to have taken place, offscreen, during a very early Avengers tale.

Needless to say, that battle proved as inconclusive as all the others.

I believe we also get the start of the Spidey story in which a gang of crooks seeks to kidnap the publisher of The Globe.

Perhaps more significantly, it's also, as far as I'm aware, the tale which gives us our first encounter with Madame Webb.

The Mad Thinker's become aware of the existence of ROM and decided that, because he's clearly an android, that means he must be made to serve the villain.

Meanwhile, in space, the Enterprise is under attack from a Klingon vessel. And it can't retaliate because Mr Spock's a prisoner in that very vehicle.

The Micronauts are up to something or other that involves SHIELD.

And lucky Adam Warlock gets to meet presidential candidate Rex Carpenter. But that's overshadowed by the need to stop Apollo who's sabotaging a rocket launch, thanks to his flying submarine.

Ms Marvel and her new costume make the front cover, as the Kree-powered clobberer comes up against a bunch of reptile people.

The Watcher's still asking us what would have happened if Sue Storm had married the Sub-Mariner.

Elsewhere, Spider-Man and Luke Cage are about to tackle the Rat-Pack after that gang's evil attack on a disco.

But not before Cage has to rescue the unconscious wallcrawler from a fire caused by those dastardly dunderheads.

I don't have a clue what Captain Universe is up to.

Hooray! Tactical genius Devil Dinosaur sees-off the space aliens who've invaded his prehistoric kingdom, by setting a bunch of giant ants on them.

In the not-quite-as-distant past, Conan's still in what's now Africa and about to come up against a pig demon in that Roy Thomas written tale which manages to mention skin colour in almost every panel.

Dr Strange and Nighthawk discover the thief who's been plaguing Kyle Richmond's research facility is none other than Death-Stalker who they both seem to recognise on sight.

Have either of them met him before? Up until now, I'd always assumed only Daredevil had ever encountered him and that the villain's existence wasn't exactly publicised.

Elsewhere, Warriors of the Shadow Realm gives us more pixie adventure.

And, finally, Thor and Ulik unite to tackle the gigantic being from another realm, known only as Trogg.