April 1st, 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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Here in Blighty, we've just, this week, turned our clocks forward for the summer but, on this day in 1981, the Russians were doing it for the very first time.

Yes. Incredible as it may seem, it wasn't until then that daylight-saving time was first introduced in the Soviet Union.

I have no word on whether the Russians have spent every change of the clocks, since then, complaining that the whole thing should be scrapped, as happens every single year in Britain.

I like to imagine they have, as it'd be nice to think that, even in the depths of the Cold War, there were some things that united us all.

Mere days before that, in the UK, the first London Marathon began, with a whopping total of 7,500 runners.

In the world of politics, the week also saw the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan who was shot in the chest by John Hinckley Jr in a perfectly logical attempt to impress Jodie Foster.

Rather less dramatically, the world of UK politics also experienced a historic event, as that week saw the launch of the Social Democratic Party, thanks to Labour Party defectors Shirley Williams, Bill Rodgers, Roy Jenkins, and David Owen. Jodie Foster's view of that is not known.

A brand new comic smashes its way into your local newsagents, featuring the characters whose presence totally failed to save the weeklies they were previously in. Having failed before, can they triumph this time?

I cannot say but I do know this issue features a whole 17 pages of Thor, suggesting the other strips may find themselves a little squeezed.

I also know that cover's by Alan Davis and may, possibly, be his first work for Marvel UK.

Thor, by the way, is up against the return of the Stone Men from Saturn, and their deadly weapon the Gravitron.

The Fantastic Four, meanwhile, are battling those space parasites that revert their hosts to the form of their prehistoric ancestors.

Sadly, I can shed no light upon what Dr Strange is up to.

It's bad news for the White Tiger when Gideon Mace and his men pump him so full of holes you could use him as a tea strainer.

My information on the rest of this issue's sparse but, if the cover's to be believed, the other strips feature the Hulk, Wonder Man and Hercules.

I would assume the Hulk tale's still the one where he's in Siberia, having to combat the renewed peril of the Presence and Red Guardian while the Soviet Super-Soldiers get in everyone's way.

It's a thrilling day for us all, as Captain America manages to make the cover of his own comic.

This time, he's up against the return of Joe from the final days of Steve Ditko's Spider-Man. A man so destabilised by the death of his son that he goes on a super-powered rampage.

The Dazzler's having serious problems with the Enchantress. But not to worry, because Spider-Man, the Avengers, Fantastic Four and X-Men are all on hand to help her!

I can't help feeling that's a slightly overcrowded story. Is there actually any room in it for the main character?

I would assume the Defenders are still in Asgard, trying to thwart the deadly schemes of Hela.

And I would also suspect Tony Stark's out to solve the mystery of why his armour's turned homicidal.

The contents of this one are none too clear to me.

I do know we get the origin of Baron Karza, which I know is something we've all been screaming out for.

From the looks of it, ROM's dealing with some sort of robot or other.

But what's occurring in the Star Trek strip, I couldn't say.

It's the issue where Rick Jones reveals to the world that Bruce Banner's the Hulk.

I've a feeling he does it because he thinks Bruce is dead.

Bruce, however, is not dead.

Rick probably will be, though, once Bruce gets his hands on him.

It's the big one! Conan meets Elric!

Is this the tale that sees the return of Zukala and his famous daughter, or am I thinking of a totally different adventure?

The Mad Thinker's latest android's on the loose.

And nothing can stop it!

Not even Sue waving her arms around!

Fortunately, the Fantastic Four don't have to stop it. They just need to dump it in the Negative Zone and let the people there worry about it.

So, that's exactly what they do.

Doesn't it reappear, several years later, armed with a beard, the Cosmic Control Rod and a dramatic increase in size?

The Sandman makes his grip-defying debut.

And is promptly defeated by a vacuum cleaner.

Fair play to Sandy. Most people would give up on trying to be a super-villain after a setback like that but not him. He still goes on to have a lengthy career in crime.

We also get the tale that features the second-ever appearance of the Green Goblin. The one where he and the Human Torch gatecrash Flash Thompson's inaugural meeting of the Spider-Man Fan Club, endangering everyone present.

I do believe both tales feature Spider-Man refusing to fight that issue's foe, due to concern for the welfare of Aunt May, leading to everyone assuming he's a coward.

This month's issue boasts a cover that's an odd amalgamation of work by Neal Adams and John Romita; two artists whose styles are not exactly natural bedfellows.

Other than Dracula being in it, I would struggle to say what happens inside this book.

It's time for yet more sobbing, self-recrimination and lesson-learning, as love destroys yet more innocent lives.

I do believe Captain America's been captured by some Germans who put him on a rocket. No doubt, with the intention of firing him at somewhere he'll do maximum damage, such as France or London.

I also believe Iron Man's about to have his first-ever encounter with the Mandarin.

When it comes to the cover story, I have childhood memories of Thor escaping his concrete prison by summoning Asgardian pixies to give him a belt of strength, which seems a bit of a cheat. I mean, even I could be a super-hero if Asgardian pixies gave me a belt of strength.

With one mighty bound, Star Heroes pocket book becomes The X-Men pocket book.

And it looks like the titanic teens have their hands full with the return of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

Not only that but they have to face it, even though Professor X has lost the use of his powers!

Doctor Who Monthly says goodbye to Tom Baker, now that a fall from a radio telescope's left him a changed man.

We also get a look back at his companions, an article about his final story Logopolis and an interview with the show's producer John Nathan-Turner.

We also get a picture of a Zygon on the front cover, which is easily my favourite monster design in Doctor Who history.

You really don't know how much I wish I were covered in suckers.

This month, we're treated to a re-telling of the origin of the Punisher.

You know, the one that bears a remarkable resemblance to the plot of Death Wish?

Some might start to wonder whether the massacre of Frank Castle's family ever happened or whether he saw the film and, in his mentally unbalanced state, somehow convinced himself it had happened to him.

Elsewhere, Blade seems to be laying siege to a house in Mayfair. One that's filled with vampires.

And I'm sure Night Raven's also being thrilling.

At last, after what seems an eternity, The Hour of the Dragon finally reaches its senses-shattering conclusion.

Even though I've read the Robert E Howard original, I've no recollection of how it actually ends. I shall, therefore, guess that it involves the slaying of a sorcerer and the rescuing of a beautiful woman. The stabbing of a monster may also be involved.

Don't ask me how I know these things. I must just have the gift of clairvoyance.

This week's Avengers tale sees the Beast in solo action against someone called the Manipulator - and Hank McCoy seems to be in a very bad mood.

He also gets into a fight with a knife-wielding villain called Perry who I suspect is not the Manipulator.

The Champions are after the Runestaff of Kamo Tharn in their bid to prevent the Stranger's out-of-control expandy-shrinky bomb from destroying the solar system.

And the original X-Men are up against the Creator. A villain I can't claim to have any knowledge of.

The cover boasts this is the, "New Look," Rampage Magazine, although I struggle to see in what way it looks any different from how it always has.

Regardless, Garokk and Zaladane are in danger of blowing-up not only the Savage Land but, also, the whole planet.

And only the X-Men (and, possibly, Sauron, Ka-Zar and Zabu) can stop them!

Elsewhere, the Thing and Nick Fury team-up to tackle Mentallo and the Fixer.

Even more elsewhere, Senor Muerte thinks he's put paid to Luke Cage.

I suspect Senor Muerte urgently needs to reappraise the situation.

My mastery of all Earth's languages tells me, "Senor Muerte," translates as, "Mr Death." The villain I remember mentioning in last month's summary.

Hooray! We can win 85 prizes in Starburst's Monster Club competition!

Not only that but we get an interview with Servalan herself, Jacqueline Pearce.

And a review of Superman II.

What more could we ask for?

We could ask for a feature on the 1931 Frankenstein movie.

And we get one.