April 22nd, 1981 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

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Have you ever wanted to steamroller your way across No Man's Land, acting like nothing's an obstacle?

If so, this night in 1981 was your kind of night. For it was the evening BBC Two gave us a documentary bearing the unlikely title Arrival of the Water Carrier for Mesopotamia which detailed the story of the invention of the tank and its initial deployment in World War One.

The title was, of course, a reference to the fact the secret of the tank's development was preserved by contemporary government documents referring to it as a water carrier for Mesopotamia.

I do remember watching that documentary. I'm pretty sure it features an anecdote about how the army top brass were unconvinced such a device had any practical use and decided to prove it by having it fight men on horseback, convinced the cavalry would win.

I think you can guess how well that battle went for the cavalry.

Fighting a rather less futile fight was Steve Davis who, this week in 1981, won the World Snooker Championship for the first time. He would go on to win the competition six times in total and, along the way, earn himself the nickname Steve "Interesting" Davis.

Surely, no man could want a finer nickname.

It's all go for Thor in his spaceborne search for Odin. First, he had to contend with the Stone Men from Saturn. Then, he had to thwart Sporr the giant amoeba. Now, he has to deal with the Grey Gargoyle who, by some means I'm not familiar with, is now in charge of a spaceship crewed by talking animals.

Whatever's going on, it can only be bad news for the thunderer.

I suspect, though, that it'll turn out to be even worse news for the Gargoyle.

Sadly, the activities of the Fantastic Four and Dr Strange, this issue, are not known to me.

This week sees the start of a brand new strip which goes by the name Dragon Lord. I'm not sure if I'm familiar with the strip but I suspect, from the title, that it's a Fantasy series, of the sort that wouldn't appeal to me.

Elsewhere, Spider-Man's up against The Smuggler who I think I remember being the original Power Man. It's a tale that leads Spidey to a restaurant on a Japanese ship, with the threat of deadly samurais showing up at any moment.

Meanwhile, in Russia, Professor Phobos is telling Bruce Banner the origin of the Soviet Super-Soldiers.

Iron Man may be on the cover but it's still Captain America's book and, in his tale, Cap's about to encounter Mr Hyde and Batroc's plot to blackmail New York, with the aid of an oil tanker.

Iron Man finally has his big confrontation with Justin Hammer who, earlier, took remote control of the golden Avenger's armour, in order to kill some foreign dignitary. An act that saw Shellhead accused of murder.

It would appear the Fantastic Four are in the Dazzler's strip. I don't know if this indicates the Enchantress storyline is still going.

Robot insects have kidnapped Mr Spock, in the hope he can help them see-off an attack by a bunch of threatening aliens. And, now, Kirk and his mates are out to rescue him.

This is the limit of my knowledge about this issue, other than that ROM, Conan and the Micronauts are in it.