April 7th 1982 - 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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Rock operas. I'm not a big fan. All that singing without speaking tends to wear me down.

Nevertheless, on this evening in 1982, I girded up my loins and sat down to watch Jesus Christ Superstar which was being shown on BBC One.

I think I lasted fifteen minutes.

In fairness, that's about as far as I've ever made it into any rock opera.

Well, Jesus may have been ruling supreme on television but, over on the UK album chart, it was a whole other kettle of fish.

And that fish was Satan.

It's true. By a coincidence surely too chilling to be coincidence, crashing straight in at Number One on that week's chart was Iron Maiden's The Number of The Beast which dethroned Barbra Streisand's Love Songs to prove it's far better to reign in the Hit Parade than it is to serve in Heaven.

There was no change, meanwhile, on the British singles chart, with the Goombay Dance Band's Seven Tears retaining the crown it had now held for several weeks. However, it was facing a strong challenge from that week's Number Two, Bucks Fizz's latest smash
My Camera Never Lies.

Could the Fizz do it? Could they, in the next few weeks, make the final push to achieve their third Number One in the space of a year?

Information about this one's hard to unearth but it's clear Hawkeye features in some way.

I would assume it's in his capacity as an Avenger and I'm going to make a guess that this is that one in which the team finds itself battling a rock monster that's rampaging through New York.

A rock monster that turns out to be the Grey Gargoyle, encased in stone after his latest jaunt into space.

Not only do we get that, we also get more from Captain Britain and Night Raven.

But hold your horses. What's this? It seems we also get a mystery strip.

But what can it be?

I don't know. That's probably why it's described as a mystery.

The magazine dedicated to the most rebellious Time Lord of them all takes a look at the brand new serials Black Orchid, Earthshock and Time-Flight. Two of which are classics. The third of which definitely isn't.

But hold your space horses. We're also presented with a look at the Target Books that kept us entertained in the days long before home video was invented.

Strangely, the feature's billed as an interview with Target Books. I'm not totally sure how you interview a bunch of books but there you go. It's Doctor Who and, in Doctor Who, all kinds of strange things can happen.

Deep in the swamps of the Everglades, the Man-Thing encounters the Mad Viking.

It's a summary that vaguely rings a bell for me, leading me to conclude it's a tale that's previously appeared in Marvel UK's Planet of the Apes comic.

Is that Del Tarrant on the cover?

If so, things aren't looking too good for him,

Hopefully, things are looking better for Blake actor Gareth Thomas who's interviewed inside.

We're also supplied with a comic strip called The Flying Bomb, as drawn by Ian Kennedy.

Looking at that cover, I think I actually owned a copy of this one. In which case, it was the first British Spider-Man weekly I'd read since about 1980.

So, obviously, I remember exactly what's in it.

Well, not really but I do know it features eight pages of glorious colour and we can win five Spidey View Masters! At last, we can see our hero in the stereoscopic vision he deserves!

Also, there's action with the Black Cat.

The Hulk's second issue hits a newsagents near you and it would appear its star's still battling the Evil Inhumans in that Central American country that's being mind-controlled by a giant hypno-robot.

But, just as the battle reaches its zenith, Thunderbolt Ross and his men show up.

Whose side will the Hulk take? Whose?

Elsewhere, we have the chance to become a Marvel artist, to meet Lou Ferrigno and to get our hands on a free poster of the Hulk attacking the good Inhumans.

Judging by the cover blurb, I suspect we're also getting part 2 of the tale which details what would have happened had Wolverine killed the Hulk during their first encounter.

It's bad news for the FF. Barely have they started their latest holiday than they find themselves up against the Creature from the Black Lagoon Monster from the Lost Lagoon. Although, as far as I can remember, the story doesn't feature an actual lost lagoon.

Happily, it all turns out to be a misunderstanding and they and the monster - and his wife - part on good terms.

I'm not too sure what occurs in this month's issue but I do know we get a tale called The Cobra Crown and another titled The Wizard and Red Sonja Show.

Either that or we get a tale called The Cobra Crown and the Wizard and a tale called Red Sonja Show.

I'm not sure either of those options makes any great sense.

But I'm sure it's all great.

We're also treated to more of Robert E Howard's poetry.

And the back cover is once again offering bullets for sale as lucky pendants.

Marvel Madhouse continues in its marvellously mirthful manner. This time, with help from Howard the Duck.

It's good news for all fans of Alan Moore. For we get a new tale from him that goes by the name The Dark Lord's Conscience.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that tale's about Darth Vader.

Other than that, I can reveal little of what transpires within it but I do know it features characters called Lady Dhol and Clat.

Because even that couldn't possibly satisfy us, we also have the chance to win a Star Wars watch.

I wouldn't have thought a Star Wars watch would be much use, as it would always insist it's a long long time ago.

The Lizard is back!

And the whole world had better watch out!

I do believe this tale features the first appearance of Curt Connors' alter-ego since his debut, back in the very earliest days of Spider-Man's career.

In retrospect, it does seem baffling that it took almost forty issues for such a classic villain to return.

What's this? A brand new mag? And one that actually looks intriguing? If not very Marvelly?

Once inside, we encounter the adventures of Tigra and Frankenstein and, it would appear, a poster of An American Werewolf in London.

We also discover an article dedicated to the work of Willis O'Brien, reviews of the latest monster movies, and a retrospective upon the career of Peter Cushing.

As far as I can make out, this is the last-ever issue of Cap's mag which has managed a creditable 59 issues before biting the bullet.

Does it go out in style?

I couldn't possibly say but I do know Cap's elderly neighbour is still out to kill an old Nazi acquaintance and that Iron Man's in the process of re-encountering Madam Masque, following a lengthy separation.

I can cast little light on what Thor's up to. I think it might involve a priest who's suffering a loss of religious faith until an actual god - in the form of Thor - shows up.

This book, too, gives us the chance to win five Spidey View Masters.

It looks to me like the X-Men are still battling Moira McTaggart's out-of-control son Proteus who, I think, is out to kill his politician father.

Sadly, I know nothing of what else happens in this issue.

In this exciting issue, Jean's hanging around with two men called Ralph and Ted. Presumably, not the Ralph and Ted from The Fast Show.

Tragically, Ralph, who used to work for Tony Stark, puts on his newly-built Cobalt Man armour and then goes completely mad.

He then wrecks his lab and heads off to kill Tony Stark.

This sounds like a job for the X-Men.

Worzel's back.

And the cover promises us lots of fun.

I've no doubts at all that it will keep that promise.

Britain's favourite sci-fi mag is back for its 44th issue.

Of course, some of us can remember when it was called Opal Fruits Magazine. 

And it returns in style with a look at Halloween II - in colour!

Also, we get coverage of Creepshow and Suspiria.

Plus, there's an interview with Wes Craven of Scream, Nightmare on Elm Street and The Hills Have Eyes fame, even though, at the time of this magazine coming out, he's only famous for one of those, as he hasn't yet made the other two.

This issue, it appears, also tells us that Ghost Story is high on stars and low on suspense.

Not that I know what Ghost Story is.

I'm guessing it involves ghosts.

And a story.

In a shocking development, I've managed to find a copy of the cover to an issue of Scooby-Doo and his TV friends! I feel like I deserve an award.

On top of the usual features, we also get the chance to build ourselves a haunted house by cutting various pieces out of the comic and glueing them together.