May 5th 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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Do you ever feel like life's a tug of war?

What with one thing and another, it's a tug of war?

And do you ever want to see Barry Manilow fail?

If so, you were very happy, this week in 1982 because Paul McCartney's LP of that name had just smashed straight in at Number One on the UK album chart, deposing Barry Manilow's latest album, in the process.

It was good news for the McCartney family on the singles chart too, as his and Stevie Wonder's Ebony and Ivory retained its top spot, even in the face of a challenge from the England World Cup Squad - who were at Number Two, thanks to their song This Time (We'll Get It Right).

Reader, having seen that World Cup, I can exclusively reveal that, that time, they did not get it right.

Hold on to your Gamma Guns because this issue gives us the chance to win a Hulk View-Master!

I'm suspecting it relates to the TV version of the character, rather than the comic book one but who can know?

In other news, that's quite an appealing cover by Jerry Paris, an artist I couldn't claim to be familiar with.

Inside, Spider-Man has to team up with Thor when a fish-based monster from outer space interrupts a surgical operation that Peter Parker's taking photos of.

Given that the opening features surgery, and Thor gets involved in events, I'm going to assume Don Blake's one of the people performing the operation.

The Avengers are still battling a rocky monster from space who turns out to be the Grey Gargoyle in a stony cocoon of his own making.

You wouldn't have thought the world's mightiest super-team would have much trouble with the villain but I'm sure they'll somehow contrive to have plenty.

In the pages of Captain Britain, Brian and Jackdaw find themselves kidnapped by strange aliens.

And, in a not totally likely move, Gullivar Jones, Warrior of Mars, joins the book's lineup, thanks to a George Perez drawn tale reprinted from Monsters Unleashed #8.

The most TARDISy magazine in the universe gives us its view of both Kinda and Four to Doomsday.

Kinda is, of course, a classic. Sadly, I've no memory at all of Four to Doomsday. So, I'm assuming it's probably not a classic.

On top of that, we get an interview with Janet Fielding, and a look at Doctor Who in the comics during the Jon Pertwee era. I'm going to assume, therefore, that TV Action is going to get a mention.

Marvel UK's newest mag hits its second issue and does so, it seems, with the return of Frankenstein's monster.

If the cover's any guide, it would appear this edition reprints Doug Moench and Val Mayerik's Always a Monster from the pages of Monsters Unleashed #6. The one in which our hero's original brain's returned to his body. Where it's been in the meantime, I wouldn't even want to speculate.

We also get a look at vampires from stage and screen, and Steve Moore looks at the history of vampire legends.

The mag dedicated to the galaxy's most nihilistic sci-fi show returns, and it offers us a journey into the unknown.

So, for once, I don't have to apologise for not knowing what's in a publication, as the whole point of it is that it's a journey into the unknown.

But what really matters is it would appear that Avon actor Paul Darrow writes for us.

What he writes, I cannot even speculate upon. Is he the writer of this issue's advertised picture story? Or has he, instead, written some sort of article? I suspect we may have to buy the thing if we wish to find out.

Mere weeks after he last fought them, the Hulk's up against the Fantastic Four again.

I don't know much about the contents of this week's issue but I suspect the Stranger may be involved.

My memories of this tale are always vague but I think Torchie decides to storm Attilan, in order to get Crystal back. And, of course, the rest of the FF have to go chasing after him.

Whatever the details, I'm sure it's a matter of mere pages before Maximus launches yet another takeover bid.

But that's not the only story in town. We also get the final part of the epic in which Doctor Doom's acquired the Silver Surfer's powers and is using them to menace humanity.

It would appear this issue continues the adaptation of L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter's Conan the Buccaneer, otherwise known as Quest for the Cobra Crown.

Beyond that, we get Fred Blosser's look at the history of the Kozaks, and a poem Robert E Howard once wrote about Solomon Kane.

It's time to panic, as Howard the Duck meets the deadly Space Turnip.

For those for whom even that's not enough, we also discover what happens when Baron Von Doomstein builds Frankenstein's Monster.

Sadly, I can shed little light upon the contents of this one but I do know that, as seemingly always, we can win a Star Wars watch.

Spider-Man encounters his deadliest foe yet. The Shocker. A villain so awesome he can only be defeated by gluing his thumbs together.

How can our hero possibly hope to defeat such a menace?

Well, probably by gluing his thumbs together.

The X-Men may be the official stars of the book but it's Ben Grimm who makes the front cover.

And it looks like he's joined by the Impossible Man.

Which may turn out to be handy, as our hero finds himself under attack by Alicia's statues.

Unless, of course, it's Impy who's behind the attacks.

For the X-Men, the battle with Prometheus is finally over but a whole heap of other trouble's about to break out, thanks to the Hellfire Club and their plan to recruit brand new character Kitty Pryde to their cause.

As for Iron Fist, he's in the process of discovering the Big Apple is rotten to the core.

It's the one we've all been waiting for, as Dracula takes on Werewolf by Night!

As far as I can remember, it all kicks off when Jack and Topaz visit Transylvania to investigate his past - and end up entering Drac's Castle!

The X-Men must endure the Juggernaut's latest attack when they find themselves heading Into the Crimson Cosmos!

It's more scarecrow-based fun from Marvel UK.

And we get a chance to win a Worzel lunchbox!

There's been talk, lately, on this blog, of DC's tendency towards crucifixion covers in the early 1970s but here we have an example from Marvel UK, a decade later.

It's true. Britain's greatest sci-fi mag takes a look at the film Arnold Schwarzenegger was born to star in.

We also get coverage of Mad Max 2, Alligator, Swamp Thing, the Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Return of Captain Invincible.

I'd probably be excited about that last one, except I don't have a clue who Captain Invincible is.

I shall check with Wikipedia to find out.

I've now found out. It's an Australian movie starring Alan Arkin and Christopher Lee. It's about a super-hero who's forced into retirement when he's accused of being a communist. It grossed $55,110 at the Australian box office, against a budget of $7 million.

Hanna Barbera's Scooby-Doo and His T.V. Friends hits its mighty eleventh issue.

And I don't have a clue what it looks like or what's in it. I guarantee, though, that it's packed with cartoony goodness.