June 2nd 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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How much do you like jangly guitars, miserable lyrics and gladioli?

If you love them plenty, you'd have been delighted, this week in 1982 because that was the precise moment at which The Smiths came into being.

Personally, I always preferred Suede but we'd have to wait several more years for them to show up.

Also coming into being, that week, was an enlarged version of NATO, as Spain became its 16th member. I have it on good authority the move wasn't prompted by the formation of The Smiths. However, it did make the Iberians the first people to join the alliance since the West Germans in 1955. Vladimir Putin must have been choking on his Vodka.

Meanwhile, over on the UK album chart, Roxy Music seized the Number One spot by dethroning Complete Madness, with their brand new LP Avalon.

Over on the associated singles chart, however, the nutty boys were still supreme, thanks to their ever-bouncy House of Fun.

I'm sure this is the fourth issue in a row the Avengers have been fighting the Grey Gargoyle.

Seriously, how hard can it be for the world's mightiest super-team to defeat him? The Vision on his own could flatten him. How's a touch-based villain going to fight a foe who can become ethereal?

In other matters, Captain Britain's thrilled to discover Jackdaw's still alive. However, that's when the world warps into complete madness.

And I don't mean the LP.

Elsewhere, we all celebrate as we get a Weirdworld tale entitled An Ugly Mirror on Weirdworld.

Also, Night-Raven investigates The Night Watchman's Killing.

And we close with the yarn Beauty's Vengeance, sourced from Monsters Unleashed #10. I know nothing of it but it seems to involve a mermaid.

I do believe I spot a Terileptil on that cover.

It can only mean Doctor Who Monthly's taking a look at the brand new serial The Visitation which is one of my favourite stories from the Davison era.

But that's not all. It's also reviewing the show's last-ever straight historical Black Orchid.

On top of that, there's a report on the two Doctor Who exhibitions currently wowing the crowds. I'm assuming they're the ones in Blackpool and Longleat.

And, for lovers of picture strips, there's a story called The Tides of Time as well as the latest adventure from The Daleks.

Blake's 7 magazine keeps rolling along.

To be honest, that's all I can say about this issue.

Here's an intriguing one, as Spider-Man finds himself allied with Thor and the Valkyrie.

And, judging by that cover, he's having some difficulty with a sword. It's a tale I've never read but I do know it's drawn by Herb Trimpe.

That should be enough to satisfy any spider-fan but, if it isn't, we also get a free poster and the chance to win a great board game of an unspecified nature!

Manny's still up against the Mad Viking.

And it would appear book burning's in some way involved!

Elsewhere, Dracula and Rachel must work together to survive a blizzard in the Transylvanian mountains.

And even more elsewhere, a man tries to convince people that he saw a statue move. When he doesn't succeed, he's happy. For, he himself is an alien and now knows the primitive Earthmen will never suspect his planet's army of being disguised as statues.

It's one of my least-favourite Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four offerings, as the Maggia, of all people, defeat our resident super-team, seize control of the Baxter Building and come within a hair's breadth of killing them.

Gasp, as the art of quack fu makes its senses-searing debut - thanks to the deadly fists of Howard the Duck!

Not to mention shuddering at the exploits of Knock Furious.

I know little of what occurs in this one but it would appear Thoth-Amon's involved - and that he's currently a king!

It's the return of the man who's always in solo action.

Han Solo.

I don't know much about the tale but I do know it's from the minds of Steve Parkhouse and John Stokes and features a character with the unlikely name of Zoltan Starkid.

I assume Killraven's also in this issue, but cannot shed light upon what he's up to. I'm sure, though, that there are plenty of words in it.

And, for those who demand even more than that, the good news is we also have a chance to win a Palitoy Tauntaun!

Unless I miss my ever-loving guess, the new, fake Vulture's somehow achieved what the real Vulture never could and defeated Spider-Man. Kraven decides this means he must defeat the new fake Vulture, in order to prove himself.

And that can only mean a three-way battle that can only end in defeat for both villains, thanks to Spidey's legendary Sunday Punch.

I do believe we're getting the tale of the Hulk's first-ever meeting with Ka-Zar, which I'm pretty sure is where I also first met the Jurassic jungle lord.

Needless to say, it all climaxes in a battle with a giant robot from outer space.

It would appear Iron Man's up against the villain known as Force who I recall first turning up in the Sub-Mariner's comic.

As for the question of who's responsible for that villain's return, that would be Justin Hammer who's also abducted Tony Stark's girlfriend Bethany Cabe!

The awesome Dazzler makes her debut, as the Hellfire Club's Machiavellian machinations continue to cause trouble for everyone they meet.

I can't really say anything else about this comic, other than that its cover boasts of a new direction though I don't see how the new direction differs from the old one.

Peter Cushing makes the cover of Marvel's latest mag when it investigates the works of both he and Christopher Lee.

There's also a look at the current film releases and a poster of Christopher menacing Veronica Carlson in Dracula Has Risen from the Grave.

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess this one guest-stars the amazing Spider-Man.

But, nay, it doesn't just guest star him. For, he is vital to the entire plot.

It seems the Banshee calls in the X-Men, seeking assistance in battling a mysterious spider creature. But, when the gang encounter Spider-Man, they mistake him for that creature - and the obligatory punch-up ensues.

Marvel UK's tribute mag to the nation's favourite scarecrow continues along its path to oblivion. This time, with a star profile of Connie Booth who I wasn't aware had ever been in the show.

But, even beyond that, we have the chance to win a talking telephone!

Granted, I'm pretty sure that all telephones talk but I assume this one talks at you even if there's no one on the other end of it.

Quest for Fire's here! And it's on the front cover, as Britain's greatest sci-fi mag gives us its verdict on every caveman's most-beloved film.

We're also granted reviews of Road Games, Blood Moon and I Spit on Your Grave. To be frank, I've only heard of one of those movies. I think you can guess which one.

There's also a look at Vincent Price's Witchfinder General and an interview with Jamie Lee Curtis of Friday the 13th fame.

Scooby-Doo's comic hits its 15th issue and does so by giving us such strips and features as Shake, Rattle and Roll, Puzzle Parade, Scooby-Doo's Creepy Cruise, Scrappy's Tale, Scooby-Doo's Dictionary, The Great Grape Ape, The Flintstones and an instructional page on how to make a periscope from two mirrors and a kitchen roll.

Not only that but there's the chance to win an Aunt Sally doll! I'm not sure what that has to do with either Scooby-Doo or Hanna Barbera but there you go.

I know all this because friend of the blog Onboarder, AKA Mark, has uploaded the entire issue to The Internet Archive for us and it can be accessed via this link.