July 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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Disappointment swept through the land of the Angles, this week in 1982, as England crashed out of the World Cup, thanks to a 0–0 draw with hosts Spain. Shortly afterwards, Ron Greenwood stepped down as team manager, to be succeeded by Ipswich Town boss Bobby Robson.

No such disappointment for Sheffield's very own ABC who tightly gripped the very pinnacle of the UK album chart, with The Lexicon of Love. In doing so, they saw off the challenge of Robert Plant's Pictures at Eleven which entered the chart at Number Two.

Over on the associated singles chart, it was all plain sailing for Captain Sensible, still at Number One with his catchy cover of Happy Talk.

Can it be? Can it be the death of Jackdaw?

Yes, it can.

And not only that but the whole world's gone mad and the British government holds Captain Britain and Saturnyne personally responsible.

Thus convinced, it activates the super-hero-smashing robot the world knows as The Fury.

Elsewhere, the Avengers find themselves entangled in the Steel City Nightmare! which, despite its title, doesn't involve Sheffield United in a Wembley play-off final but seems to involve Wonder Man fighting in a Pittsburgh steel mill.

That's followed by a three-page tale called Keep Your Coffin Dry, Nevada but I've no idea what that's about.

And we finish with This is the Valiant One, Signing Out which I remember being a Don McGregor tale from Monsters Unleashed. One that involves a giant Komodo Dragon going on the rampage in the streets of America

Chiller hits its last-ever issue but I can't say whether it goes out in style, as I don't know what happens in it.

However, it does look like the Man-Thing's found himself in the big city, which is hardly a natural environment for him to be in.

Roy Thomas and John Buscema are still giving us the tale of King Thoth-Amon which would appear to be adapted from the L Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter novel Conan the Buccaneer.

We also get Notes on Various People of the Hyborian Age as detailed by Robert E Howard.

And because even that's not enough for us, there's also an 18-page Bran Mak Morn epic Kings of the Night.

The magazine that's proud to boast of featuring Britain's best-loved sci-fi hero is back and unleashes a look at the legendary Cyberman story Earthshock which features one of the most celebrated endings in the history of the show.

At least, I know I was celebrating...

I don't know too much about the contents of this month's issue but I do know it contains a comic strip called Prey, written and pencilled by Jerry Paris.

But, perhaps even more excitingly, we can win an Atari video game.

Not that I know which one. 

Spider-Man takes on the Kingpin. And this time, it's for keeps.

At least, I think it is.

Anyway, what it really is is part two of the story that asks just what would have happened had Spider-Man's clone lived.

It would appear he would have fought the Kingpin.

The Inhumans also have an adventure in this issue. As far as I can make out, it's the tale of how Attilian found its way from the Andes, to the Himalayas. And it would seem the Eternals are involved...

There's also a poster featuring Captain Britain and Captain America hanging around the Statue of Liberty.

And there's even more because we're also given the chance to win a Kodak camera!

It's bad news for the Hulk when the Sandman and Mandarin team up against him.

Then again, it's worse news for the Sandman, as I do believe this is the story in which the silicon sinner falls into a vat and gets turned into glass.

Iron Man, meanwhile, is in orbit, facing the menace of Sunturion and a satellite-mounted death-ray that can destroy whole cities.

The Fantastic Four Pocket Book hits its last-ever issue and does so by, somewhat oddly, recycling the cover of issue #1.

Sadly, I can't say for sure what this issue features but, as last month's reprinted the tale in which the fabulous foursome battle the Maggia for control of the Baxter Building, I'll assume this one reprints the tale in which the Sub-Mariner and Magneto team-up to cause all kinds of trouble for mankind.

If that's the case, I suppose it's fitting that the book should terminate with the end of Jack Kirby's run on the strip.

The pocket books may have hit the buffers but Marvel Madhouse continues unabated.

And does so by offering us another dose of Howard the Duck.

This time, he gives us When the Sleeper Wakes which I'm going to assume isn't a story about yet another of the Red Skull's left-over World War 2 robots.

Apparently, this story introduces us to someone called Winky-Man. I'm assuming that's him on the cover. I'm also assuming he's based on Wee Willie Winky.

Hold on to your lightsabres because a brand new magazine hits our eyeballs!

Admittedly, it's not that new. It is, after all, issue #159 of the publication that started life way back in 1978.

However, it does, at least, have a change of title, reverting to the one it used before that fancy Empire Strikes Back came out.

And it does so while giving us a free poster and the chance to win an Atari.

According to the cover, we can also win ten fan club memberships.

Thrilling stuff indeed.

Plus, there's Alan Moore's yarn Blind Fury! starring Luke Skywalker and someone called Rur.

There may also be a Tale of the Watcher but don't quote me on that.

The demise of the pocket books continues unabated, as Spider-Man's digest series also unleashes its final issue.

And how does he do it?

I'm going to guess he does it by reprinting Amazing Spider-Man #50 in which the webbed wonder decides to retire from super-heroing, until his encounter with a robbery makes him realise a man with his powers has no choice but to help those who can't help themselves.

Admittedly, I could be totally wrong about that but, given the contents of the previous issue, that would not seem to be an unreasonable guess.

And yet another pocket book kicks the bucket.

I do believe the terrific teens must face the Changeling - and his boss the Mutant Master. The villains aiming to fill the void left by Magneto, by recruiting the services of Unus, the Blob and the Vanisher.

Their name may be in big letters at the top of the cover but, below that, the X-Men have to make way for Iron Fist who stars in an escapade entitled The Dragon Dies at Dawn.

I do believe the mutants are battling the Hellfire Club and its plans to gain control of Jean Grey. But to do it, they need the help of the Dazzler.

Elsewhere, the Thing and Starhawk get mixed up in Counter-Earth shenanigans, as they go in search of the kidnapped Alicia Masters.

Monster Monthly hits its sensational fourth issue by taking a look at the Abominable Dr Phibes.

And we even get a poster of him!

Which is what you'd expect. After all, who wouldn't want a huge big photo of Dr Phibes on their wall?

Sadly, I can't say anything else about this issue's contents, as there seems to be no information available online and, in a feat of marketing genius, the cover text is all but unreadable.

Britain's favourite scarecrow celebrates his tenth issue.

And we get the chance to win a Worzel doll!

I think we'd all love to have that watching over us as we try to get to sleep at night.

But even that's not enough for Marvel UK, because the mag also gives us the chance to build and colour its Country Caravan.

I must say it's a bit of a shock to discover Marvel UK has a Country Caravan but it's nice to know Dez, Paul and the two Alans have somewhere to spend their summer holidays together.

The UK's top sci-fi mag gives us an issue dedicated to Fantasy thanks to a look at The Cat People and Conan.

But that doesn't mean there's not space for a look at The Thing and Swamp Thing.

There's also coverage of films called Heartbeeps and Parasite, neither of which I've ever encountered in my movie-watching activities.

But, wait a second. None of that matters. All that really matters is this issue features a retrospective dedicated to classic TV serial Timeslip!

Now we're talking!

Once again, the contents of an issue of Scooby-Doo and his TV Friends must remain a mystery to us. 

And, this time, it's issue #20 that eludes all signs of detection.