January 1986 - Marvel UK monthlies, 40 years ago this month.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

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In January, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, just 73 seconds after takeoff, killing its crew of seven astronauts, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

In Britain, meanwhile, unemployment hit 3,204,900. A post-war high that represented 14.4% of the workforce.

It may have seemed, at that point, that the month had nothing going on but doom, gloom and depression.

However, there were some bright spots.

For instance, the United Kingdom and France announced plans for a Channel Tunnel, expected to open by the early 1990s.

And, in Australia, the Gateway Bridge opened in Brisbane, becoming the world's longest pre-stressed concrete free-cantilever bridge.

While, on an even lighter note, the game show Catchphrase was launched by ITV, hosted by Roy Walker along with the computer-generated Mr Chips.

Meanwhile, far out beyond our world, any minds immeasurably superior to ours would have seen the Voyager 2 space probe make its first encounter with Uranus. A fact about which I'm saying nothing.

But what of the art form that hath the power to tame the savage breast?

In the UK, any savage breasts that may have been on the rampage were being tamed by the Pet Shop Boys whose debut hit West End Girls sat proudly atop the singles chart. However, that soon had to make way for A-ha's The Sun Always Shines On TV. I did always feel that title made it clear A-ha had never seen any British television.

On the accompanying album chart, January arrived with Now That's What I Call Music! 6 at the summit before that was then deposed by the return to prominence of Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms.

There's clearly something special going on because this month's edition of the magazine dedicated to the universe's greatest interventionist has no fewer than eight extra colour pages!

Just what that special thing is, I have no idea.

However, as we can clearly see, this issue presents us with the 22nd Season Survey results, a brand new comic strip called Exodus and a look at alien worlds.

I'm assuming those are the alien worlds of Doctor Who but don't quote me on that.

Elsewhere, we encounter an Interview with Victor Pemberton, writer of Fury From the Deep.

And there's a feature titled Growing Up With the Doctor. 

Captain Britain's monthly mag penultimates but does it do so in style?

I'm not totally convinced it does, as this is the issue in which poor old Betsy Braddock is blinded by Slaymaster. A fact which, to be honest, is a development my delicate sensibilities could have done without.

Then, the Black Knight finds himself tangled up in Dawn of the Hellravens, as reprinted from 1979's Hulk Comic #3.

Next, there's A Dream of Night-Raven, reprinted from Hulk Comic #12.

And that's followed by a new five-page yarn titled Captain Granbretan.

And we complete the issue with a five-page Cherubim tale the world knows as Playgrounds and Parasites! Part 3.