The Marvel UK summer specials for 1982.

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

***

Summer is upon us!

Or, at least it was in May 1982.

That was when, it would appear, Marvel UK launched its unique range of summer specials upon us.

And what specials they were!

Blake's 7 is granted its first (and, as far as I can make out, last) Marvel UK summer special.

I don't know much about its contents, but I do know we get a free poster of our favourite space outlaws.

It's a treat for us all, as we get the return of the Green Goblin, courtesy of 1968's Spectacular Spider-Man #2, in a 38-page epic that humanity will never forget.

Sadly, nothing on the cover relates to that tale in any way, shape or form.

By all accounts, everyone's favourite space knight returns to his home planet of Galador...

...only to discover that someone's duplicated him.

And the duplicate is actively hostile!

I do believe this one contains material from Fantastic Four #155-157 in which Doctor Doom drags the Silver Surfer into his latest scheme by convincing him that a Latverian woman is actually Shalla Bal.

Nothing shouts, "vampires," at you more loudly than long drawn-out days of blazing sunshine.

And so it is that we get a Dracula summer special.

Sadly, I can shine no light upon what actually happens in it.

I'm sure, though, that there'll be plenty at stake.

The Hulk finds himself in Canada and having to fight the government-funded mutant menace of Sasquatch in a tale drawn by John Buscema and Alfredo Alcala.

But forget all those. Let's face it, this is the one you came here for, as Worzel Gummidge gets his first - and last - Marvel UK summer special.

I don't have a clue what's in it but it promises us 48 pages of fun for scarecrow fans and you can't demand any more than that.

The Marvel UK summer specials for 1981.

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

***

The crashing of hailstones and lightning outside can only mean one thing.

It's summer!

And that can only mean five things.

Summer specials!

Captain Britain's ability to have summer specials and annuals when he doesn't even have a comic anymore is truly remarkable. And here he is, doing it again.

Those who recognise that cover will not be surprised to discover that, inside, the UK's finest sceptre swinger teams up with Spider-Man to foil the far-from-amusing amusement experiences of Arcade.

It looks like we're getting the recent tale in which Spider-Man and Subby have to deal with the freshly escaped Frightful Four, and their new member Llyra, who transfer the wallcrawler's spider-sense into Prince Namor, leaving both heroes distinctly discombobulated.

Also, the hot neighbour Peter Parker dumps Debbie Whitman for turns out to be Llyra in surface-dweller guise.

D'oh.

Star Trek gets its own summer special.

I know little of the contents, other than that the Phaetonians are involved.

Not that I have the slightest clue who the Phaetonians are.

I do know a giant space monster shows up.

I also know this book has a Dave Cockrum pencilled look at the recent movie's uniforms, for the benefit of any fashion victims who may be reading.

It's trigger-happy-thrills-a-go-go, as Wild West action hits the UK spinner racks.

The tales in this one involve Caleb Hammer, Matt Slade and, also, the Pony Express.

Seriously, you don't mess with those ponies.

Hooray! Cap gets his very own summer special!

And he's even allowed to appear on the cover!

And what's even more exciting is that it retells his origin.

Now, at last, after all these years of wondering, we'll find out how he came to be!

It's the Roger Stern/John Byrne retelling, so is, at least, guaranteed to be a good one.

We also get three posters, featuring Winghead and Shellhead.

That's because Cap can't be trusted to have an entire book to himself. So, Iron Man also has a tale. Tragically, the Dazzler is nowhere to be seen.

I can shed no light upon what Iron Man's story involves.