1985: MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS UK EDITION - PART 2

Today we complete the original SECRET WARS, the twelve-issue limited series which Marvel UK managed to stretch out (with the help of some back-up strips) to 31 issues.

ISSUE 16

19 October 1985

ISSUE 17

26 October 1985

Despite the cover, this wasn't the first UK appearance of Spidey's new costume.  It first appeared in THE TRANSFORMERS issue 6 (29 November 84), followed by a truncated run in (the about-to-be-rebooted) SPIDER-MAN (beginning with issue 631, 13 April 85) as well as the SPIDER-MAN SUMMER SPECIAL 1985. 

ISSUE 18

2 November 1985

ISSUE 19

9 November 1985

First new-format issue: 24 pages, full-colour throughout.

First regular ZOIDS UK-originated strip, based on the Tomy toys.

Price increase to 30p

Free advertiser-funded ZOIDS inserts had previously appeared in the following M-UK titles:

JANUARY - SPIDER-MAN 620, INDIANA JONES 5 and RETURN OF THE JEDI 84

SEPTEMBER - SECRET WARS 12, SPIDEY COMIC 653 and RETURN OF THE JEDI 117.

The Secret Wars-run of Zoids was reprinted in ZOIDS COLLECTED COMICS 1.

House ad promoting the relaunch.

ISSUE 20

16 November 1985

Temporary title change to SECRET WARS FEATURING: ZOIDS.

ISSUE 21

23 November 1985

ISSUE 22

30 November 1985

ISSUE 23

7 December 1985

ISSUE 24

14 December 1985

ISSUE 25

21 December 1985

Includes an exclusive three-page SPIDER-MAN AT TV-am strip.

Spider-man's own title closed (after 666 issues) the previous week, making the Spider-man strip here an unofficial merger.

The new cover, Secret Artist humour strip, Zoids and the TV-am strip makes this the single issue of Secret Wars with the most UK originated material.

ISSUE 26

28 December 1985

Last ZOIDS strip.  Continues in SPIDER-MAN AND ZOIDS issue 1.

ISSUE 27

4 January 1986

ISSUE 28

11 January 1986

ISSUE 29

18 January 1986

ISSUE 30

25 January 1986

ISSUE 31

1 February 1986

SECRET WARS II PREVIEW

Last SECRET WARS issue.  Becomes SECRET WARS II from issue 32.