One of the more unusual Marvel UK comics was the short-lived Forces In Combat which featured a number of second if not "third tier" characters. Release in May 1980 it lasted just 37 weeks but for those of you interested in non-superhero fare this isn't a bad comic.
Leading off with Sgt Fury and his Howling Commando's, there was science fiction with ROM, based on a short-lived Hasboro toy of the same name which actually was a very good comic that in the US outlasted the toy itself.
For western fans there was the Rawhide Kid, and in a sign of the times Master of Kung Fu also got a feature.
Other than ROM, the other outstanding feature was the Steve Ditko version of Machine Man. This character originated in Marvels adaptation of 2001 A Space Odyssey and was created by Jack Kirby. Ditko's reboot didn't last long but brought Aaron Stack into the mainstream Marvel universe.
Other strips included Kull, the deposed King of Atlantis, and Lifeboat. There's also a reprint of Wulf a twenty year old colour adventure that "our fathers would have read according to the introduction. This was originally published in Express Weekly, a comic I am not familiar with.
With all the competition for everyone's pocket money this comic never found the audience it needed to survive. Nevertheless worth a dip. I was lucky enough to get a copy with the free gift still inside. A large sticker with a picture of a Matilda tank.
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