Avengers (Marvel UK)

The Avengers, the third title published by Marvel UK after Mighty World of Marvel and Spider-Man Comics Weekly, was launched on 22nd September 1973, after the characters had been given a brief tryout in the pages of Mighty World of Marvel #46-48. The first two issues carried free gifts; a sheet of rub down transfers and an 'Avengers Wonder Weapon', respectively. Early issues featured reprinted adventures of the Avengers themselves plus Marvel's master of the mystic arts, Doctor Strange, but from issue #28 the title gained a third strip, Master of Kung Fu, and the title was changed to 'Avengers & Master of Kung Fu' to reflect this; this was an attempt to cash in on the Kung Fu craze which was then sweeping the country. The MOKF sub-heading was later removed from the cover, but the MOKF strip itself continued for some time, alternating in later issues with the similarly themed Iron Fist. From issue #95, Avengers absorbed the failed Savage Sword of Conan weekly, the title of which was duly added to the masthead. The title was cancelled after issue #147 (14th July 1976) and merged with Mighty World of Marvel, though the Avengers themselves would subsequently have a lengthy career in various Marvel UK titles including MWOM, The Titans, Super Spider-Man and Marvel Superheroes.

Avengers Annuals were also published, in 1975-1978 (Conan also featured in the 1977 and 1978 annuals), and an Avengers Treasury Edition (with a stiff card cover) was published in 1982-also featuring Conan, and thus keeping alive a rather strange relationship between the two strips which lasted seven years in Britain, although it would probably seem inexplicable to the characters' original US audience.

Since the dissolution of Marvel UK, the Avengers have gone on to star in two reprint titles published by company's successors, Panini UK; Avengers United and Avengers Unconquered.