KID KLASSICS: SMASH! POW! IT'S FANTASTIC - AND IT CERTAINLY WAS...

In case you were wondering, ol' SPIDEY's web is attached to
an overhead helicopter - unfortunately, he's been hanging on since
Glasgow and he's now over Blackpool, so his arms are tired.  What
a great cover 'though, I'm sure you'll agree.

This was a cracker of a Summer Special, featuring SPIDER-MAN
MEETS DR. STRANGE, the origin of DAREDEVIL (abridged), THE
TORCH MEETS THE ICEMAN, THE CLOAK BATTLES THE CRAFTY
CROW, MR. KNOWALL'S FUN PAGE, THE SWOTS & THE BLOTS,
THOR vs HERCULES in WHEN TITANS CLASH!, SAMMY SHRINK,
BRIAN'S BRAIN, full-colour pin-ups, plus a few other things I've
doubtless forgotten.  I only have to look at this and I'm back in
1968.  Ah, happy days.

Unfortunately, 'though I little knew it at the time, the POWER era
was coming to an end.  A mere three or four months later, FANTASTIC
was incorporated into SMASH!, which itself only lasted in its then-present
form for another four or five months - before being relaunched in March
'69 as a more traditional type comic in the VALIANT vein.  That meant no
more weekly MARVEL heroes (not counting TV21's dabbling with a few
of them) until THE MIGHTY WORLD OF MARVEL was launched
on the very last day of September, 1972.

Anyway, enjoy these awesome images from the only ODHAMS
PRESS Summer Special ever to feature the sensational superheroes
from the Mighty Marvel stable.  It's a genuine collectors' item.

Posted in: Cartoons