48 years ago this week, Captain Britain, a new weekly comic from Marvel UK, launched in British newsagents – and colourist and restoration expert Allan Harvey took time out of his busy schedule to provide a sparkling clean restoration of the cover of the first issue!
“For those of a certain age and mindset the biggest event of 1976, following the long, hot, glorious summer, was the launch of Captain Britain,” Allan enthuses. “After several years of merely reprinting its US comics, Marvel decided to produce some new material especially for the UK market, and US creators Chris Claremont (born in the UK), Herb Trimpe (holidaying in the UK) and Larry Lieber (uhm… well, his sister-in-law was from the UK) delivered the goods.
“The generous amount of colour pages were offset by the higher price and lack of glassy cover – but, hey, the free mask meant anyone could go out and fight crime, should they wish…!”
Priced 10p, accompanied by reprints of Fantastic Four and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., the weekly Captain Britain was a brave move on the part of MUK, telling the story of Brian Braddock, thrown into the superhero role. Sadly for fans, the title lasted just 39 issues, before merging with the company’s more popular Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain Weekly between #231 and #247 title.
Above: Alan Davis’ covers of the Marvel US X-Men Archives Featuring Captain Britain series, published in 1995
But Captain Britain himself has never disappeared – making an appearance across the pond in two issue of Marvel Team-Up, a story reprinted in Super Spider-Man with some new bridging art by John Byrne, not used in the US title. He then transitioned to Hulk Weekly comic, appearing, initially amnesiac, in “Black Knight”; followed by Marvel Superheroes, The Daredevils and, finally, a new monthly Captain Britain title.
Sadly, a further revival of Captain Britain in the 1990s by Marvel UK, written by Dan Abnett, pencilled by Andrew Currie and inked by Bryan Hitch, was victim to the company’s implosion.
From there, of course he would lead Excalibur, for Marvel US, and has made several other appearances, including in MUK’s Knights of Pendragon and the 2008 US series Captain Britain and MI:13, written by Paul Cornell.
Today, the mantle of “Captain Britain” is held by Brian’s sister, Betsy, part of the growing, convoluted history of the character, with rumours of a Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance by Brian in the works – spawning some impressive fake trailers after actor Henry Cavill‘s name was linked to the property.
“[Captain Britain Weekly] had a profound effect on me,” fan and not-for-profit MUK comic strip creator Iskander Islam reflected earlier this week. “To see a hero based in the UK, even though it was slightly stereotypical, was an epiphany. So much so that even now I am part of a fan fiction comic universe centred around him and the wider Marvel UK characters.
“We even celebrated his 40th Anniversary in 2016, when Marvel had virtually ignored it…”
Let’s hope they don’t ignore him for his 50th in a couple of years time, eh?
• Marvel Database: Captain Britain
• Understanding Captain Britain: The Basics by Mark Roberts (2008 Essay for It Came from Darkmoor)
• Captain Britain, various, filed under C in the Marvel Universe Appendix
• Check out the just-for-fun Avengers UK Facebook page, featuring an inventive team’s range of Captain Britain/Marvel UK fan fiction comics, and much more
• Will the Real Captain Britain Please Stand Up?
Back in 2000, comics publisher Dez Skinn uncovered an unusual piece of comics history – a design for Captain Britain by much-admired artist Tom Kerr. The design was intended for a Captain Britain comic Dez proposed to IPC Fleetway over two decades ago, prompting much speculation of “what might have been” had Marvel not firmly established their version of eponymous character…
Special thanks to Welsh artist, graphic designer and writer Allan Harvey for the sparkling superhero restoration of Captain Britain No.1. Allan’s credits include articles for Back Issue magazine, published by Twomorrows, looking at aspects of comics history, and the restoration of numerous classic comics, utilising his extensive digital photographic and graphics expertise. The A Distant Soil restoration, which saw him digitally remastering several hundred pages of Colleen Doran artwork to pristine glory for a new graphic novel edition for Image Comics, led to further such projects from a variety of publishers, including the lettering and much of the production work, including the classic Marvel cover restorations, for the New York Times best-selling Amazing Fantastic Incredible: A Marvelous Memoir, Stan Lee’s graphic novel autobiography. Other work includes restoring many Sam Glanzman comics for It’s Alive Press; and the Eisner Award-nominated Atlas at War!, reprinting 1950s Marvel war comics, for Dead Reckoning.
Captain Britain © Marvel
(Avengers UK is a ‘just for fun non-profit’ fan based fiction. All characters remain the property of their respective companies)
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, US Comics
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