THE MIGHTY THOR COVER GALLERY - PART ONE...

Images copyright MARVEL COMICS

I've always liked THOR.  Or, to be more precise, I liked the "star-kissed" DON BLAKE concept of Thor, as opposed to the "casual creation" of an all-wise ODIN version. When ODHAMS PRESS reprinted the early Thor tales in FANTASTIC in the 1960s, I was hooked; when MARVEL reprinted them in SPIDER-MAN COMICS WEEKLY in the '70s, I was hooked again.  So, in the '80s, I was ripe for a publication devoted solely to reprinting tales of the titanically-talented Thunder god in his own weekly title.  After all, how could it fail?

Well, for a start, how about messing up the colour every issue so that it's almost never in alignment with the line-art, resulting in a kaleidoscope of visual chaos and confusion?  Then why not cut the Thor content by half and add a strip that doesn't really fit the mood of the mag, like CAPTAIN AMERICA?  Yeah, that ought to do it!  It was almost a relief to see Thor and the X-MEN titles merge around four months later, because it resulted in a mag akin to the late, lamented Fantastic from 16 years before.  It's just a shame they didn't add IRON MAN to the mix and revive Fantastic's name and logo - I'd have been as happy as a pig in - well, I'm sure you catch my drift.

But you can't fault Marvel's intentions - it was a good idea, even if it never quite caught on.  So, here's the first part of a look-back at the covers from a time when Britain had its very own Thor mag.  Will we ever see such a thing again?  You never can tell, but let's hope they do it right next time - if there is one.  (Are you listening, PANINI?)

Anyway, feel entirely free to record your readers' reminiscences in the comments section, and don't forget to come back for part two.  You'd kick yourself if you missed it, so see you soon (hopefully).  Excelsior!