Marvel UK was established in 1972 to reprint US-produced stories for the UK market. Their small line of weekly comics specialised in chopped up, black-and-white reprints of the US monthlies, usually a year or behind the established continuity.
The two key publications were Mighty World of Marvel[1] and Spider-Man Weekly[2]. Other titles came and went, but these two leading comics were published each week from 1972-1984 and 1973-1985 respectively.
With the Queen’s Silver Jubilee just around the corner, Marvel UK saw the opportunity to capitalise on rising British patriotism and publish a home-grown hero.
The origin story is fun, but ridiculous. Brian Braddock is a pipe-smoking student, working at Darkmoor Nuclear Research Facility. The facility is attacked by a the Reaver, intent on kidnapping scientists to sell to various dictatorships (“Gas the scientists! Put them aboard the hovercraft!”). Brian escapes on his motorcycle but crashes over a cliff.
He wakes to see the image of Merlyn and his daughter, Roma. They offer him the choice between the Amulet of Right and the Sword of Might. Braddock selects the amulet and is transformed into Captain Britain.
Captain Britain was created by British-born anglophile writer Chris Claremont, whose view of Britain and the British varies from quaint to hilarious. Herb Trimpe drew the early stories in a very Kirbyesque style. Notably Alan Moore, creator of Watchmen, undoubtedly the best comic book series ever, cut his teeth on Captain Britain between 1982 and 1984.
This first run of Captain Britain comics lasted for 39 issues. The character then bounced around several other UK titles before being re-invented in 1981 and gaining a second, short-lived solo series in 1985-1986[3]. The character was eventually to become part of the mainstream Marvel universe and be a key element of the Excaliber series in 1988.
[1] Initally reprinting Spider-Man, the Hulk and Fantastic Four, and later Daredevil, X-Men and Avengers.
[2] Alongside reprinted Spider-Man stories, readers were also treated to (at various times) Thor, Iron Man, X-Men, Dr. Strange, Moon Knight, Invaders, Captain America, Avengers and Fantastic Four.
[3] Fans of Captain Britain would need to pay attention during several moves from title to title. Following cancellation of Captain Britain in 1977, the stories would move to Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain #231-253 (July-December 1977), Hulk Comic #1-63 (March 1979-May 1980), Marvel Super-Heroes #377-388 (September 1981-August 1982), The Daredevils #1-11 (January-November 1983) and Mighty World of Marvel v2 #7-16 (December 1983-September 1984).