By the summer of 1980, MARVEL UK's new launch was struggling.  It's creator, Dez Skinn, had departed the Annex of Ideas 'by mutual consent', depriving it of its principle champion. 

A relaunch chasing younger readers had proven a misfire, sales were down because of the long break between TV seasons and the high costs of getting original material for the Weekly Magazine.

The writing was on-the-Tardis-door when Marvel management, in a last gasp to keep things afloat, cut the frequency to monthly.  

A cut in frequency is usually a sure sign of approaching armageddon with a succession of titles having their frequency snipped just before being cancelled

However, cutting the frequency to a Montly publication instantly made each issue more profitable, kept copies on sale much longer and approximately halved the amount of new material required each month.  So in this case the move payed off as the magazine is still going today.

To picture to the left shows the cover that was intended for Issue 44, with a cover date of 14th August 1980, but was cancelled when the publication became a Monthly one.

This cover appeared in the 1989 10th anniversary special