RELEASES: I don't know when Hasbro started releasing G.I. Joe in the UK, though they released both Transformers and Visionaries within a few months of their US releases.

NAME: The reason for the name change was because 'G.I. Joe' would have limited appeal to the UK market, whilst 'Action Force' would. The name stayed Action Force until 1989. In a mini comic released through the toy shops and also printed in Transformers and Action Force #245, the story is told of how Cobra is overwhelming both the UK based Action Force and their US allies G.I. Joe. In order to counter this, the two teams merge to become G.I. Joe the Action Force. This name remained until 1991, when the team became just G.I. Joe (no 'A Real American Hero').

COMICS: In 1987, Marvel UK planned three new titles. The first two were twenty four page weeklies in the same format as Transformers. They would have a mixture of US reprints, originated stories and the odd fact file. The first title was Action Force (and the second Thundercats. The third was to have been a monthly Zoids, but this was delayed). The first appearance of Action Force in the comics was a four part back up strip that began in Transformers #99, missed out #100 as it had double sized TF action, and then ran in issues #101-103. This story served as an introduction, but I don't know if it was a US reprint or an originated strip. In the same week as Transformers #103 was concluding its introduction to Action Force, Action Force #1 hit the stands, with a free copy of issue #2 inside. The title lasted 50 issues.

First Issue	Last Issue

To take a look at any of the 50 issues, pick your issue below or go to the Action Force Cover Gallery:

I have only a few details about the run, which are as follows:

From issue #5, Marvel UK's humour cartoonist Lew Springer wrote and drew a half page strip called Combat Colin. This was about Combat Colin and his sidekick Semi Automatic Steve, a pair of bunglers. The strip survived the transfer to Transformers, where it lasted until the end of Transformers' run.

In the same week as issue #20 was on sale, Transformers #122 contained a six page 'mini comic' containing a special Action Force story.

Transformers #125 and Action Force #24-27 contained a crossover entitled Ancient Relics. This story told how both Action Force and the Autobots and their ally Centurion fought a mad Megatron (there is an enormous continuity debate about this Megatron, as he was later revealed to be a fake with a copy of Megatron's mind fighting Lord Straxus' surviving consciousness, but Galvatron [Megatron's future self who travelled back in time] had this Megatron's memories) in London. The story was reprinted in Action Force Monthly #1-6 which was released in the US as G.I. Joe European Missions #1-6.

(As an aside, the G.I. Joe vs Transformers limited series should have been reprinted around Transformers #105-110, as it tied in with those events. However, because G.I. Joe continuity was so far behind for the limited series to have made sense, the series was not reprinted until 1990, when schedule clashes demanded that Transformers needed a break of about four months before it could reprint further US stories. The limited series appeared in issues #265-281).

There were also several Action Force annuals, each being a 64 page A4 hardback anthology containing comic strips, text stories and features. Action Force came to a close with issue #50, and the US reprints (and Combat Colin) were transferred to Transformers, starting with issue #153. The title was renamed Transformers and Action Force. The strip only took two breaks, issues #183-190 and #213-219 when Visionaries was run instead. There were also a few issues (#200, #232, #250) where the strip took a one week break, but this was only temporarily. The reprints reached issue #74 of the US series, and were then dropped. Issue #75 (at least) was reprinted in a Holiday Special in May 1991.

In 1988, Action Force Monthly was launched. This series lasted 15 issues and contained a mixture of new stories and UK reprints. In the US, this title was released as G.I. Joe European Missions.