Eschewing text stories in favour of picture strips and content based on the growing interest in World War II from young boys, it had gone on to be one of the company's most profitable publications.

"HMS Outcast" plumbed similar territory, featuring a crew of Royal Navy misfits thrown onto an antique destroyer in World War II, while "Sword for Hire" starred another roving adventurer, the daring 'Prince of Swordsmen' Hugo Dinwiddie helping innocents during The Protectorate.

Sport was represented by "Skid Solo" - featuring the title character's attempts to launch a motor racing career against the wishes of his old-fashioned Aunt Mabel - and 19th century boxing saga "Two Fists Against the World; boarding school antics were provided by tearaway Duffy as "The Worst Boy in School" and - while less popular than the previous decade - Westerns were still catered for by mysterious gunslinger Drago in "He Rides Alone".

[3] Educational content, still needed as readers were typically of an age where they required parental approval for their purchases, was provided by a back-page potted overview of a historical event.

[3] Like Valiant and its predecessor - the revamped version of Knockout - the comic was also notable due to the high percentage of material commissioned from European studios in Italy and Spain.

[6] The first issue of Hurricane was released on 23 February 1964;[a] it would be published every Monday as was Valiant, further emphasising the link between the two, and the title debuted with cover-mounted model of the much-anticipated BAC TSR-2 jet bomber.

The painted front cover disappeared in favour of football strip "'Hurry' of the Hammers" (as the name hinted, modified episodes of "Roy of the Rovers" from sister title Tiger).

Coming in were science fiction yarn "The Juggernaut from Planet Z" (featuring work by Brian Lewis), war story "Paratrooper" starring Sergeant Rock[b] and another set of reprints, with Sun's "Billy the Kid" edited to become "The Black Avenger".

[3] Further new features - Lion reprints "Brett Marlowe" and "Danger Island", and resurrected Tiger reject "Danny Jones, Time-Traveller" failed to halt the slide and the 8 May 1965 cover bore the headline "Big News For All Readers Inside".

[3] "Typhoon Tracy" and "Skid Solo" - the only survivors from the opening issue - made the move, as did "Paratrooper" (reconfigured as "Sergeant Rock, Special Air Service").

After a successful trial, young striker Harry "Hurry" Cane lands a contract from giants Hammersfield Town, and soon begins to take the First Division by storm.

Rod buys a succession of expensive gadgets to impress the girl next door despite the warnings of his nervous chum Percy, who is invariably correct about the coming disaster.