Having taken over Amalgamated Press in 1959 to profit from their boys' comics sales, the Mirror Group decided on the launch of a new title to join the likes of Lion, Tiger, Buster and Knockout in their portfolio, now under the name Fleetway Publications.

[2] Valiant launched on 6 October 1962, with a Geoff Campion cover depicting new headline star Captain Hurricane and a free 'Pocket Rocket' and football League Ladders.

Already a towering heavyweight, Hurricane's short temper would see him pitched into "ragin' furies" that blessed him with the power to cut an unarmed swathe through German troops and tie tank barrels in knots.

[1] More straight-laced military history was provided by "To Glory We Steer", modified versions of The Comet's Horatio Nelson biographical naval warfare story, and "Blade of the Frontier".

[4] Despite this cut-price origin, the feature proved popular enough with readers that when the Dick Turpin inventory ran dry in 1964, new Jack O'Justice adventures were commissioned, with Tom Kerr among the artists.

After an accident during one of boss Professor Barrington's experiments, Crandell develops the ability to turn invisible (aside from the eponymous appendage) and promptly went on the rampage to make the world pay for its perceived wrongs against him.

The character proved an instant hit with readers and in February 1963 underwent a drastic change of outlook, putting his abilities into the fight for good, with Tom Tully taking over as writer.

[9] Light relief meanwhile was provided by no less than six cartoon strips - Angel Nadal's "The Nutts", "The Soppy H'Porths" by Arthur Martin, "Hey Presto" and a trio of Reg Parlett contributions in "Percy the Problem Child", "Shorty the Sheriff" and "The Crows".

The perpetual travails of 'Heavyweight Chump of Greyfriars' Billy Bunter lasted as long as Valiant did,[1] while Reg Wootton's "Sporty" - depicting the title character's multidisciplinary ambitions usually winning out of the caddish antics of friend Sidney - would make appearances until 1972.

[4] Fleetway would subsequently try to gain further mileage from the Asterix strips in Ranger and Look and Learn converting the Gauls to Britons, before Anthea Bell and Derek Hockridge's faithful, definitive English translations began in 1970.

[4] Valiant expanded to 40 pages in May 1964 - a format that saw the debut of "Twelve Guilty Men", which saw disgraced police officer Rod Marsden to clear his name by bringing underworld syndicate Crime Incorporated to justice.

[12] While popular, it was not without critics; a 1965 journal published by the Scottish Academic Press on the subject of The Use of English Language bemoaned the slang and shoddy grammar of characters from "brash" titles like Valiant[13] while the terms Captain Hurricane used for Axis Powers soldiers some twenty years after they ceased to be enemies has also been noted.

[14][15] IPC's editorial director John Sanders would later defend the high amount of World War II content in Valiant and other titles, arguing that readers' appetite for such material meant it was necessary to keep the comics profitable.

The same year saw a revival of long-running pulp detective Sexton Blake to take advantage of the successful television show based on the character, starring Laurence Payne.

The latter's declining fortunes meant this merger only brought Angus Allan and John Stokes' licensed Star Trek strip and "Tuffs of Terror Island";[1] the title's Marvel reprints were again not continued.

The merge was not without controversy; Lion assistant editor Chris Lowder has stated it was outselling Valiant at the time, and that Le Grand - having advanced to managing director of Fleetway - ensured the comic he had helped devise survived.

Lowder recalled he and fellow Lion editor Geoff Kemp took Le Grand to lunch to state their case, and were told they "just had to facking [sic] deal with it".

Arrivals from Lion included the popular Adam Eterno, as well as reprints of "Robot Archie" and "Spot the Clue with Zip Nolan", while the Steel Commando would guest-star in "Captain Hurricane".

Future 2000 AD creator John Wagner took over from Stewart Wales as editor in 1975, with Steve MacManus as sub-editor; the team were given the task of updating Valiant for modern audiences, giving it a gritter tone.

[23][1] Battle revolved around war comics and so there was little room for Valiant's contents, with only "One-Eyed Jack", "Soldier Sharp - The Rat of the Rifles" and "The Black Crow" were continued.