Action Man was a UK comic book series published by Panini Comics, based on the Hasbro toy line of the same name. It ran for 138 issues between 1996 and January 18, 2006 before being surpassed by spin-off series Action Man: A.T.O.M.. The comic was initially published every month, with this later changing to every three weeks. The final editor was Ed Caruana, with previous editors including Rob Jones. Publication history Panini Comics began publishing Action Man in 1996, with the Marvel Comics logo being featured on the cover for the first few years of publication. Panini had obtained the Marvel UK licence in 1995, with Marvel UK having themselves previously published an Action Force comic during the 1980s. Further to the regular monthly issues, Panini would occasionally publish additional issues, including a 'Christmas Special' in 2000. Egmont Books also published a series of collected editions in 2001, typically with two stories per title. After ten years and 138 issues, the Panini series ceased publication in January 2006. It was subsequently replaced by a spin-off title, Action Man: A.T.O.M., published by Panini in as a tie-in with Hasbro's recently-launched A.T.O.M. toy line. Simon Furman was the primary writer for this new series. Strip The comic strip was the main feature for each issue, with the narratives invariably focusing on Action Man's efforts to thwart the evil plans of his arch enemy, the mad scientist Dr. X, and his 'Council of Doom'. Initially, the stories in each issue featured little to no continuity between them. However, as the comic progressed, continuing story arcs would become more prominent. Several new characters, both enemies and allies of Action Man, were introduced over the title's run. The first strip featured in the comic was named "Into Action". 2003 arc 2003 introduced the fictional 'Island X', an X-shaped island home to Dr. X and the Council of Doom. This would become the setting for many stories for years to come. The plot focused on Dr. X building a huge 'Death Ray' on Island X which he would use to destroy capital cities across the world unless he was made world leader. Action Man had to explore Island X in his quest to find the Doctor's base, with several confrontations ensuing before their final battle in issue #100. The outcome was shown in the following issue on a giant poster, with Dr. X falling to his