The first series started in 1975 with two giant-size issues before launching as a regular series, and was mostly bi-monthly during its existence. It initially teamed up
Doctor Doom and the
Sub-Mariner, who had lost his own series, from which it picked up the unresolved plots, especially that of the comatose
Atlanteans. After a succession of writers and artists and a crossover with
The Avengers, the plot gets resolved in issue #13 when Doctor Doom revives the Atlanteans, thus dissolving his alliance with the Sub-Mariner. Issue #14 (Oct. 1977), which featured
Magneto and Doctor Doom, was billed as the final issue of the series and its plotline was resolved in
The Champions #16. The following year,
SVTU continued with issue #15 (Nov. 1978), a reprint of
Astonishing Tales #4–5. Issues #16 (May 1979) and #17 (June 1980) featured the
Red Skull and the
Hate-Monger. The irregular publishing frequency of the final three issues was due to a legal maneuver to prevent DC Comics from trademarking the term "super-villain". The series saw the death of the Sub-Mariner's 1940s sweetheart Betty Dean and the death of her murderer,
Doctor Dorcas.
Steve Englehart created
The Shroud, a character partly inspired by
Batman, shortly before he started to work for
DC Comics on
Detective Comics. ==Issues==