In the mid-1970s, British comics became more action-oriented. The first such title to be launched was "Warlord" in 1974. Published by DC Thomson, it proved to be a success, and led to its then-rival, IPC Magazines Ltd, producing "Battle Picture Weekly", a comic notably grimmer in style than its competitor. "Battle's" success led to IPC launching another, similarly styled title, "Action", which became a success too but also became controversial, due to its violent content, such as a front cover illustration which appeared to show armed children beating up a helpless police officer. Complaints about its tone eventually led to questions being asked in the House of Commons. As a result, and despite the comics' popularity, IPC decided to drastically tone down the content after 36 issues, and issue 37 was pulped. When it returned to newsstands it was far less violent, which neutered the comic's appeal. The title quickly declined and was merged with "Battle".