Boring Death's Head cover

Former Marvel UK editor in chief Richard Starkings just sent me this unused cover for the original Dragon's Claws #5, drawn by Geofff Senior, following discussion about Death's Head on It Came from Darkmoor.

Richard says the cover was rejected as "too boring" and wonders just why Simon Furman was not asked to write Death's Head II when Paul Neary took editorial control at Marvel UK back in the 1990s.

"I never understood why he wasn't writing the relaunch," says Richard, "having worked with him on... um, everything, I know that he would have taken on a new direction quite happily."

As I recall, Simon did indeed pitch a revamped Death's Head treatment to Paul, which was rejected, but I don't know the reasons.