Wednesday 5 February 2014

Forty years ago today - February 1974.

Forty years ago this month, the UK election produced a hung parliament, meaning no one was in charge of the country. Oh how we all miss the good old days of being able to hang Parliament.

But were our favourite Marvel heroes of forty years ago being as indecisive as the British public?

Or were they instead too busy hitting their opponents in the Marginals to care?

Only a trip on the Steve Does Comics Swingometer can tell us.

Amazing Spider-Man #129, the Punisher

Everyone's favourite psychotic gunman makes his debut, as the Jackal convinces the Punisher to try and kill everyone's favourite wall-crawler.
Avengers #120, Zodiac

Zodiac are back - and giving the Avengers far more trouble than they really should be.

Is this the one where Zodiac have a gun that kills everyone of a certain star sign? I'd love to know exactly how that gun knows what people's star signs are.
Captain America and the Falcon #170

I had this issue a few years back but never got round to reading it before selling it on.

However, my razor-sharp senses tell me things are looking bad for our hero.
Conan the Barbarian #35, Kara-Shera

Gil Kane? Conan? Sword? Monster? Cowering Blonde? This is like the quintessential Conan cover isn't it?
Fantastic Four #143, Dr Doom

I think I've read this one in the last few years. Doesn't Dr Doom create some sort of super-powerful lackey or something? And doesn't the Silver Surfer turn up?
Incredible Hulk #172, the Juggernaut

The Hulk and the Juggernaut team up to smash up Thunderbolt Ross's beloved Hulkbuster Base.

Needless to say, it's not long before they're then trying to smash each other up.
Iron Man #66, Thor

I've never read this one but I really don't fancy Iron Man's chances.
Thor #220, Avalon

Are we still on that planet with all the giants on it?

I must confess we're on the threshold of a Thor era of which I know little.
X-Men #86, the Blob and the Vanisher

Only eight issues to go now before the New X-Men make their debut.

But who needs that when quality villains like the Blob and the Vanisher are back?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I had everyone of those comics back in the day (still have most of them today all the worse for wear) I recall swapping Spider-man 129 as I like the art or story and and thought the Punisher was a rotten character (of all the ones not to keep worth a fair bit now) ) for a Conan black and White mag, and thought I got the better deal darn it!!! - Captain America 170 was the one where the Falcon got his new costume / wings - the Avengers 120 (think art by Bob Brown and Don Heck) was indeed the issue that Zodiac used his death-star blaster to kill every person in New York that was born under a specific zodiac sign (I think even as a kid I thought that was a daft story line) . McScotty

Anonymous said...

I never had X-Men #86, but I had #38, from which it was reprinted. In fact, #38 was the only Silver Age X-Men issue I ever had. (And the only other X-Men issues I ever had were from around 1983-84.) I don't remember what happened to it. I was more of a DC fan, anyway, so I probably traded it for Brother Power the Geek #1 or Showcase #66.