Thursday 5 January 2017

January 5th, 1977 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

On the morning of this day in 1977, BBC One was showing Daktari.

To be honest, all I remember about Daktari is there was a cross-eyed lion, called Clarence, in it.

I can't remember if Clarence used to do anything. Maybe he used to rescue people from wells, like Skippy did. Maybe he used to foil smugglers. Maybe he just used to chew people's heads off. Maybe he used to sit around doing nothing and yawning all day long, as lions tend to do. Anyway, whatever he did, that's what was on.

But what of this blog? Can the rest of this post hope to match up to an intro of that quality and informed lucidity?

Strap yourselves in tight because, somehow, I have a feeling it can!

Marvel UK, Captain Britain #13, Dr Synne

Having seen a bunch of Marvel movies over the Christmas period, I wonder if we're ever going to see Captain Britain show up on the big screen? And who could ever play him?

As for that cover, Dr Synne's suddenly looking remarkably like he should be a character in a Captain Marvel story.

The Grand Comics Database tells me this cover was drawn by sometime Captain Marvel penciller Al Milgrom. This would explain it all.

But it's good to see the good captain showing a little moxie for once. Last week, he was declaring himself defeated before he'd even begun. This week, he's not even phased by being on fire.

Come to think of it, he should be phased by being on fire. Generally, being on fire isn't a good thing.

Marvel UK, Planet of the Apes #116

We're still working our way through both Battle and Beneath in the UK's greatest ever Apes-based comic.

I've taken a sneak peak at the contents of this week's issue and it is striking how mutated the humans are in the adaptations, compared to how they looked in the original movies. Needless to say, I prefer the comic book versions of them.

Super Spider-Man and the Titans #204, the Shocker

It's the fight that no one demanded! The Liberty Legion vs the Invaders!

Was the Whizzer in the Liberty Legion? And Miss America or whatever she was called? Didn't one of them have stripey trousers? Was he called The Destroyer? Was Red Raven a member?

I'm assuming the original Vision and that bloke with the flaming skull weren't members or, between them, that lot would've totally annihilated the Invaders.

Come to think of it, I think the bloke with the flaming skull may have been called The Flaming Skull. Either that or he was called The Bloke. I think it was one of those two options.

Mighty World of Marvel #223, Hulk vs Doc Samson

Hooray! Captain Marvel's back! And in Marvel's flagship comic, no less!

I assume this means we're now reaching the peak of the Thanos/Cosmic Cube tale I loved so much.

Not that I'm a megalomaniac but you cannot imagine just how much I'd love to get my hands on a Cosmic Cube.

For a start, if I had one, I'd force them to call it the Cosmic Cube in the movies, instead of, "The Tesseract." Truly, my reign of terror would know no bounds.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe it was the Flaming Bloke.
And apes are fighting with swords, now?
The wild shall wild remain.

M.P.

Dougie said...

The Blazing Skull was a latter- day Invader in the early 90s. Stripey Destroyer was an identity used by both Spitfire's brother and his boyfriend. The Liberty Legion included the Patriot, Red Raven,Miss America, Whizzer, Thin Man. Blue Diamond & Jack Frost. As you can tell, they made a big impression on me, like the Cosmic Cube story.
I was also fascinated by the Beast Brood, especially Lorelei, whom I only knew as a crossword clue in FOOM magazine.

Aggy said...

Yes The Liberty Legion was literally Roy Thomas putting together a Marvel JSA.

I'm sure he was happier when he went to DC and got to play with the real JSA.

Anonymous said...

The Whizzer... didn't he get his superpowers by injecting himself with mongoose blood?
I preferred the stories when he teamed up with a pair of Californian motorbike cops in Whizzer & Chips.

Don't recall Battle at all, but completely agree about the Beneath the Planet of the Apes adaptation being preferable to the film. But then, its hard to think of any film that wouldn't be improved by Alfredo Alcala's artwork.

Btw, Steve enjoyed the post a lot - particularly the Daktari reference - so apologies if this makes me come across as a picky old git, but... with regard to Captain Britain, shouldn't that be fazed, rather than phased?

-sean

Anonymous said...

Sean, the way things are goin', in twenty years or so they'll probably be calling me the Whizzer, and not because I can run fast.

M.P.

Anonymous said...

Personally M.P., I only ever smoke mongoose blood.
You can't let these things get out of hand...

-sean

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

By the way, Steve - do you remember Pop Quiz from the '80s and did you see either (or both) of the comeback special editions on BBC4 over Christmas/New Year ?

Steve W. said...

Sean, you are completely correct about it being, "fazed," and not, "phased." I blame Star Trek and its phasers for confusing me.

Colin, I do remember Pop Quiz. I did notice it in the Christmas TV listings but didn't get round to watching it. Still, it's BBC4, so no doubt they'll go on to repeat it infinitely like they do with everything else they have.

dangermash aka The Artistic Actuary said...

I'm guessing Luke Cage must have dropped out of MWOM this week. Hulk's still there. Too soon to lose Howling Commandos. And surely DD was safe.

Starting to thing I'm overly fixated on the changing lineups in these comics.

Steve W. said...

Dangermash, my frantic Googlings suggest that Luke Cage continued to feature in the comic, so it looks like it may have featured five strips until Nick Fury departed.