July 14th, 1976 - Marvel UK, 50 years ago this week.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

I think we're all familiar with the joke that starts with the words, "What's a Greek urn?"

And, this week in 1976, one Greek must have been urning a fortune.

That's because he was Demis Roussos and he'd just hit the Number One spot on the UK singles chart, courtesy of his never-to-be-forgotten EP The Roussos Phenomenon.

The neighbouring album chart, on the other hand, found its roost still being ruled by Rod Stewart, thanks to his latest offering A Night on the Town.

Open-minded as I am about music, I've never really been able to get into the oeuvre of Demis Roussos. Fortunately, there were tracks that I did find myself digging on that week's British Hit Parade. For instance:

You're My Best Friend - Queen

Leader of The Pack {1976} - the Shangri-Las

The Boston Tea Party - the Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Back in the USSR - the Beatles

Jolene - Dolly Parton

Good Vibrations {1976} - the Beach Boys

Show Me the Way - Peter Frampton

and

Strange Magic - ELO.

Should you wish to peruse the matter further, that week's UK singles chart lives here.

While its accompanying LP rankings reside within.

History is made, as a certain future X-Men legend makes his full debut!

And it happens when Canadian super-agent Wolverine shows up to tackle both the Hulk and Wendigo at the same time!

Meanwhile, the sister of the man who became this version of the Wendigo is scheming in the background...

Speaking of scheming, Daredevil's still trying to foil the Gladiator's devious attempt to break out of prison.

And the Angel's having a scrap with Red Raven who's gone mad and is out to eliminate mankind, or something.

Then, we get the origin of the X-Men's Iceman which, as far as I can recall, involves him getting into an altercation with a local angry mob before being rescued from his police cell, by Professor X.

But, now, we must attend a wake - because the last-ever issue of The Avengers has arrived.

Next week, the team will be in The Mighty World of Marvel instead. Or, as it became known later, The Mighty World of Marvel with the Avengers and the Savage Sword of Conan incorporating Fury and Planet of the Apes with Dracula Lives.

How I recall walking into my local newsagent's and asking for a copy of that comic.

In fact, the title's so long that, 50 years later, I'm still in that newsagent's and haven't reached the end of asking for it yet.

As far as I can make out, this week, Rascally Roy Thomas adapts Gardner F Fox's Kothar and the Conjurer's Curse in which Conan survives an attack by the demonic Yemli, accepts a sorcerer's delivery mission and then rescues someone called Stefanya, from execution. I have to say that's one busy day, even by his standards.

Next, Nifty Neal Adams arrives in full as the Vision collapses at the Avengers Mansion - and Hank Pym decides he's going to have to conduct a life-saving operation by shrinking down to the size of a body cell and entering the android's body!

Following that, we, strangely, get Lee and Colan's origin of the Watcher which I think has already seen print in both The Super-Heroes and Planet of the Apes. Someone at Marvel UK clearly likes that story.

However, of Shang-Chi, there appears to be no trace.

From that action-packed cover, I'm going to assume that Jason and Alexander are still hiding out inside Abraham Lincoln's left nostril.

Following that, we get the arrival of Paul Butterworth -- The Night-Staker in which an investigative reporter of that name assists Quincy Harker and friends in tackling Dracula.

From what I remember, this tale draws heavily on the Kolchak: Night-Stalker TV series.

Should anyone need confirmation, Laughter is Dead and that can only mean the Man-Thing continues to have problems with a dead clown who's determined that everyone in the local swamp gets to hear his life story.

And we complete the issue with To Save a Sabretooth. A Ka-Zar adventure the GCD informs me is swiped from The Bible's tale of Sodom and Gomorrah.

This is what we want!

The Spider-Mobile!

I don't care if its existence never made any sense - given that Spidey could get around New York faster without it than with it and that it made it easier for the police to find him. Only a madman wouldn't want a Spider-Mobile of their very own.

But that's not the only shock in store for us. This is the issue in which our hero discovers that Aunt May's about to get married to Dr Octopus!

Elsewhere, the Thing and Son of Satan are in the Arizona ghost town of Lawless and having to battle its founder, the spectre known as Ravenstorm!

Iron Man continues to contend with the Unicorn and Red Ghost.

But, far far away from there, the enigma that is the Silent One leads Thor to Hela who tries to kill the thunder god by ageing him to death. However, thwarting her plans, the Silent One sacrifices himself to save our pyrocumulonimbustastic protagonist.

And what of Dr Strange?

It seems he must to face The Final Curtain when challenged by an evil version of himself!

And we encounter yet another of the Mad Thinker's infallible schemes that's guaranteed to go wrong.

This time, I do believe he's decided to, one by one, replace the members of the Fantastic Four, with androids.

Beneath the waves, not only has Tiger-Shark defeated a weakened Sub-Mariner and kidnapped Lady Dorma, he's now turned up at the Atlanteans' current locale and demanded they make him their king!

As far as I'm aware, in his strip, Ghost Rider must rush the snake-bitten Roxanne to hospital for treatment, while Snake Dance's daughter defies her father, steals his antivenom and also races to save the woman.

When it comes to espionage, Hydra kidnaps one of its former members, and Nick and Dum Dum must launch a rescue bid while the Supreme Hydra infiltrates SHIELD, in disguise.

And of Captain America?

He's in Wakanda, with the Black Panther - and now a captive of Baron Zemo.

But all is not lost. Sharon Carter's there, pretending to be evil spy Irma Kruhl.

But will she have to kill her beloved, in order to protect her disguise?

The Marvel Lucky Bag - July 1986.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

Anyone entering a cinema, this month in 1986, had very little to complain about, as a whole slew of famous, notorious and unforgettable movies were unleashed, right then.

Among the gâteries Cinématographique one would have encountered were such things as About Last Night, Big Trouble in Little China, The Great Mouse Detective, Psycho III, Under the Cherry Moon, Howling II, Aliens, Haunted Honeymoon and The Patriot.

I am, of course, going to shock the world by nominating Aliens as my Steve Does Comics Film of the Month. They can't accuse me of not being controversial.

As for comics...

Judging by that cover, it looks like things are taking a turn for the worse for Ike Harris.

And it all happens in a tale titled A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste! as brought to us by none other than Walt Simonson and Keith Pollard.

My knowledge of the New Mutants is always limited but I do know that Dani Moonstar goes home for her holiday where she reunites with her former friend Pat Roberts who then pops his clogs, thanks to an inconvenient car accident.

I suspect that valuable life lessons are thus learnt.

But what's this?

An Avenger betrays the other Avengers?

How can such a thing be true?

Then again, can we guess which Avenger it's most likely to be?

Judging by his personality and track record, I'm going to guess it's most likely to be Quicksilver.

And, guess what? It seems I'm right!

Now, the Avengers must battle his lackeys the Zodiac Life Model Decoys!

Maybe it's just me but I'm not feeling this is going to be the greatest Avengers story ever told.

"...And the All-Purpose Power Tool!" declares the cover, clearly knowing what a man of my age likes.

All I know about the contents of this brand-new series is that, when danger strikes, Steelgrip Starkey relies on his engineering skills and blue-collar know-how to get things done.

Strap yourself in as we encounter a place called Were-Town!

That's right.

Man-Town.

Sounds spooky.

Again, it's one I know little of but it's got a Bret Blevins cover that's hard to ignore and the adventure within is delivered by the typewriter/pencil combo of David Michelinie and John Ridgway.

But what of the third book belonging to Marvel's flagship hero?

As far as I can make out, Peter Parker and fellow reporter Joy Mercado investigate mysterious disappearances in Appalachia - only to unearth a secret underground operation exploiting gifted captives.

Needless to say, Spider-Man's not going to put up with that sort of thing, and infiltrates the operation.

But can even the amazing arachnid adventurer stop the villain of the piece?

The man called Magma?

Forty years ago today - July 1986.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

You know what I was doing on this date in 1986?

I've no idea but let's pretend I was reading these comics.

Thor's found Balder, living in a floating castle with three beauteous maidens who turn out to be malevolent trolls manipulating his senses.

Needless to say, a punch-up between the two gods can only be moments away.

But I do recall both heroes being worryingly happy to kill trolls in this one. Which seems somewhat out of character for them.

It's the clash that had to happen when the Fantastic Four meet Adolf Hitler!

Granted, they've already met him, back in his Hatemonger days but, now, they get a crack at his younger self.

Anyway, it turns out it's all an illusion and they've been in the present all along and that, contrary to earlier reports, Reed Richards is still very much alive.

Well, that was all a waste of 75 cents.

And there's yet more illusions in this one, as Rachel Summers keeps dreaming that Wolverine's out to kill her. 

Good gravy! Are we to experience no reality, this month?

Despite now being powerless, the Black Cat manages to thwart the plans of some bad guy or other and, so, Sabretooth sets out to gain revenge on his behalf.

But the Walmart Wolverine hasn't counted on the presence of Spider-Man!

Just about everybody on the planet is now fighting the brainless Hulk - and getting nowhere with it.

As a result, the heroes decide they have no choice but to kill him.

As they've not even managed to slow him down at any point, it's a bit hard to see how they think they're going to achieve that.

Not that it matters because it turns out that being separated from each other has left both the monster and Bruce Banner dangerously unstable and the pair of them are going to die of their own accord if they're not reunited!

Captain America's finally got wind of the existence of Scourge the vigilante assassin who's been wiping out minor super-villains.

But can even the wing-headed wonder succeed where an entire bar filled with super-villains can't?

The Avengers manage to free themselves from Kang's trap - with the help of Ravonna - and Immortus reveals he's been controlling the 31st Century tyrant all along. 

The drama continues when Matt helps Karen Page overcome her drug addiction and a frustrated Kingpin recruits a patriotically deranged super-soldier to murder the man without fear.

From what I can recall, Conan and his army set out to kill a king who sent them off to die. And there's nothing going to stop the barbarian from getting what he wants.

Then again, he has an army, a demon and a monster on his side. So, perhaps his victory isn't that surprising.

Peter Parker's a man in a quandary. Torn, as he is, between his friendship for Flash Thompson and his enmity for Flash's alter-ego the Hobgoblin.

But his mind's quickly made up for him when Scourge breaks into the prison where Flash is being held - looking to kill him for being the Hobgoblin - and Spidey knows at once that he must save his friend.

I struggle to recall what happens in this one but I'm going to assume Tony Stark's out to get back at AIM for tricking him into launching their killer death-satellite for them.

Maybe there's an island involved in somewhere like South America.

Maybe there isn't.

July 7th, 1976 - Marvel UK, 50 years ago this week.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

What was occurring in this week of exactly fifty years ago?

This was occurring.

The UK's legendary heat wave peaked with a temperature of 35.9 °C (96.6 °F) in Cheltenham.

Possibly not connected with that was that, suddenly, you couldn't move for punk bands. Not only did the Clash play their first gig, opening for the Sex Pistols in Sheffield, but the Damned played their first gig too, opening for the Sex Pistols in London.

Elsewhere, but perhaps not as anarchically, David Steel was elected leader of the UK's Liberal Party.

And, on the UK singles chart, the Real Thing held onto their Number One spot, thanks to You to Me Are Everything.

While the accompanying album chart saw a brand new Number One, thanks to Rod Stewart's A Night on the Town.

Just two issues of The Avengers to go before the book's cancellation but there's still no rest for Conan the Barbarian, as he encounters yet another Lovecraftian horror from beyond the other side of sanity, thanks to a drama titled ...In the Dark Valley Waits...Death!

Thanks to H Warren Craddock and his fixation on alien threats, the Avengers find themselves caught up in a Trial of Terror!

And Shang-Chi must endure a ...Death Duel with Darkstrider!

Jason, Alexander, Malagueña and oddball inventor Lightsmith find a perfect hiding place - inside a nostril on Mount Rushmore.

Brutus the gorilla, meanwhile, is preparing an attack on the base of the Inheritors!

Back in the present day world, Dracula destroys Doctor Sun and regains his full powers but that's not enough for Blade who demands the vampire help him find the fiend who killed his mother.

And, then, it's time to strap ourselves in as we encounter a tale we'll never forget when the Man-Thing is blundering around in the swamp and encounters the corpse of a suicidal clown...

And Ka-Zar's search for the missing Zabu leads him to a city whose fanatical cult has enslaved its own people!

It's a landmark issue, all right, as the Punisher makes his shoot-first-ask-questions-later debut.

And I believe that means the Jackal also makes his first appearance.

But what's this? A brand new strip has materialised in the mag?

It certainly has because none other than Moon Knight himself tries to stop someone called the Conquer-Lord from assassinating the mayor of somewhere or other!

When it comes to the mag's old stagers, Iron Man has double trouble on his hands when the Red Ghost revives the Unicorn and ups his power levels in a bid to destroy our hero.

Thor travels to the World Beyond, in search of Odin who continues to engage in combat with the mysterious Infinity.

Meanwhile, Bashful Benjy visits an Arizona ghost town where he bumps into the Son of Satan and they discover they must battle the ghost of the town's founder.

And Dr Strange confronts the Ancient One - and the masked Dr Strange - while Baron Mordo gains control of the Aged Genghis!

The Hulk's latest Canadian adventure continues, as a young woman bids to save her brother by transferring the curse of the Wendigo onto the brute, via the use of magic.

However, not all goes to plan when a certain claw-possessing troublemaker of Canadian origin appears in the final panel, and comic book history will never be the same again!

Back in New York, it would appear that Matt Murdock and Foggy Nelson set out to assess the sanity of the imprisoned Gladiator who, inevitably, sets out to escape!

And I do believe the X-Men are prisoners of Magneto. A fact that leads to an escape bid by the Angel which leads to him bumping into an island inhabited by the mysterious Red Raven!

A brand new villain appears in the life of the Fantastic Four, as the Monocle sets out to start World War III by killing delegates at the United Nations.

And he's going to use his deadly camera to do it!

Subby has problems of his own when Doctor Dorcas transforms Olympic swimmer Todd Arliss into the villainous Tiger Shark. A foe who quickly defeats a weakened Namor before abducting Lady Dorma. Surely the most abducted woman in history. Even ahead of Sue Storm.

In the jungles of Wakanda, Captain America joins forces with the Black Panther to try and thwart Baron Zemo's latest - satellite based - wheeze.

Nick Fury leads SHIELD to its latest victory over Hydra.

And the Ghost Rider races to save Roxanne Simpson from Snake Dance's deadly ritual.

I suppose Lady Dorma can take some comfort from the fact that she might be Marvel's most abducted female but at least she's not as prone to being sacrificed as Roxanne is.

The Marvel Lucky Bag - July 1976.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

It's July 1976 and there's a record-breaking heatwave going on.

I know; I'll take refuge in a cinema. It's always cold in cinemas. Just like it's always cold in any hotel room I find myself in.

But what shall I see in that cinema?

I may see one of the following, as they're all films released in that very month. Cannonball, Gus, The Opening of Misty Beethoven, The Bingo Long Travelling All-Stars & Motor Kings, A*P*E and St. Ives. I'm sorry. Are these actual real films? They all sound like they were created by a random name generator.

Fortunately, there were some films with sensible titles released that month. Films I've heard of. Films that actually turn up on TV. And amongst those were At the Earth's Core, Futureworld and Squirm.

I must confess to never having seen Squirm, as it seems like the sort of film I wouldn't enjoy watching, but I have seen Futureworld and At the Earth's Core and, of course, approve of them both.

Of the pair, I think I shall nominate Futureworld as my Steve Does Comics Film of the Month, simply because I feel it's an unfairly dismissed movie and someone has to speak up for it at some point.

No bear is safe with Red Sonja around!

Not even the ones that are gods.

Not when she spots the chance to pick up a financial reward from the people of a nearby town.

It's great news for all lovers of Erich von Däniken when a brand new book hits our lives and Jack Kirby delivers his take on the Ancient Astronaut theory and reveals that Earth isn't only the domain of humans but is also the playground of Eternals and Deviants, and that giant space gods are coming back to, literally, stand in judgement on us all!

People may be aware I'm not the greatest Invaders fan - especially with it being blessed by the quirky art of Frank Robbins - but how can I ignore this issue when it features what I assume to be the first appearance of none other than Baron Blood himself?

And I've never been a huge fan of Deathlok either but I must confess that's an eye-catching cover by Rich Buckler who's clearly decided to demonstrate he can be Jim Steranko as well as Jack Kirby.

As for the story, it would appear that our hero fights and defeats the first Luther Manning clone!

Following that, he runs into someone called Godwulf. An event that causes people to think our protagonist is dead!

Deathlok may not be dead but this comic is, as I have to announce this would appear to be the last issue of the current run of Astonishing Tales.

The Thing battles the Basilisk in the Savage Land before they get teleported to New York where Spider-Man shows up and joins the fight against the villain who's getting ready to destroy the city.

Spider-Man appearing in the Thing's team-up book does, of course, open up the way for a neat idea. Which is for the Thing to appear, simultaneously, in Spider-Man's team-up book!

And that means yet more battling with the baffling Basilisk!

I was never into the Black Panther/Ku Klux Klan story line but even I must admit that's a dramatic cover by Rowdy Rich Buckler.

From what I can gather, inside this epic, Monica Lynne's mother tells her about a Klan attack during the Reconstruction era and, for some reason, the singer re-imagines it with the Panther involved.

Satana gets to hog this month's Marvel Preview - and does so thanks to a tale in which four sorcerers trap her in an hallucination that causes her to think she's a fully-human woman called Judith Camber.

For some reason, every time I proofread this post, I misread that as, "Judith Chalmers," which, for British readers, would give the story a whole other vibe.

Elsewhere, the mag also gives us The Sword in the Star!: Stave 2: Witchworld!

I have no idea what happens in that one.

And Daredevil celebrates his fourth-ever annual by getting into a scrap with the Black Panther and Sub-Mariner during a drama I remember being reprinted in one of the Marvel UK annuals.

Sadly, I recall little of the tale itself, other than extortion being involved and it being called The Name of the Game is... Death!

Fifty years ago today - July 1976.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

Hooray!

It's July!

Already!

And we all know what's significant about that month!

It's the first month of the year!

And that means it's the one in which we all rush out and buy ourselves a brand new calendar!

And what better one to buy, here in 1976, than the one that Marvel Comics has issued to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the United States of Statesland declaring independence from the United Britain of Kingdoms!

And what a publication it is, packed solid with images of our favourite heroes - and Toro - as, month by month, it takes us through significant moments in both the history of the War of Independence and the history of Marvel and its creators.

Granted, there are some strangenesses, such as its depiction of Conan and the Black Panther leading the revolutionary charge. I'm not totally sure just when either of them became American.

But the good news for those with fond memories of that calendar is that, once again, it can be yours - and in pristine condition because Marvel has reissued it to celebrate that nation's 250th birthday and the calendar's 50th - and that brand-new version of it is available from all good retailers, including the likes of eBay and Amazon.

So, that in mind, let's see just what that calendar tells us awaits us in this the month of July.

And, now, the regular stuff.

Isn't this the story in which our favourite team are having all kinds of trouble with Orka the human killer whale until Thor turns up and flattens him before revealing he normally doesn't hit his foes as hard as he could, for fear of hurting them?

Given the threat posed to him by most of his opponents, I find this claim very hard to believe.

Regardless, it starts to raise doubts in the thunder god's mind as to whether he's slumming it by hanging around with mere mortals.

As far as I can make out, June 1976 saw the launch of legendary ITV children's drama serial The Feathered Serpent, starring Patrick Troughton and Diane Keen as the world's most Anglo-Saxon Aztecs.

Meanwhile, Conan's comic that's cover-dated a mere month later shocks us all with its reference to the fiends of the Feathered Serpent.

How can this be mere coincidence?

Apparently, it can be.

As for what happens in it, it would appear our hero establishes himself as the Feargal Sharkey of his generation by saving a village from an evil wizard who's dumping toxic waste in its river.

I've not read this one but the internet informs me that someone called Professor Harding breaks his ties with the Elites and decides to help Cap and Falc do something or other.

Meanwhile, someone called Malcolm orders the activation of the Big Daddy Madbomb.

I do believe this is at least the second time Daredevil's been wrongly accused of murdering the Jester.

And I suspect the villain's ploy will be no more successful this time than it was the first.

As that cover makes clear, It's the one in which Galactus is using the Destroyer as a herald.

More urgently, golden gorilla Gorr's taken the gang to Counter-Earth where they have to quickly prepare for the arrival of the planet-eater himself. 

"The most unexpected barbarian of all!" declares the front cover!

I suspect that's because no one's ever heard of him.

But it would appear that this issue's Conan wannabe is someone called Kronak which is almost an anagram of Arkon and I can shed no more light upon him than that.

The Blood Brothers are back and that's all I know of this one - other than that it's brought to us by Archie Goodwin and George Tuska.

Aunt May's weak heart survives yet another incident that'd inflict total cardiac arrest upon the healthiest of people.

But, meanwhile, it would seem the currently spectral Hammerhead manages to trick Dr Octopus into returning him to the world of the solid!

Nope. No idea what occurs in this issue - but it does look like Thor's finally developed the sense to give Odin the slap he's been asking for ever since he first appeared in the strip.