July 21st, 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. 

***

Many were the things that happened, this week in 1976.

For instance, Jimmy Carter was nominated for President at the Democratic National Convention in New York.

Elsewhere, Albert Spaggiari and his gang broke into the vault of the Société Generale Bank in Nice.

The 1976 Olympics began in Montreal and 14-year-old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci made history by gaining the first of seven perfect scores.

East Timor became the 27th province of Indonesia.

Viking 1 successfully landed on Mars.

American criminal Gary Gilmore -  whose eyes would later be immortalised in song by the Adverts - was arrested for murdering two men in Utah.

And, of course, the world was introduced to the first of a series of articles in The Times which demonstrated that a number of paintings attributed to Samuel Palmer were, in fact, the work of master forger Tom Keating.

When it came to the record industry, the week's UK Number One spot was grabbed by Elton John and Kiki Dee's Don't Go Breaking My Heart.

While the accompanying LP rankings belonged to the Beach Boys' 20 Golden Greats.

But, holy historians, Batman! Doing these weekly posts is starting to resemble watching one of those time-lapse videos on YouTube that depict the decline of the Roman Empire via the medium of maps.

And that's because, fifty years ago this week, Marvel UK now found itself down to publishing just four comics a week. Could this nightmare mean the end was nigh for our favourite reprint imprint?

I do believe I detect a Larry Lieber cover. Is this the first one he's ever done for Marvel UK?

When it comes to the comic's innards, I'm certain that Jason and Alexander are still having some sort of battle for control of Abraham Lincoln's nostril, at Mount Rushmore.

When it comes to the world of the undead, the not-at-all-Kolchak-inspired investigative reporter Paul Butterworth continues to assist Quincy Harker and friends in seeing off Dracula.

Man-Thing's still being mithered by a ghostly clown determined that everyone should know which events drove him to suicide in a swamp. 

And in another swamp in another continent, Ka-Zar's up against someone who hunts things purely to impress his father - but who gets miffed that his dad prefers his other son.

History's made, as The Avengers comic merges with MWOM and gives me my very first taste of Neal Adams' stint on the Kree/Skrull War when Ant-Man endeavours to survive a journey through the inner workings of the Vision!

But, before that, what of the cover star?

The Wendigo's sister's managed to knock out both the Hulk and Wolverine and is aiming to transfer the Wendigo curse to Bruce Banner!

Fortunately, her friend Georges decides to foil that plan by transferring the Wendigo curse onto himself!

And I suspect that this issue features a Marc Bolan interview in which the king of Glam discusses his love of Marvel comics.

But it's not just the Avengers who've made the switch to this publication. So has Conan and, having rescued someone called Stefanya, he must now confront the stone monster that mankind knows as Shokkoth.

The lawyer that mankind knows as Matt Murdock, meanwhile, has left New York and travelled to Hollywood, in search of Karen Page. I can only suspect a clash with that town's motorbike riding robber the Stunt-Master is brewing.

It's one of the least likely story lines in the history of great literature, as Dr Octopus decides to marry Aunt May in an attempt to get his hands on her nuclear power plant!

Heaven only knows what Steve Ditko would have made of it all.

In other news, Moon Knight tries to stop someone called Conquer-Lord from assassinating the mayor of somewhere or other but someone called Marlene is captured during the fight.

Far far away from there, the Silent One leads Thor to Hela who tries to kill our hero by ageing him to death!

Fortunately for the universe, that selfsame Silent One gives his life to save the thunder god. I'm fairly certain this is the same plot summary I gave last week. I can only assume this whole process took a fair amount of time.

Either that or, last week, I was wrong.

When it comes to Iron Man, I do believe he remains in conflict with the Red Ghost who's revived and powered-up the Unicorn.

And Dr Strange enters the Dimension of Dreams where he defeats Nightmare and releases Eternity from the vesper-packed villain's vituperous clutches. It seems that Nightmare had caused Eternity to dream the end of our world but Strange and the Ancient One soon put that right.

And look at that. It's another Larry Lieber cover.

Within this magnificent mag, the Fantastic Four take on a creature from space. One that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Creature from the Black Lagoon. You have to say that, by this point, Jolly Jack was making no attempt at all to disguise his sources.

Even more excitingly, this was an issue that I, somehow, found myself possessing two copies of, meaning I was free to colour-in one of them with my coloured pencils. If Marvel UK had had any sense, they'd have marketed their comics as colouring books and used the monochrome as a selling point.

Far away from the sea, and in the middle of Wakanda, the disguised Sharon Carter sabotages Baron Zemo’s homicidal satellite and helps Captain America and the Black Panther escape the villain's schemings.

But, back to things aquatic because Prince Namor defeats Tiger Shark and reclaims the throne of Atlantis!

And, in the Ghost Rider's strip, Roxanne Simpson's saved by a blood transfusion and antivenom supplied by Linda Littletrees who's then transformed into the Witch-Woman and sets out to kill Ghostie!

Speak Your Brain! Part 129.

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

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

A famous advertising campaign once claimed that it's good to talk.

And that may be true.

But what's even better is typing.

Why, there are days when I can barely even stop typing.

I'm like a literal typing machine.

But what should I type?

And, for that matter, what should any of us type?

That's what we're about to find out because, bang on cue, it's the awe-inspiring return of the feature in which you - and only you - get to decide just what is to be discussed.

Therefore, feel free to make use of the comments section below, to begin that discussion.

And then, no doubt, shall our typing fingers begin to fly. 

2000 AD - June 1988.

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

***

World Cup fever's been gripping the globe, of late, but June 1988 saw our beloved continent sit down to watch the Uefa Euro 1988 Football Tournament in West Germany, which would be famously won by the Netherlands.

And, just as now, the temperature was on everyone's mind. This time because NASA scientist James Hansen testified to the United States Senate that human-made global warming had begun!

But, whatever happens in football - and whatever happens with the weather - one thing is always with us.

And that's the art form mankind knows as cinema.

And so it was that the month saw the release of such motion pictures as Big, Poltergeist III, the Presidio, Puss in Boots, Bull Durham, Red Heat, Waxwork, Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Coming to America.

I am, inevitably, going to nominate Who Framed Roger Rabbit as my Movie of the Month. Other opinions are, of course, available.

And what of the music scene?

June kicked off with the unlikely pairing of Wet Wet Wet and Billy Bragg at Number One on the UK singles chart, thanks to their covers of With a Little Help from My Friends and She's Leaving Home. But, before long, that pairing was usurped by the Timelords (otherwise known as the KLF) and their track Doctorin' the Tardis, before the awesome new musical force that was Bros seized the pinnacle, with their smash hit I Owe You Nothing.

When it came to the accompanying album chart, the month breezed in with Various Artists' Nite Flite atop the pile before that was smited by the appearing-from-out-of-nowhere power of Tracy Chapman and her eponymous LP of the same name.

"Well, that's all well and good," I hear you cry, "but what of the Galaxy's Greatest Comic? Just what that was delivering to us?"

It was mostly delivering Bad Company, The Journal of Luke Kirby, Judge Dredd and A.B.C. Warriors, while Prog 580 saw the return of old warhorse Strontium Dog.

But there was a new occurrence.

And that was Prog 578's arrival of Tales of the Doghouse, by lan Grant and Colin MacNeil which was, it seems, a series of short stories set in the world of Strontium Dog. However, instead of focusing on that strip's protagonist Johnny Alpha, this sporadic feature devoted its attentions to other mutant bounty hunters working for the Search/Destroy Agency.

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.