November 10th, 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. 

***

It's not every week that an entire city makes it to Number One on the UK singles chart.

But that's what happened, this week in 1976, because a song called If You Leave Me Now by

Chicago seized the top spot on that very Hit Parade.

The accompanying album rankings, on the other hand, saw Led Zeppelin climb four places to secure that summit, with The Song Remains the Same, which seems an odd title for an album if you're trying to get people to buy it. Surely we're going to want at least some sort of variety from the LP?

If You Leave Me Now is tolerable to my ears but there were other tracks I preferred in that Top 50. And they included:

Play that Funky Music - Wild Cherry

Love and Affection - Joan Armatrading

Couldn't Get It Right - the Climax Blues Band

Substitute {1976} - the Who

The Rubberband Man - the Detroit Spinners

Sailing {1976} - Rod Stewart

Dancing Queen - ABBA

I'll Meet You at Midnight - Smokie

Lost in France - Bonnie Tyler

Without You {1976} - Nilsson

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word - Elton John

and 

Livin' Thing - ELO.

Should further investigation into the issues raised by this post be needed, that week's UK singles chart can be found here.

While its neighbouring album listings dwell within.

It's the beginning of a famine for me because not only did I not own this issue but I didn't own any more issues of Captain Britain until he got his glossy cover and the Red Skull showed up.

Still, that doesn't stop me from talking about the contents of this week's masterpiece.

In it, spills are piled upon thrills, as the comic's star investigates the mysterious villain Hurricane after amateur photographer Sandy York's discovery that the criminal emits radiation!

Hold on. Does this mean he's secretly Radion - another villain who likes destroying London airports in stories written by Chris Claremont?

Either way, we can tell we're in England because we're calling each other "Chum" on the cover.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the Thing battles the Hulk on the streets of New York while Reed Richards tries to concoct a cure for Ben’s personality disorder.

But it may be too late for that because, as Alicia attempts to reach Ben, she's injured by falling debris and a distracted Thing is struck by a seemingly lethal blow from his foe

Meanwhile, Nick Fury, Captain America and the Fantastic Four battle an invasion that's plunged New York into darkness. Undeterred, Reed develops an experimental weapon while Fury destroys something called the Id-Paralyzer.

However, Jimmy Woo suspects the Yellow Claw to be behind it all.

It's the news we've all been waiting for, as we finally reach Marvel's adaptation of Battle for the Planet of the Apes which was the first Apes film I ever saw. This fact alone could explain why I like the movie when everyone else hates it.

Regardless, what it means is we get to see the trouble-making gorilla Aldo in sensational solo action, riding around looking at things in a grumpy manner and helping to fix a cart wheel in a grumpy fashion.

Elsewhere, concerned about the plague ravaging the Savage Land and turning people into homicidal maniacs, Ka-Zar's travelled to London in search of assistance.

But, unknown to him, Klaw and a mysterious ally are also headed that way...

Back in the United States, an evil spirit's in the process of possessing every animal in the swamp.

And only the Man-Thing, a man called Ezekiel Tork and a dog called Dawg can thwart it.

In our latest short tale narrated by Dracula, a Martian takes on the identity of an innocent human in order to gather information for a full-blown invasion of Earth.

However, what he doesn't know is that innocent human is nothing of the sort. 

He's actually a Venusian!

And he has plans to stop him!

"But what of the latest instalment of Marvel's take on the original Apes movie?" you demand to know. I can reveal that, in a cave in the Forbidden Zone, Taylor and his chimp chums have found a doll...

I do believe this cover is a clue that Conan may be up against a giant scorpion, this week.

And I believe this may be connected to his problem of having to deal with a giant shadow that's roaming the land and killing everyone.

But, before we reach that adventure, we encounter the Hulk in a tale that sees the brute befriend a blind girl and set out to capture a serum from the Mole Man. One that could restore her sight.

Needless to say, he succeeds and gives us all the heart-warming ending we may or may not have been demanding.

Next, Luke Cage confronts Diamondback who I believe to be the man who framed him for a crime he didn't commit.

Sadly,  the villain dies during the clash, meaning Luke can't get him to clear his name with a confession.

That's followed by the aforementioned Conan adventure.

And A Life on the Line sees Daredevil and the Black Panther continue to investigate a gang that's recruiting disadvantaged youngsters into a life of crime.

I do detect the return of the Tarantula.

He may not be a great villain but I have always liked his costume.

And I do believe this is the thriller in which he escapes from prison by making himself a new pair of pointy shoes in the prison workshop.

Presumably, it was the same prison workshop in which the Shocker first created his vibra-machine.

Even more importantly, this is the issue in which we discover Gwen Stacy's clone is unwittingly working for the Jackal!

Thor battles to prevent Loki's marriage to Sif but needn't have bothered because Odin finally intervenes, reveals that Loki's magic ring is killing its wearer, then banishes him to another realm.

But is that going to lead to even more trouble?

Tragedy's on its way when Tony Stark decides to retire as Iron Man and recruits Eddie March as his replacement, not knowing the ex-boxer has a potentially fatal blood clot and could die if anyone hits him in the head.

And along comes the Crimson Dynamo, looking to hit him in the head!

The latest instalment of Blitzkrieg at Bermuda sees the Invaders still trying to foil a Nazi plot to assassinate Winston Churchill!

Spider-Man and the Vision continue to battle the Puppet Master's alien robot: the Monstroid.

But, strangely, the issue ends with the Lee/Kirby oldie The Stronger I Am, the Sooner I Die! in which Loki first transforms inveterate jailbird Crusher Creel into the Absorbing Man.

It's more Hellenic hi-jinks from Barry Smith, as the Avengers continue their invasion of Olympus in a bid to stop Ares who I think has turned the Greek gods to crystal!

Elsewhere, SHIELD sends Captain America to rescue Sharon Carter from the Trapster but she's actually a Life Model Decoy and the real Sharon has orchestrated the whole thing to bring down the villain.

Is this the one in which Cap triumphs because Sharon's put nail varnish remover in the Trapster's paste? This after twenty pages of the crook declaring that his paste makes him unbeatable?

Next, Triton visits New York and encounters nothing but fear and hostility wherever he goes. When he gets back home, he warns Black Bolt that mankind is entirely composed of nut jobs and his king decides it's time to urgently move their city to a new location.

Namor continues to work with the Original Human Torch in their bid to prevent the Mad Thinker, Puppet Master and Egghead from menacing America with a nationwide power-disruption weapon.

And The Hell-Bound Hero! sees a weaker-than-normal Ghost Rider defeat Inferno.

The Marvel Lucky Bag - November 1986.

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

***

Films!

I've got 'em!

But not, by and large, the ones on the following list.

52 Pick-Up, Sid and Nancy, Something Wild, Heat, Hoosiers, An American Tail, Defense of the Realm, Firewalker, The Wraith, The Mosquito Coast, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Eye of the Tiger.

And those are ones that came out in November 1986.

Thinking about it, I do believe that, of that lot, I've only seen Star Trek IV, which was OK but I'm not sure it was worthy of the coveted-by-Hollywood Steve Does Comics Movie of the Month award that can be the difference between box office success and failure.

Therefore, I shall leave it to my readers to decide just what was the outstanding cinematic offering from that selection.

But, speaking of films, everyone's favourite movie that combines Anthony Newley impressions with Muppets now has its very own Marvel Comics adaptation in which a young girl wishes her baby brother would disappear and the Goblin King is only too happy to oblige!

And it's all brought to us by Sid Jacobson, Jim Henson, Dennis Lee, Terry Jones, John Buscema and Romeo Tanghal.

Spider-Man only goes and lands himself his 20th annual and it sees the man known as Iron Man 2020 travel back in time, seeking a retinal imprint from a terrorist who's armed an experimental bomb in our future!

Blimey!

But there's a catch.

And that's that, in our time, his quarry is both a child and a friend of Spider-Man!

That's a very Captain America style cover from Ron Frenz.

However, this is not an issue dedicated to Steve Rogers. It's a brand new publication from Marvel's New Universe experiment and it sees New York Smashers quarterback Jack Magniconte given a boost to his strength and stamina, thanks to his brother's latest invention.

But then, just like Dr Reinstein, his brother's killed by bad men - and our hero, his wife and teammates launch an organisation called Kickers, Inc, which is designed to help those with special problems.

That all-guns-blazing cover tells us soldier of fortune Mark Hazzard is our latest arrival from the New Universe's universe and, faster than you can say, "Aren't you just a Punisher rip-off?" he takes out the president of a south Pacific country!

He also tries to save his victim's daughter from the rebels he works for. However, Mark the merc fails. Presumably proving he's better at killing people than he is at saving them.

And the New Universe strikes again!

This time, teenager Keith Remsen wakes from a coma, with the power to enter and manipulate the dreams of others, while his sister acts as his anchor to the real world. I'm getting, "Sandman meets Cloak and Dagger meets New Mutants," vibes.

Good grief! There's even more action from the New Universe.

This time, some people called Kathy and Tyrone help a former CIA agent escape the KGB.

And this all, somehow, leads to the creation of a team called Psi-Force!

But it's the news all GI Joe fans have been begging for, as Larry Hama and Herb Trimpe give us one-page profiles of all our favourite GI Joe related characters, spread over 36 mighty pages we'll never forget.

And The New Universe strikes again: this time, when a seemingly amnesiac warrior from another planet begins killing criminals involved in narcotics.

In Manhattan, he tracks down a drug ring working from a place called The Factory and bumps off its owner.

At the same time, two FBI agents infiltrate the place, also looking to bring down the organisation.

With all that going on, it all sounds like a recipe for chaos, confusion and mutual misunderstandings.

Is there no end to the bounty the New Universe has to bring us?

It seems not, as a man called Dr Randy meets a man called Dave, after Dave has an overdose of painkillers.

Then, once it becomes clear that one of them has super-powers, the duo travel to The Clinic, a facility set up to treat those with "paranormalities."

But can it be that The Clinic has sinister plans for the "paranormals" in its care?

It sounds to me like someone needs to set Mark Hazzard and an amnesiac warrior on it.

Forty years ago today - November 1986.

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

***

Excitement mounts as Marvel celebrates its 25th birthday!

And a thrilling, action-packed cover tells us that Iron Man's on board with it.

And he's not the only one present, because this issue sees Simon Steel inflict an updated version of the Iron Monger upon no lesser target than Dominic Fortune.

However, as you might expect, Shellhead gets in the villain's way.

But not in time to save Fortune!

Spidey's clearly determined to not be outdone by Iron Man when it comes to boring covers.

But what of his innards?

His innards currently contain the aftermath of Flash Thompson's escape from jail. A feat that sees the whole city trying to track him down.

Jonah, though, still has his mind on the wall-crawler and even recruits X-Factor in a bid to defeat our hero!

And even Conan can't escape The Curse of the Boring Cover.

But, inside, I have no doubt things are far more thrilling when the barbarian seeks out Ybn Lord of Assassins, in a mission to find the boy-king child of someone called Anneka.

I'm assuming this isn't the Anneka of Japanese Boy fame. For some reason, her turning up in a Conan story would give me great pleasure.

Ooh. Hold on. I actually had this one.

I remember Barry Smith drawing it and it involving Daredevil and the Black Widow vs some sort of PTSD Super-Soldier person who needs stopping before he does any more damage.

You'd never guess it from that cover but Avengers drama hits heights it's arguably never reached before, as Baron Zemo and his new Masters of Evil seize control of the Avengers Mansion while the heroes are all out doing other things!

Can Cap's reputation ever recover?

It's starting to look like it never may because, after he gets bad press for killing a terrorist, someone called Super-Patriot steps in to take his place in the hearts of Americans!

Why do I feel like Super-Patriot is going to turn out to be a bad guy?

I'm going to venture that this Incredible Hulk issue sports the weakest of Marvel's covers, this month.

But, within, things are stirring, thanks to a funeral and Zzzax being brought to Gamma Base.

And when the Hulk seems to break out of that selfsame base, SHIELD finds itself up against a new Hulk! One who grabs Bruce Banner and abducts him!

According to the GCD, Peter Parker investigates a gang that's insinuated itself into an apartment building.

I'm not totally sure how you insinuate yourself into a building but they've managed it somehow.

I'm going to venture that, of this month's cover artists, John Romita Jr has done the best job when it comes to trying to make something from the basic theme.

And it's for an issue in which the Marauders cut a swathe of destruction through the Morlocks' tunnels while our favourite mutants try to stop them.

But what's this? Barry Smith too has managed to inject some kind of interest into the cover template.

He also draws some of the interior pages - as do Kerry Gammill, Ron Frenz, Al Milgrom and John Buscema. Just what's going on with this issue?

And why is it 64 pages long?

Regardless, it's a story that sees our favourite super-team battle the Mole Man.

And it sees the Thing reclaim his place among their ranks.

Only 23 pages for Thor, though, as he returns to Earth for some Me Time. But he's soon warned by his friends the frogs that something's amiss underground.

Needless to say, he's not going to put up with that sort of thing.

And that brings him into conflict with the Marauders - and into a crossover with the X-Men.

November 3rd, 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. 

***

All eyes, of late, have been on the elections in the United States and what they might mean for the safety of the world.

However, as Colin Jones recently pointed out on this very site; 50 years ago, this week, all eyes were on another president when Jimmy Carter narrowly defeated Gerald Ford to become the Deep South's first candidate to attain the post since the Civil War.

Only two weeks after we saw Spidey fight that French felon the Cyclone, the UK gets to see its very own hero tackling the Hurricane. Clearly, back then, there was a trend for super-villains to be blustery.

And it all happens when the windbag chooses Thames University as his battleground, attracting the attention of its most super-powered student Brian Braddock.

Following that, the FF's strip sees the Thing on a destructive rampage across New York.

Clearly, the situation needs to be calmed down and Reed Richards knows just how to do that.

He brings in Bruce Banner.

Because, as we all know, there's no one better at calming a situation than Bruce Banner.

Elsewhere, Nick Fury asks Captain America to investigate a mysterious group of men secretly gathering at the Statue of Liberty!

In the latest instalment of the melodrama that spans the gap between Conquest and Battle, Caesar wins his duel with Aldo and thus is a future of harmony between ape and mankind guaranteed.

Following that, a monster called Man-Thing, a man called Zeke and a dog called Dawg are in the Everglades, battling with possessed alligators.

And there's yet more trouble for Ka-Zar when Tongah goes foaming-at-the-mouth mad and attacks him, straight after trying to single-handedly beat up a tyrannosaurus.

When it comes to Marvel's adaptation of the first Apes movie, Taylor and his simian chums find themselves in a mysterious cave that contains secrets pertinent to the history of apekind.

That cover tells me we're about to get the tale in which the Hulk tackles the Mole Man and his hordes, in an attempt to restore sight to a blind girl. I'm going to venture that it's the first Hulk story to be narrated entirely in the first person.

Next, Luke Cage's new status as a hero for hire on the streets of Harlem leads to conflict with crime boss Diamondback.

But what's this? Can that crime boss secretly be his former friend Willis Stryker?

Conan's still having trouble with a giant shadow that likes to kill everyone. Against a foe like that, I'm suspecting he may need the help of a giant golden scorpion.

And A Life On The Line sees Daredevil and the Black Panther investigate - and attempt to stop - a gang that's been recruiting disadvantaged young people.

Spidey has more headaches than ever when the Jackal offers the Scorpion a chance for revenge against the hero.

This leads the villain to a hospital.

And this leads to the anthropomorphic arthropod being forced to apologise to Aunt May for frightening her.

Thor, meanwhile, is still trying to put an end to Loki's rule in Asgard.

And I do believe Iron Man continues to battle a security guard granted extra powers by a Lucifer determined to get back into our world.

The Invaders, on the other hand, are still trying to foil the U-Man's plot to kill Winston Churchill, with the Sub-Mariner feeling particularly motivated to do so.

And Spider-Man encounters a Vision suffering mysterious seizures. Trying to find the source of the problem leads the pair to the Puppet Master who now has control of an alien robot called the Monstroid. A machine whose activities are interfering with the Vision's brain functions!

Things are hotting up for both the Avengers and Olympus when the gang attempt to restore Hercules' lost memories and Hawkeye explains how he returned to Earth after the Kree-Skrull War and got himself a snazzy new costume that's bound to wow the fans.

Weirdly, my strongest memory of this one is that it features a chat between the Vision and Jarvis during sandwich preparation.

In another part of New York, Dr Faustus continues his campaign to drive Captain America mad with hallucinations of Bucky.

But can it be that the Star-Spangled psychiatric specimen has begun to see through the Freudian trickery? 

Elsewhere, Triton's been captured by a film crew but soon breaks free, overwhelms them and escapes into the ocean.

Prince Namor has much on his plate when he discovers the Mad Thinker, Puppet Master and Egghead are planning to conquer America by using a device that's capable of shutting down electrical and mechanical systems.

As you'd expect, this leads to him teaming up with the Original Human Torch. But, then, the pair discover the "Torch" is actually a brainwashed Toro!

Finally, Satan gets Roxanne Simpson to abandon her protection of the Ghost Rider who subsequently loses much of his power but must still fight someone called Inferno!

The Marvel Lucky Bag - November 1976.

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

***

A wise man called Cliff once said, "Carrie doesn't live here anymore."

Then he added, "Carrie used to room on the second floor."

I don't know if either of those claims has since proven to be correct but I do know that in November 1976, Carrie was living in your local cinema.

That's because it was the month that saw the release of the film of the same name.

And it wasn't alone, for that November also saw the unveiling of Assault on Precinct 13, The Last Tycoon, Rocky, Shout at the Devil, Network, Buffalo Rider and, of course, Sybil.

Of the above, I think the only ones I've ever seen are Carrie, Assault on Precinct 13 and parts of Rocky. Therefore, in the absence of true insight, I shall declare Assault on Precinct 13 to be the official Steve Does Comics Movie of the Month.

But hooray! The cover declares Warlock to have been unleashed at last!

Unfortunately, this also happens to be the last issue of his book. Therefore, I can only assume he's used this new-found freedom to flee the scene.

I'm certain I read this epic in the pages of Marvel UK's Star Wars Weekly but must confess to having no recollection of the events that occur within.

I do know, though, that it introduces us to such luminaries as Marr Gar, Lamilm Gor, the Ancient Traveller and, last but not, I'm sure, least, Constable Trueheart.

Sadly, I don't recall who any of those majestically monikered people are.

However, I certainly do recall the events in this one, as we finally get the Red Sonja/Conan clash we've all been demanding.

When the Sonj delivers a stolen page, from the Book of Skelos, to the sorcerer Karanthes, it turns out Conan's been following her and wants the page for himself.

And not one of that trio is the type to discuss things reasonably.

But, now, it's an even greater clash of the titans than Red Sonja vs Conan!

Now, we encounter the Dracula vs Silver Surfer clash we may never have expected to see.

I wish I could give a blow-by-blow description of what transpires within but my recollections of it are vague.

I do, however, have a feeling the Surfer's summoned by someone, specifically to put a stop to the lord of all vampires!

Thor lands himself his fifth annual and I do believe it tells us of a time in the past when Hercules challenged the thunder god - and tensions escalated so badly it led to an unwinnable war between Asgard and Olympus!

And, of course, it was all the fault of Loki.

But what's this? It's not just Thor who gets an annual? So does Luke Cage?

I have a feeling this is the adventure in which our hero for hire visits Japan and has an encounter with Moses Magnum who's up to his usual magma disrupting tricks.

It's not a team-up that should be possible but the Thing and Doc Savage join forces to combat a living black hole!

It's starting to look like everyone's getting an annual, because, now, the Defenders score their first-ever.

In it, the Red Guardian and Nighthawk visit France, in a bid to stop Nebulon's Bozos but are quickly captured by the Headmen!

And so are the rest of the gang.

And Jack Norriss!

The Avengers' sixth annual sees the gang re-encounter both Nuklo and the Living Laser in a thriller called No Final Victory!

Meanwhile, the issue's second strip is Night Vision! starring the android of that name, in a tale which seems to see the return of the Whirlwind.

It's a bad time for those who like their Marvel comics to be a bit more ambitious because it's not just Warlock that's biting the dust. So is Amazing Adventures.

And, in a huge blow to those of us still hoping for an Apeslayer revival, it's taking Killraven with it!

I have read this one but, again, recollections are vague and I suspect this series somewhat splutters out but I do believe Killraven and his friends encounter a strange creature in the swamp.

Fifty years ago today - November 1976.

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

***

November 1976 was a great month for fans of aquatic cake holes, as it saw the discovery of the first known megamouth shark.

But enough of that. Let's see what the big mouths of Marvel are getting up to.

Given that the Whizzer is about eighty, by this point and has been established as having a bad heart and possibly died at the end of the first Nuklo story, it is surprising that he seems to be causing the Avengers so much trouble and that he's even declared to be capable of killing them.

Regardless, it seems that he goes on the rampage in the Avengers Mansion and that the Living Laser is also in this mighty melodrama.

It's the clash we've all been waiting for when Conan meets Kull and, oddly enough, it all leads to a fight between them.

And, as far as I can recall, a sneaky wizard is behind it all!

Needless to say, the tussle ends in a draw, with Conan and Kull going their separate ways after thwarting evil.

Now it seems we'll never know which is the best barbarian.

I must confess I've no idea what's going on here but, given the cover's mention of the Alamo, and the issue's year of publication, I shall assume it's somehow tied in with the Bicentennial celebrations.

Regardless, the GCD informs me that Cap must visit another dimension, in order to look for the Falcon and Leila.

It looks like the man without fear has his hands full when not only does he have to find the junkie wife of the mad bomber who's attacking the city, he must also locate a runaway boy with haemophilia.

Hooray! Having reappeared last issue, the Impossible Man is still with us!

Granted, I may be alone in being pleased about that.

And definitely not pleased about it are the staff of Marvel Comics because, no sooner has he arrived on Earth than he decides to invade the company's offices and demand it launch a new comic in his honour.

I struggle to recall; is this Crypto-Man the same one who, several years earlier, appeared in Thor's strip?

More importantly, I do believe this issue sees the death of Jarella when she and Bruce take a trip into town and run across the metal menace robbing a bank!

All I know of this one is the Melter is back and it features a character called Krissy Longfellow.

It also seems to feature a second Iron Man!

I still, to this day, am not sure if there really are cable cars in New York City. I can't say I've ever seen them in any TV show or movie. So, I'm still not certain if they weren't just made up for this thriller.

All that aside, Spidey, the Punisher and Night-Crawler join forces but that's somehow not enough to prevent Jigsaw from capturing the wall-crawler!

But what's this? Things are afoot, elsewhere, as J Jonah Jameson recruits a scientist called Marla Madison to his crusade against our hero?

What's going on in this one?

That's what you probably want me to tell you.

But I don't know what's going on in this one.

I do, though, note that it features a character called Trogg. I shall, therefore, assume he's the, "Most awesome monster of all," mentioned on the front cover.

And that's not all, because there's also a 5-page Tale of Asgard from David Anthony Kraft and Pablo Marcos. One which would appear to involve Thor and a storm giant.