Thursday 10 October 2024

October 12th 1974 - 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
***

This week in 1974, UK democracy finally got its bum in gear, as Britain, at last, managed to elect a government. That was all thanks to Harold Wilson's Labour Party winning the nation's second general election of the year, to become the new government with a walloping great three-seat majority in the Commons.

This meant Wilson had now won four of the five elections he'd contested as party leader.

The pinnacle of British politics may have hit fever pitch but on the UK singles chart, the pinnacle was noticeably more genteel; claimed, as it was, by John Denver with his only solo British hit Annie's Song.

More youthful activities were afoot on the LP chart, thanks to the Bay City Rollers smashing straight in at Number One with their latest album Rollin', thus toppling Mike Oldfield from the perch he'd occupied for several weeks.

I, of course, have no beef with Annie's Song but other tracks I approved of on that chart were:

Sad Sweet Dreamer - Sweet Sensation

Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas

I've Got the Music in Me - the Kiki Dee Band

Pinball - Brian Protheroe

When Will I See You Again? - the Three Degrees

What Becomes of the Brokenhearted? - Jimmy Ruffin

Gonna Make You a Star - David Essex

and

Gotta See Jane - R Dean Taylor.

Should you wish to investigate the matter in greater depth, that very singles chart can be found here.

While the accompanying album chart resides within.

The Mighty World of Marvel #106, Hulk vs Sandman

The Sandman's still rampaging around that hospital and still carrying out his plan to turn himself back into sand by conducting a full blood swap with Betty Ross.

Can the Hulk stop him in time?

And if he can't, just what will be the fate of poor Betty?

I do believe Daredevil finally defeats the Owl, foils his plot to kill a judge and brings the hooting mad mischief-maker's gigantic robot owl to justice.

Speaking of things that came crashing to Earth, I do suspect Alicia's finally managed to convince the Silver Surfer that he should get on his board and go smash Galactus' gob in.

However, will it be enough?

And will he be in time to save the FF from the whirling arms of the space giant's odd little robot?

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #87

As we can all see, Man-Mountain Marko's thrown the Shocker's girlfriend out of a window, as a distraction to enable him to steal the tablet that causes nothing but trouble wherever it goes.

But what's this? Marko's boss Silvermane has kidnapped Curt Connors to work on decrypting the tablet?

Does the fool not know Connors is also the Lizard and turns into that cold-blooded causer of chaos, calamity and concern during times of cornucopian conflict?

Thinking about it, he doesn't.

Elsewhere, Iron Man's completing his battle with Captain America, having been fooled into thinking Cap's the Chameleon in disguise.

I can't help feeling that, when the heroes discover they've been suckered, it's going to be bad news for the malevolent quick-change flannel-merchant.

Thor, meanwhile, is still on his quest to retrieve his stolen hammer.

And that's taken him to the land of the trolls. 

And that's led him to another fight with Ulik - and a determination to liberate the captive alien Orikal.

The Avengers #56, the Super-Adaptoid

For once, not hanging round waiting for an assassin to show up and murder him, Iron Fist decides to invade the office block of his deadly enemy Harold Meachum.

But it's no easy task. Like any office block, it's packed with self-firing machine guns, exploding staircases, acid sprinklers, disintegrating door frames, precipitous plunges and hired thugs!

When it comes to the Avengers, the Super-Adaptoid is back!

And I think this might be the first tale I ever read that features him.

From the depths of my memory, I recall that it sees the return of Dashing Don Heck to the strip, and a battle in central Park. One which sees Hercules become an actual ever-loving real-life official Avenger.

And he didn't even have to defeat the Hulk to do it.

Which I'm sure is not at all aggravating news to Spider-Man.

But it's time for us to celebrate because, unless I hopelessly misread the situation, Dr Strange finally manages to rescue Victoria Bentley from the clutches of Yandroth: Scientist Supreme!

And he only needs the Ancient One's help to do it.

Tuesday 8 October 2024

Forty years ago today - October 1984.

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

Our Marvel heroes have never hesitated before flinging themselves into the fray. Therefore, I shall hesitate me not to do likewise.

Thor #348

The action's still in England, and Thor and Roger continue to have trouble with Malekith and his fairy friends.

Our adventurers manage to rescue the captive Lorelei but completely fail to prevent the villain from opening the Casket of Ancient Winters and, as far as I can make out, that somehow clears the way for Surtur and his army to invade the planet Earth!

The Norns, meanwhile, give Balder a pep talk that could transform his life.

Fantastic Four #271, Gormuu

In a fun-packed diversion, John Byrne gives us a tale which reveals that, before the foundation of the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards foiled an attempt at world conquest by the hostile alien Gormuu.

Lovers of Silver Age comics will, of course, instantly detect a homage to the monster comics Marvel was churning out before The Fantastic Four came along to set the company on the route to super-heroic triumph.

But that's not all because, trying to find a cure for Reed's recent memory losses, he and the gang visit the home of his late parents - only to discover his father had a Dr Doom style time machine in his lab!

The Uncanny X-Men #186, Barry Smith

It's a moment of note, as Barry Smith returns to the strip he briefly graced in the 1960s.

Granted, the improvement in his drawing skills, in the intervening years, means he graces it a lot more than he did back then.

Contained within, Storm meets Forge for the first time and they hang around in his apartment, discussing her history and loss of mutant powers. A loss caused by the very gun he himself created.

But because a super-hero comic can't be made up entirely of talking, I do believe that, while that's going on, Rogue is in sensational solo action against the Dire Wraiths.

And she's doing all her talking with her fists.

The Spectacular Spider-Man #95, Cloak and Dagger and Silvermane

It's chaos on the streets of New York, as the resurrected cyborg that is Silvermane seeks to reclaim part of his stolen soul from Dagger.

And that means Cloak, Spidey and the Black Cat have to try and stop him.

The Incredible Hulk #300, the Avengers and Spider-Man

And it's even more chaos on the streets of New York, as Spider-Man, SHIELD, the NYPD, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Daredevil, the Avengers and anyone else who happens to be in the vicinity, show up to try and stop the Hulk's latest mindless rampage.

However, none of them succeed - until Dr Strange tries a noticeably more intelligent tactic than the others have.

However, that solution sees the green gargoyle exiled to an alien world.

One from which he may never be able to return.

Captain America #298, origin of the Red Skull

We're used to receiving retellings of Cap's origin but, this issue, we get a retelling of the Red Skull's.

And it's basically the same as the ones we've had before, just a bit more long-winded.

Regardless, in this issue, both Mother Superior and Baron Zemo discover the rapidly ageing Nazi has no regard for them. And I can't help feeling that fact will prove to be his downfall.

The Avengers #248, the Eternals

A villain whose name I forget but is half Eternal and half Deviant is out to absorb the power of the Eternals' Uni-Mind into himself, in order to make himself all-powerful.

Needless to say, the small coterie of Avengers who happen to be present are not going to let that happen.

Daredevil #211

More tedium ensues as Micah Synn and his gang abduct Becky Blake and Vanessa Fisk, planning to sacrifice them to their greedy jungle god.

Luckily for them, Daredevil's on the scene to save them.

But possibly not so luckily for Vanessa who is killed in the subsequent scrap.

Then again, it turns out it is lucky for her because it's not really Vanessa who's killed. It's a lookalike hired by the Kingpin to protect the real Vanessa.

Which is good news for Vanessa but not for the lookalike; Heidi DeVoto.

However, the death of Heidi leaves the Kingpin feeling miffed and, so, he agrees to team up with DD in a bid to bring down Synn.

I don't know about this. I can't help feeling Kingie could easily bring down Synn without any help at all from Daredevil.

Conan the Barbarian #163

A bizarre tale in which the one-armed Fafnir falls in love with a girl he and Conan have rescued from locals who are convinced she's a witch.

In a plot twist few would have seen coming, she really does turn out not to be a witch.

She is, however, some sort of moss creature who has to kill people in order to survive in open sunshine.

But can the revelation of this fact really be enough to get in the way of her and Fafnir's romance?

The Amazing Spider-Man #257

That cut-price Kraven, the Puma, has been hired by the Kingpin's lackey the Rose to kill Spider-Man.

Needless to say, Kingie's not at all pleased about a hit being arranged without his permission.

But that might be the least of the corpulent crimelord's concerns as, by the end of it all, the Rose has agreed to ally himself with the Hobgoblin!

But even all of that pales into insignificance beside the true drama of the issue.

Which is that Mary Jane reveals that she knows Peter Parker is Spider-Man.

And that she's always known he's Spider-Man!!!

Iron Man #187

Vibro's still causing trouble and Rhodey's still out to stop him.

And he does stop him.

He also discovers the source of the headaches which have been plaguing him lately.

And it turns out to be that his helmet isn't set up right, having been designed for Tony Stark to wear.

Sounds like a good day, all round, for him.

Sunday 6 October 2024

The Marvel Lucky Bag - October 1974.

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

It must have seemed like nothing but fear was waiting to greet those who foolishly entered a cinema in October 1974.

It was, after all, a month which saw the release of those never to be forgotten nightmares The House on Skull Mountain, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, It's Alive, The Cars That Ate Paris and Phantom of the Paradise.

For those who wanted less uncanny fare, it also saw the unveiling of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Benji, Airport 1975, The Odessa File, Stardust and The Four Musketeers.

The whole world wants to know which is my favourite of those and I can safely say I don't have a clue. I've only seen It's Alive, Airport 1975, Stardust and The Four Musketeers and am struggling to formulate a judgement about any of them. I do, however, suspect that Airport 1975 was not my favourite.

Giant-Size Werewolf #2

68 pages of giant werewolf action await us, as the tormented lycanthrope bumps into the Frankenstein Monster who's travelled to California to meet someone called Danton Vayla.

Meanwhile, Vayla's Brotherhood of Baal has kidnapped Lissa Russell and plans to sacrifice her, for some reason I'm not aware of.

But, of course, that can only lead to a scrap between the two monsters, with the only winner being the reader!

Following that, we encounter a trio of Silver Age reprints bearing such titles as Mind Over Matter, The Ape Man and The Werewolf of Wilmach!

Giant-Size Spider-Man #2, Shang-Chi

And it's going to take 68 pages to contain the sheer drama when Spider-Man and Shang-Chi must combine their forces to prevent Fu Manchu from using the Empire State Building for nefarious purposes.

Having said that, it only takes thirty pages for them to do so.

And that means we then get a reprint of the tale in which Spider-Man must audition for the Avengers by trying to capture the Hulk on their behalf.

Planet of the Apes #2

Judging by that cover, The Joy of Sex Man finds himself in a nightmare when he's surrounded by monkeys wherever he looks.

It's true. Marvel's latest mag hits its second issue with the second instalment of its adaption of the movie we all love.

But that's not all. Within these pages, we also find Part Two of Terror on the Planet of the Apes, as brought to us by Mike Ploog and Doug Moench.

And there are text articles too, dealing with such themes as The City of the Apes, Simian Genesis and Michael Wilson: the "Other" Apes Writer.

Power Man #21

How can Luke Cage manage to call himself Power Man when there's already a Power Man in the Marvel universe?

Presumably, by the same method whereby there are about eight different characters called the Destroyer in the Marvel universe.

However, the other Power Man thinks otherwise - and that means Luke's going to have to fight him for the title.

Adventure into Fear #24, Morbius vs Blade

It's the clash that had to happen because I the reader demanded it. Marvel's living vampire comes up against Marvel's other living vampire when Morbius meets Blade!

Sadly, I've never read this one and can shed no illumination upon its contents but suspect that both men are still very much alive and well at the end of it all.

Regardless, that's then followed by a Joe Maneely  reprint the world can only refer to as The Two-Faced Man.

Man-Thing #10

I've not the slightest idea what happens in this one but that cover certainly makes it look dramatic.

Apparently, it features characters blessed with such names as Ezekial Tork, Maybelle Tork and Dawg.

Spidey Super Stories #1

Not content with having numerous other comics devoted to him, everyone's favourite webhead gets yet another title devoted to him.

This time, it's aimed at younger readers and tells us just how the ordinary everyday Peter Parker became the hero we all know and respect.

But that's not all because, in this issue, he gets to meet the Spoiler, Electro, the Vulture and, erm... ...Duane.

Night Rider #1

A brand new hero gallops into our spinner racks and into our hearts!

Granted, he's not that new because the main story's a reprint from 1967.

School teacher Carter Slade's on his way to a new job when he encounters a gang attacking a family. Attempting to stop them, he's almost killed but is saved when a man called Flaming Star, believing him to be a  promised white warrior, gives him some stardust that enables him to become the Night Rider.

Gives him some, "stardust," you say?

The issue's backup tale is a reprint from 1957, doesn't seem to feature either Night Rider or stardust and is called The Walking Target!

Giant-Size Defenders #2

My knowledge of this one is limited but it would appear the Defenders - with the help of the Son of Satan - must thwart Asmodeus and Satannish.

Elsewhere, a 1954 reprint sees the Sub-Mariner tackle the mystery of people who disappear when they fall into the sea.

The 1950s Black Knight, meanwhile, has an adventure which seems to involve Arthur Pendragon.

And Dr Strange goes Beyond the Purple Veil, thanks to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Vampire Tales #7

The magazine that daren't go out in daylight brings us such epics as Where Is Gallows Bend and What the Hell Am I Doing There?, Sip the Sweet Poison, Bats and Agents of the Night Road, as created by those undead luminaries of distinction Doug Moench, Howard Chaykin, Paul Gulacy, Billy Graham, Don McGregor and Tom Sutton.

The cover, meanwhile, is painted by someone credited as JAD.

Thursday 3 October 2024

October 5th 1974 - 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
***

Martial arts mayhem was still ruling unsurpassed in Britain, this week in 1974, with Carl Douglas' Kung Fu Fighting retaining the singles chart pinnacle it had claimed seven days earlier.

However, there was change - of a sort - atop the corresponding LP listings, thanks to Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells having now snatched pole position from his own Hergest Ridge. Clearly, there was no stopping the lad.

The Mighty World of Marvel #105, The Hulk, Jim Starlin

It's like a flashback to the early days of the venture, with Jim Starlin giving us a MWOM cover. Although, admittedly, this time, it wasn't drawn specifically for the comic.

Inside, I do believe Hulkie's crashed back to Earth, following his outer space adventure and is about to have another run-in with the Sandman who, in his urge to find a cure for being made of glass, decides to invade a hospital and force Betty Ross to give him a quick and total blood swap.

I can't see the jade one taking this lying down.

Meanwhile, the man without fear has been sentenced to death by the Owl - as has a judge - and this leads to the feathery fiend unveiling his greatest weapon yet - a giant robot owl that looks like it weighs more than a planet and would struggle to get off the ground even if gravity had never been invented.

The Fantastic Four are still having their first ever meeting with Galactus. And I do suspect Alicia is having her first ever meeting with the Silver Surfer.

But can she convince him of the innate goodness of humanity?

Judging by his whingeing about the awfulness of humanity in his later solo series, seemingly not.

Spider-Man Comics Weekly #86, Man-Mountain Marko

This week's cover does somewhat oversell the threat Man-Mountain Marko poses to Spider-Man.

Still, at least he does pose a threat to the Shocker's girlfriend.

And that's bad news for us all because she's the latest custodian of that pesky ancient tablet the whole world seems to want. Latest to want it is Marko's employer Silvermane, ageing head of the Maggia.

Next, it's a tale never to be forgotten, as the Chameleon decides to trick Iron Man into fighting Captain America, for reasons I can't recall.

To do this, he, of course, shows up at Tony Stark's factory, claiming he's Cap and has been given a good beating by the Chameleon who's now posing as the star-spangled superstar.

Possibly the most disappointing aspect of this tale is the sight of Iron Man knocking Kraven the Hunter out with one punch, making Spider-Man's numerous epic labours to defeat the villain look a bit pathetic.

Thor, meanwhile, pays a visit to the trolls' homeland in a bid to retrieve his stolen hammer.

And, there, he encounters the mysterious captive alien Orikal and releases him from his flame-lined prison.

The Avengers #55, Iron Fist vs the Scythe

Iron Fist claims the front cover and reiterates his legendary ability to beat up pavements, as he must confront the menace of the Scythe.

In total contrast to what we've been getting from Shang-Chi's strip, he's an assassin, sent to kill our hero.

Elsewhere, the stars of the comic are still behind the Iron Curtain and still trying to liberate the Black Widow from her former communist overlords.

But for that to happen, Captain America must overcome her husband the Red Guardian, a man designed to be equal to him in every way.

Needless to say, he doesn't turn out to be equal to him in every way.

Not that it does Cap much good, as he's soon captured by others.

And what of the doctor of strangeness?

He's still trying to recoup Victoria Bentley from the clutches of Scientist Supreme Yandroth who's now resorted to inflicting monsters from his id on his opponent.

Tuesday 1 October 2024

Fifty years ago today - October 1974.

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

Rain is currently falling wherever I look but just who was raining on our heroes' parades, fifty years ago?

Avengers #128, Necrodamus

Thanks to Agatha Harkness wanting to test our heroine's newfound magic powers, the Scarlet Witch finds herself locked in her bedroom and confronting the terrifying menace of Necrodamus.

It seems I once reviewed this issue.

And that you can read that review, right here.

Conan the Barbarian #43, Red Sonja

Red Sonja is back - and on her back - as our favourite tomb raiders discover a mysterious tower in the middle of nowhere and must endure a pair of sorcerers with filthy designs on their bodies.

It turns out I once reviewed this one, as well.

And you can read my review of it, here.

Captain America and the Falcon #178

On the other hand, you can't read my review of this issue anywhere - because I've never read it and have no idea what happens within, beyond the villain Lucifer showing up.

However, I do know its cover has strong hints of the one for the Smasher story-line from 1973's Amazing Spider-Man #116.

Daredevil and the Black Widow #114, Man-Thing

DD confronts the menace of Death-Stalker and the Gladiator in the wilds of the Everglades.

It all has something to do with the search for missing scientist Ted Sallis and a certain formula he was working on when he disappeared...

As it happens, I remember first reading this one in the Mighty World of Marvel 1977 annual.

And you can read my review of that book, right here.

Fantastic Four #151, Thundra

It can only be trouble for our heroes - especially Benjamin J Grimm - when Mahkizmo arrives from his other-dimensional world, looking to take Thundra back with him.

Hulk #180, the Wendigo

The Wendigo's back!

And, unless my memory fails me, that can only mean a certain future X-Man is about to make his debut.

In other news, the Hulk's in Canada and lured to a cave occupied by a man and woman who want to transfer the curse of the Wendigo onto him.

I can't help feeling that might be a terrible idea.

Assuming, that is, that they ever have the chance to fulfil it.

Amazing Spider-Man #137, Green Goblin

Harry Osborn's still being the Green Goblin - and has attached a bomb to Peter Parker's nearest and dearest.

But just which of his acquaintances is his nearest and dearest?

And can he get there in time to do anything about it?

Thor #228

I genuinely know nothing at all about this issue but my razor-sharp senses tell me Ego may be involved.

X-Men #90, Professor X is dead

"Not a Hoax! Not a dream! Not an imaginary tale!"

I could be wrong but doesn't it turn out that it is a hoax and Professor X is really alive and well and has decided to hide in the basement for the next five years?

You can't blame him. We've all done it.

But because even that might not be enough to keep the demanding reader happy, we're also treated to a second tale. One called Why Won't They Believe Me? and brought to us by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.

Seasoned Marvel enthusiasts may not be startled to discover it's the one about the man who accidentally uncovers an alien plot to take over the planet Earth.

Then tries to warn everybody.

And then discovers he's the alien and has been suffering from  amnesia!

And that he's just thwarted his own invasion attempt!

Is this the most reprinted Lee/Ditko sci-fi short ever created?

OMAC #1
That's all our favourite Marvel heroes covered.

But what of the superstars of the company's biggest rival? What were a random sampling of them up to in comics which bore the selfsame cover date?

Jack Kirby's latest creation makes his debut, as OMAC flings his way into our lives.

I remember little of this tale but I do know it involves the man we know as Buddy Blank becoming OMAC.

And that there's a woman in a box who's literally gone to pieces.

And that she might be called Lila.

Supergirl #10, Prez

OMAC's book may be making its first appearance but Supergirl's is busy departing the stage.

That said, it does bow out with style, as the Maid of Might encounters America's first teen president!

And I do believe she has to save the politician from multiple assassination attempts.

I also believe she succeeds, even through the tactic of using her X-ray vision in a way that X-ray vision couldn't possibly be used.

There's also a backup adventure in which a mad scientist creates a male clone of Supergirl, then uses him to rob banks!

And my review of this issue resides here.

Superboy #204, Legion of Super-Heroes

What's this? The Legion of Super-Heroes discover they possess a photo of a member no one can remember?

One who became a Legionnaire by outdoing Superboy?

How can this be possible?

it can be possible thanks to the wonders of time travel and future technology.

After that, we get a tale of high strangeness, as Brainiac is so lusty for Supergirl that he creates a robot replica of her.

But he does it in his sleep, which means he's totally unaware he's done it and thinks she's the real deal.

Fortunately, the real Supergirl shows up to sort it all out and totally fail to notice how weird the situation is.

My review of this issue may be found here.

Adventure Comics #435, the Spectre

The creepy crime crusher's supporting cast expands very slightly, as we meet Earl Crawford, a bespectacled reporter who's convinced that a supernatural force is dispatching the city's criminals.

Could he be right?

And can hard-nosed detective Jim Corrigan help him get to the truth?

Elsewhere, Aquaman has to contend with the latest scheme by the Black Manta who's putting Atlantean farmers to sleep with his mystery gas and then stealing their crops.

Action Comics #440

Nick Cardy produces another phenomenal cover - and it's for a tale in which villains try to convince Superman his dead parents think he's a failure, in order to demoralise him into abandoning his fight with crime.

Needless to say, that tactic fails, thanks to them making a simple but fatal error.

In our second tale of the issue, in a back alley, somewhere, the Green Arrow encounters a stray dog with strange powers and a talent for thwarting crimes.

Can it be?

Can it be that that dog can be none other than Krypto the Superdog?

I do believe I reviewed this issue here.