Marvel UK annuals, 1976.

As we all know, the greatest feature on the internet is the one where I post the covers of what Marvel UK were publishing forty years ago and then declare that I don't have a clue what happened in any of them.

But, of course, this time of year in 1975 was a very special one - because it was the time of year when the youth of Britain were ploughing their way through big Marvel UK comics. Big Marvel UK comics with hard covers.

That's right.

It was annual time!

Despite the company publishing seven weekly titles in late 1975, there were only three annuals that year. I didn't have any of them. What a nightmare Christmas it must have been.

It would appear that this book features the Valkyrie's debut, the first appearance of Arkon and a battle with the Squadron Supreme.

The Arkon one must have been a bit of a disappointment, bearing in mind that it had only recently appeared in the weekly mags.

I find it hard to believe that anyone could have been disappointed with the Valkyrie tale.

I can find nothing at all on the internet that tells me what's contained within this book.

I assume, from the cover, that the Hulk's in it and that it features the work of happy Herb Trimpe but couldn't swear to that in a court of law.

It seems that this features Ship of Fiends, Spider-Man Tackles the Torch and Dinosaurs on Broadway.

I'm trying to recall if the first of those is the Spider-Man vs Dracula tale and the third is the one where Stegron brings dinosaur skeletons to life. The Human Torch story could, of course, be one of a whole host of tales.

Maybe it's just me but I can't see the phrase Dinosaurs on Broadway without thinking of the Dr Who story Daleks in Manhattan. The shot of the half-human/half dalek at the end of that episode will be burned into my mind forever.

And not in a good way.