Sunday 10 July 2016

Forty years ago today - July 1976.

In July 1976, NASA's Viking 1 probe landed on Mars, taking the legendary Face on Mars photo on its way. But, while this was going on in Outer Space, what was happening with our favourite Marvel heroes back on the planet Earth?

Avengers #149, Orka vs Thor

Isn't this the story in which Thor flattens Orka while 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 foes, I find this claim very hard to believe.

Conan the Barbarian #64

June 1976 saw the launch of the ITV children's drama series The Feathered Serpent, starring Patrick Troughton and Diane Keen as the world's most Anglo-Saxon Aztecs.

One month later, this comic hits the newsagents.

Coincidence?

Or part of a grand cosmic plan beyond our understanding?

Captain America and the Falcon #199

I know nothing of this tale but it certainly looks action-packed.

Daredevil #135, The Jester

Isn't this the second time Daredevil's been accused of murdering the Jester?

Fantastic Four #172, the Destroyer

It's that one where Galactus is using the Destroyer as a herald.

I have a feeling it might have been Thor who put this idea into his head.

If so, it seems a strange thing for Thor to be helping Galactus with.

Incredible Hulk #201

"The most unexpected barbarian of all!"

I assume that's because, whoever he is, no one's ever heard of him before.

Personally, I always expect barbarians.

In fact, I'm positively amazed when they don't show up.

Iron Man #88, the Blood Brothers

The Blood Brothers are back.

Amazing Spider-Man #158, Dr Octopus and Hammerhead

Aunt May's weak heart survives yet another incident that'd inflict a heart attack on the healthiest of people.

Thor #249

Looks like Thor's finally got the sense to give Odin the slap he's been asking for ever since his first appearance.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That Hulk cover was quite possibly the most blatant example of "bait and switch" that I've seen out of Marvel Comics, and that's saying a lot. Spoiler alert, that ain't Conan riding on top of that troll. No self-respecting Cimmerian would stoop to riding on the back of a monster. He might kill and eat one, but riding, no.
On a more positive note, that Fantastic Four issue is one of my favorites. I admit it's a bit of a stretch, Ben Grimm in a Thing suit holding his own against the Destroyer in outer space, but the George Perez art and fantastic Kirby cover make it a fine comic, indeed.
M.P.

Dougie said...

Of course, that Conan story actually saw print in the next issue, with a Kane cover. This issue carried a bowdlerised colour reprint of a Starlin Conan story from Savage Tales 5.

Roy Thomas really liked that Feathered Serpent Mesoamerican myth; not only did he create golden god- villain Kukulcan in his first X-Men run, Thomas also had a Nazi Feathered Serpent villain in the early issues of All-Star Squadron.

Lorenzo said...

"Personally, I always expect barbarians."

Lmao!

I believe I owned most of these comics, aside from Spidey & Iron Man, because:
1: I had a 'gentleman's agreement' with a fellow "swap-shopper" to NOT collect Spidey, and any I DID find would be traded for FFs & Thors, which I DID collect. Shamefully, I hid one of the Ditko Spideys I found when hunting for 2nd-hand Marvels on my own one day, a mortal sin which I believe Dante may have created an extra ring in hell for. But hey - it was DITKO! DITKO, your honour - DIIIITKOOOO!!! (Cue: Flash of lightning & noxious cloud of brimstone as our hero is sucked into the hoary netherworld by a multi-tentacled Lovecraftian thingy - probably accompanied by a clap of - ahem - thunder! ;-) )

2: I hated Iron Man. Still do, which is (ahem) ironic, considering he's even more popular than Spidey in the Marvel cinematic universe.

Keep these 'Forty Years Ago Today's' a'coming, Steve, I really enjoy 'em, and your comments are funny as. Cheers! :-)

Steve W. said...

Thanks for all your comments, Lorenzo and for the praise. I shall definitely keep the Forty Years Ago Todays coming. Mostly because they don't involve me having to do any research. And that's important at my age.