While performing the massive, in-depth, weeks of research that go into every post on this site, I noticed that, on this day in 1977, BBC Two's Arena Cinema was taking a look at Peter Benchley's The Deep. The reason for this was that, apart from Star Wars, it was the biggest grossing movie of the year. Is this awesome level of success common knowledge? I had always assumed it was a notorious flop. It shows how much I know.
What I do know is that, on that very day, Bing Crosby's White Christmas stood proud at Number Twelve on the UK Top 40, making it the only Christmas song on the whole of the UK charts. This does seem quite ironic as it's just about the only famous Christmas song that doesn't reenter the British charts in December these days. It only goes to show; we might think of Christmas as an almost near-immutable tradition but it does indeed change with the passage of time.
Those pesky bee-keepers of evil show their ugly faces - or at least their ugly hats - as Nova and Spider-Man finally stop fighting each other for long enough to battle the people they're supposed to be fighting.
It is always a bit weird to see AIM getting involved in a scrap. Aren't they supposed to be scientists? Shouldn't they be in a lab, messing about with test tubes or something?
The Red Ghost puts in an appearance, even though that costume just doesn't look right on him.
But I do note that the cover is referring to him by the correct name, rather than perpetuating the Marvel UK tradition of labelling him, "The Mad Ghost."
I'm not sure at what point they made the switch, or why they refused to call him Red in the first place. Was it a fear of offending the communists among their readership? Was it because the mags were in black and white and they didn't want to rub that in by mentioning colour?
Anyway, what matters more is that the conclusion of this issue sets up the Avengers vs Defenders Evil Eye Saga which, I think, has already been played out in the pages of Spider-Man's comic, meaning no sign is ever seen of it in the Defenders' mag.
Doctor Doom is back - and the FF find themselves up against a foe who seems to be a combination of Triton and an egg whisk. Truly, no more fearsome foe could exist.
Other than that, I have no light to shed upon this tale and don't know if Darkoth is still on the loose or not.
The Constrictor is on the rampage, a foe who thinks he can take on the Hulk but ends up being defeated by a street light. I think this may be the only tale I ever read with him in it. I don't know, therefore, if he was ever seen again.
Didn't this tale happen around the time that Bruce Banner got himself a new landlady, Betty Ross got a makeover and a stage magician started turning up all over the place for no reason at all?
I do recall that Banner's new landlady didn't recognise him in the slightest. Which is odd, as you'd think that Bruce Banner would be one of the most famous - or, at least, infamous - men on Earth.
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10 comments:
I recall reading something lately about how at least one UK editor tried to tone down the references to the Red Menace, Commie-bashing not being as popular a sport in slightly socialist seventies Blighty.
And people grumble about modern comics being too political eh.
Plus the bee-keepers don't seem very articulate. "Waste 'em" is not very profound.
Failing mightily on other Constrictor appearances. I think he turned out to be an undercover SHIELD agent for some random reason. Maybe something to do the Serpant Society from the name.
Good to see Hawkeye strike a blow for equality by getting tied up along with Val on the cover.
I expect the Red Ghost's disco-era medallion man look would offend communists more than his name.
Aggy, the Constrictor turned up briefly in Captain America during that stupid SHIELD super-agents storyline, not long after the end of Jack Kirby's run.
Fwiw, I seem to recall he also put in an appearance teamed up with Sabretooth in Power Man & Iron Fist. Funny the things you remember, isn't it?
-sean
PS Sorry, forgot to specify I was on about the Rampage cover. Er.. obviously.
-sean
Just a guess but White Christmas probably re-entered the Top 40 because Bing Crosby had recently died. I just checked this week's Top 40 and there are several old Xmas hits back again - Mariah Carey, Wham!, the Pogues, Band Aid, Shaky and Wizzard (wot, no Slade ???).
1977 was my first Christmas in secondary school and those covers remind me of that brief period after the Xmas exams when we could bring in games :)
Colin, the absence of Slade is a positive scandal.
Sean and Aggy, thanks for the Constrictor info.
Charlie, I wonder if AIM ever actually checked people's science degrees and asked for references before hiring them?
Timothy, they obviously realised that the eight-year-olds who read their comics were highly politically motivated. Personally, I wouldn't read any comic that didn't feature an in-depth analysis of Das Kapital in twelve, weekly parts.
Colin, I also remember bringing in comics to school at Christmas when we were allowed to take in toys/games. Must have been primary school, maybe 76/77 because I recall a bunch of 'landscape' Super Spider-Man issues.
Seems kinda ironic now, choosing to bring in something to read on the one day we weren't expected to.
I forgot to mention this is Captain Britain's final appearance in the Spidey weekly. CB was launched in a blaze of glory in October 1976 but after a mere 14 months it was over (14 months seemed a lot longer in those far-off days). Of course, Captain Britain was resurrected, got a new costume and is still around today but I've never read any of those stories. I always think of Captain Britain as the original version from 1976-77 so for me this is where it ends.
I do recommend the Alan Moore/Alan Davis revival. It added a whole new dimension to the good captain and his supporting cast.
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