The Marvel Lucky Bag - January 1980.

Tremble with awe, for it is time for me to once more investigate Marvel Comics' less popular titles of forty years ago.

Upon encountering everyone's favourite resident of the Everglades, panic-stricken scientists do what any of us would and teleport him to the Himalayas where he's mistaken for a yeti, massacres a pack of wolves, slaughters a bear and helps foil a murder plot.

Life's never dull when you're a muck monster.

Shang-Chi and Blackjack Tarr blunder around in the swamps and jungles of South America, seeking out Fu Manchu's secret base there, while Reston and Leiko head off for Casablanca.

I'm assuming Reston and Leiko are on a mission and not just off on their holidays.

I do have to say those are very small alligators. I reckon even I could fight them off.

There's a hen-pecked accountant on a homicidal rampage - and he's doing it while dressed as a clown!

I've no doubt Spider-Woman quickly balances his books for him.

The male Defenders are in a mystical realm and, judging by that cover, things aren't going well for them.

More interestingly to me, back on Earth, the female Defenders find themselves in a town whose entire distaff population are under the control of the Mandrill.

And, of course, it's not long before the female Defenders are too.

Except for the Wasp who's going to have to hold the fort on her own.

I don't have a clue what happens in this tale but I've included it purely because it features a villain called Dr Time which is the sort of name a DC villain would have. It therefore appeals to me.

Much to my surprise, Marvels Battlestar Galactica is still going, which is more than it looks like we'll soon be able to say for Starbuck.

I do wonder if anyone in any Battlestar Galactica story ever said the immortal words, "OK, Boomer."

Then again, did anyone ever ask Starbuck for a coffee?

Not content with drawing this month's Daredevil, Steve Ditko also does the duties for Captain Marvel.

I suppose that's appropriate, as Jim Starlin's reinvention of Mar-Vell clearly owed a debt to Ditko's Captain Atom.

In this thrilling tale, the captain's recruited by the residents of another dimension, to help liberate them from some blokes who have some shadow things on their side or something. Meanwhile, the good guys can turn into shadows as well. Or something.

As you can see, I've a firm grip on what this tale's about.

Things are getting dramatic in the world of the Ghost Rider when the flame headed fighter of injustice finds himself up against a man who's created a nuclear-powered battle suit and is now going to show everyone the danger of nuclear power - by blowing things up with it!