The Marvel Lucky Bag - December 1971.

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

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Once upon a time, there were things called milkmen.

And, once upon a time, you could have hit singles about them.

In fact, you could have Number One hit singles about them.

That time was 1971.

And so it was that comedian Benny Hill found himself atop the UK singles chart for the whole of that year's December, thus earning the coveted Christmas Number One, thanks to Ernie (the Fastest Milkman in the West).

Over on the British album chart, that month, things were far more sensible - and milk-free - with the crown being held by Led Zeppelin's Four Symbols and then T. Rex's Electric Warrior.

But what was happening in the cinemas of the planet while that was occurring? 

They were filled with a wide range of memorable movies, including - but not limited to - Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Nicholas and Alexandra, A Clockwork Orange, The Last Picture Show and Diamonds Are Forever.

Nicholas and Alexandra, of course, featured future Doctor Who star Tom Baker as Rasputin and is, therefore, a classic.

The FF's ninth annual offers us three tales to ponder.

In the first, reprinted from Fantastic Four #43, Reed manages to free Ben and Johnny from the Frightful Four's brainwashing.

Next, a Human Torch reprint from Strange Tales #131 shows us the Mad Thinker trying to destroy a dam, with a flying metal ball.

But the main item of interest is a reprint of the wedding of Reed and Sue from Fantastic Four Annual #3, although, apparently, it has several pages removed to fit it into this issue.

It's the official first appearance of Marvel's hottest non-team, as the Defenders seek to prevent Yandroth from destroying the Earth.

I do believe this is the one that contains the legendary combination of Ross Andru and Bill Everett on art, which leads to a... ...unique visual experience.

I quite like it but everybody else seems to hate it.

It's reprint heaven again, as Thor finds himself up against, first, Tana Nile and, then, Ego the living planet.

On top of that, we get a recycled Tale of Asgard that deals with The Boyhood of Loki!

Tower of Shadows may not have been a spectacular success but it does, at least, get its own annual,

Granted, it's the only annual it ever does get. So, clearly, even the annual isn't a sales triumph.

Regardless, we're offered such delights as Witch Hunt, One Hungers, Look Out, Wyatt--Automation's Gonna Get Your Job, A Time to Die, From Beyond the Brink and I Opened the Door to Nowhere. All but one of which are reprinted from issues #1 and #2 of the regular mag.

And, now, a brand new cowboy book hits the shelves, with the launch of The Western Kid.

Granted, it's not that brand new. The tales within are reprinted from the 1950s. They're mostly drawn by John Romita, and star Tex Dawson who is the Western Kid of the title.

With one mighty bound, Chili also joins the club of those who've had their own annual - though it seems to be the only one she's ever had.

It offers up a string of tales from Stan Lee and Stan Goldberg. All sourced from the first two issues of her regular book, in 1969.

My Love also gets the unlikely-annual treatment. And it too would appear to have only managed the one.

Yet again, we get a slew of reprints from the mag's first two issues.

This time, they're mostly by Stan Lee and  John Buscema.

Poor old Namor. Not for him the thrill of having an annual. He has to settle for just another issue of his regular book.

In it, he continues scouring Boston for his father.

However, that has to go on the backburner when Llyra and Tiger Shark unleash the sea monster Krago in the local harbour, unwittingly drawing the Human Torch into the fray.