The Marvel Lucky Bag - July 1972.

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

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It's time to get those banjos out because July 1972 saw the release of classic city-dwellers' paranoia-fest Deliverance, a film that, despite its fame, I've, somehow, never seen.

Admittedly, I think I always get it mixed up with The Hills Have Eyes which I have seen. 

Possibly feeling in need of deliverance themselves were Britain's music lovers because, that July, both national charts seemed to be stuck in amber. 

In the whole of that month, the British singles chart bore just one Number One. And that was Donny Osmond's Puppy Love. Much as I like to be open-minded about music, I cannot claim it to be a favorite of mine. 

The UK album chart was similarly motionless, with just one LP claiming the top spot in that period. That was 20 Dynamic Hits by those Various Artists I love so much.

I don't really know what happens in this one, other than that it involves the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and would appear to take place in a circus.

Gullivar Jones is still battling the forces of evil on Mars.

And, this time, it's the monumental Phra he has to deal with.

My memories of this adventure are a little vague but I seem to remember the aquatic antagonist has a working computer in his underwater lair.

Why he has that, I couldn't say.

This may also be the tale in which Gullivar and the pterodactyl man whose name I forget decide to team up with each other.

We also get a back-up strip called Under the Knife and another called What Lurks in the Mountain? I don't know anything about either of them, other than that they're reprints and the latter's drawn bySteve Ditko.

Conan's less popular predecessor continues the heroic fight against evil - and cancellation - and does it by battling the forces of Thulsa Doom.

It's what the whole world's been praying for, as we're granted the return of Ant-Man who replaces the Defenders in this book.

I do believe it's an adventure in which Hank finds himself permanently stuck at ant size and is then presumed dead.

Apparently, Peter Parker shows up but I can't recall in what capacity.

Adam Warlock's departed Marvel Premiere and made way for the return of Dr Strange who, following an encounter with a truck, finds himself trapped in the outlandish realm of Nightmare.

While it's good to re-encounter both those characters, what really matters is that it's all brought to us by the skills of Stan Lee and Barry Smith.

I'm in the habit of ignoring comics that star Nick Fury but this one's a Special Marvel Edition. So, I feel like I should include it.

Fury and his men are despatched to Italy to rescue an army division that's bottled up behind Massacre Mountain. I do believe the tale's reprinted from 1963's Sgt Fury and his Howlin' Commandos #3.

Namor has yet another clash with Prince Byrrah who turns out to be in league with the Badoon.

Fortunately, even the scaly aliens are no match for the avenging son and he soon puts paid to all their plans.

And rescues his cousin Namorita, in the process.

Three tales of terror await us in this month's issue.

In the first, Goom may be gone but his son Googam's still on the loose, and humanity must tremble when he encounters the family of the scientist responsible for his father's defeat.

In our second yarn, a man who plays the rear end of a showbiz horse is jealous of the man who plays the front end and, so, he kills him. However, when he returns to the stage, that night, he's trampled to death by the front part of the costume. Did someone really write this story? And, if so, why?

Finally, a famous magician's furious when his power is questioned - and he reveals the shocking truth that the whole world's just an illusion and that only he is real.

However, that doesn't prevent him from fading away as the story ends.