The Marvel Lucky Bag - August 1982.

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

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Here's a question.

Of the following films released in August 1982, which would you be most willing to buy a ticket to see? Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Friday the 13th Part III, An Officer and a Gentleman or The Beastmaster?

Personally, I'd probably go for Fast Times at Ridgemont High, even though I don't know what it's about.

I'd choose that one because slasher movies do little for me, 1980s sword and sorcery movies definitely do nothing for me and, based purely on the theme tune and its attendant video, I really don't feel like I'd enjoy An Officer and a Gentleman. I am, however, pleased that it revived Joe Cocker's career.

That's a very appealing cover by Joe Jusko.

I can't reveal too much about this issue's contents because I don't know anything about them but I do know the Thor tale's called Sea of Destiny and that the book's 68 pages also contain non-Thor stories with such titles as Demon's Bridge, What Fools These Gods Shall Be! The Streak, The Prophet, G-D! and Let There Be Light.

I can shed no light upon whether The Streak bears any relation to the Ray Stevens single of the same name.

Given that I know nothing of what happens inside this one either, I've included it purely because that's a notably atypical Ka-Zar cover by Brent Anderson.

My familiarity with Elric is limited entirely to his guest appearances in early issues of Conan the Barbarian but if I wanted a crash course in him, this looks like the place to get it, as we receive a 58-page tale in which he leads a fleet to the fabled city of Imrryr to rescue his love Cymoril and take revenge upon his cousin Yyrkoon.

Then again, just seeing those names has put me off reading it.

Regardless, it's all brought to us by the trustworthy talents of Roy Thomas and Craig Russell.

If I thought the Ka-Zar cover was atypical, that's nothing compared to this month's Rom offering.

Brought to us by Al Milgrom, it feels more like something that would have fronted one of those early-1970s DC mystery romance comics.

Anyway, it would appear that, inside the book, Rom rescues a blind girl from a coven of Wraiths who want to experiment on her.

This is a very strange one indeed. It seems to be composed entirely of single-panel takes that ask a million and one questions in a comedic vein, such as What If Reed Richards Took Postman Willie Lumpkin Up On His Offer to Join the Fantastic Four?, What If Nick Fury Had to Wear An Eyepatch On His Right Eye Instead of His Left Eye? and What If Black Bolt Got the Hiccups?

Thinking about it, that last question's a perfectly valid one and needs immediate answering.

It may be all jolly japes in What If but the third installment of Contest of Champions is a far more serious affair, with the whole thing reaching its climax in Japan and the Grandmaster being declared the winner.

Apparently, there's a huge blunder in this issue, that undermines the whole resolution. Not having read the tale, I shall leave it to others to explain what it is.

It's the team-up some of us never expected to see.

Mostly because I thought Dominic Fortune was from the 1930s. 

Then again, Spidey once, sort of, teamed up with Doc Savage.

However it happens, it seems the heroes prevent Turner D Century from using his Time Horn to kill everyone under the age of sixty-five.

I've no information at all about this curiosity, other than that it might be drawn by Frank Springer and John Romita.

The identity of the writer doesn't seem to be known at all and, as far as I can make it, it's not even certain that Frank Springer did pencil it.

But is that the Leader I detect on that front cover?