December 23rd, 1972 - Marvel UK, 50 years ago this week.

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

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I'll be your long-haired lover from Liverpool.

I won't really.

But Jimmy Osmond will!

And if you want, he'll even wear a mask!

It's true. It was in this week in 1972 that the song of that title by the artist of that name hit the Number One spot on the UK singles chart, by deposing Chuck Berry's My Ding-a-Ling. How thrilled everyone must have been at the songs that were dominating the charts in that period, and what a golden age it must have seemed.

Over on the British album chart, there was little joy for either Chuck or Jimmy, as the roost was once more ruled by Various Artists' 20 All-Time Greats of the 50's.

But what roosts were being ruled in that week's Mighty World of Marvel?

And just who were the roosters?

Unless you count the cave that houses his Gamma Gun, the Hulk doesn't have a roost.

He does, however, have an enemy.

And that's the Metal Master, a foe who'll go on to make surprisingly few appearances after this tale. Perhaps the humiliation of being one of the few foes ever to be outwitted by the Hulk proves too much for him.

In the swamps of Florida, meanwhile, Spider-Man, begins his first-ever encounter with the Lizard who's probably my favourite Spidey villain.

Elsewhere, the Fantastic Four have the deadliest fight of their lives, so far, when they must combat both Dr Doom and the Sub-Mariner - and find their Baxter Building HQ launched into space.

With them inside it!

As if that's not thrilling enough for us, this issue - as did the previous one - gives us the chance to be a Marvel editor.

But what's this? Fab as it is, Mighty World of Marvel isn't the only British Marvel fun we'll be having at this time of year?

Holy smoke, it's true! This very Christmas, we also get a whole heap of Marvel reprint goodness from IPC subsidiary Fleetway who bring us their very own Marvel Annual. I couldn't claim to understand the legal manoeuvrings that have made such a thing possible but, whatever they were, we all have cause to be grateful.

In it, we get to see the Hulk's battle with the terrible Toad Men, the Fantastic Four's epic encounter with Kurrgo, lord of Planet X, Spider-Man's tussle with the Tinkerer and his cellar-full of aliens, the Hulk's thwarting of Tyrannus, and Spidey's first-ever meeting with the Scorpion.

Not only that, there's a text retelling of the origin of the Fantastic Four, a gallery of Spider-Man's deadliest foes, a two-page overview of the Marvel Universe, and a Lee/Ditko look at Spider-Man's secrets.

And there's even a chance to read Conan's encounter with Zukala and his lovely daughter who keeps turning into a tiger.

Granted, that last reprint seems out of place alongside all that early 1960s super-hero action - and we've read most of these stories, in the past few weeks, in Marvel UK's weekly comic but who cares? It's all great stuff. And it's yours for just 65 pence!