December 30th, 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. 

***

There is, truly, no honour more coveted in the British music industry than that of having the Christmas Number One. This year (2022), that honour's landed, for the fifth time, at the door of LadBaby but, fifty years ago, it was Little Jimmy Osmond who pulled off the feat, thanks to his track Long-Haired Lover from Liverpool.

Over on the album chart, top slot was held by Various Artists' 20 All-Time Greats of the '50s.

Should you wish to bury yourself further in the Yuletide fun of that year's Christmas singles chart, it can be found here.

While the corresponding album chart dwells right here.

In our Hulk tale, Bruce Banner creates an unstoppable robot that's quickly hijacked by a spy and, when the Hulk's unable to stop it, Bruce creates an even more unstoppable robot with which to stop his unstoppable one.

I do believe this is the first story in which the scientist transforms into his alter-ego during times of stress.

I also believe it's the first tale in which the Hulk's portrayed as being stupid.

Elsewhere, in a swamp near you, Spider-Man's still battling the Lizard in the pair's first-ever encounter.

And, as the cover makes clear, the Fantastic Four don't have to contend with one foe but two, as the Sub-Mariner and Dr Doom unite to become the deadliest duo of them all.

At least, until Subby turns against his more malevolent partner.

December 1982 - Marvel UK monthlies, 40 years ago this month.

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

***

This month in 1982 was a bad one for all lovers of family-friendly Swedish pop that mixes singalong tunes with Nordic angst, as ABBA made their final public appearance, on the British TV programme The Late, Late Breakfast Show.

That was a broadcast I remember watching. I have a feeling that, as well as interviewing the quartet, it played the videos for both The Day Before You Came and Head Over Heels.

But it was a bad month for human beings in general, as Time magazine's Man of the Year title was awarded, for the first time ever, to a non-human.

That non-human was the computer. Which computer, I cannot say but I'm fairly sure it wasn't mine, as that only had 3.5K of memory, and 3.5K of memory is definitely not enough to win you Man of the Year.

Over on the UK singles chart, it was both a good month and a bad month for the Jam whose final single Beat Surrender began December at Number One but soon had to make way for the musical titans that were Renée and Renato who clinched both the top spot and the Christmas Number One with their close approximation of music the world knew as Save Your Love. Some of us felt the people who bought it would have been better off saving their money but there's no accounting for taste.

Over on the British album chart, there was only one Number One that month. And that was The John Lennon Collection by, as coincidence would have it, John Lennon.

I may not have been a fan of Renée and Renato but among the singles I did approve of on that Christmas chart were:

Our House - Madness

A Winter's Tale - David Essex

Beat Surrender - The Jam

Mirror Man - The Human League

Let's Get This Straight (From the Start) - Dexy's Midnight Runners

Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses

Mad World - Tears for Fears

Gloria - Laura Branigan

State of Independence - Donna Summer

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John and Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band with The Harlem Community Choir

Merry Xmas Everybody - Slade

and

I Believe in Father Christmas - Greg Lake.

For those who wish to investigate the matter further, that year's Christmas singles chart may be found right here.

While the corresponding Christmas album chart resides here.

Peter Davison looks very grim, as we're treated to a guide to Doctor Who merchandise and a feature on the Second Doctor adventure The Faceless Ones.

And I do believe the strip The Stockbridge Horror is still going.

More thrilling space action's served up when the magazine dedicated to the BBC's second-most popular sci-fi show hits the shelves. 

Sadly, I can shed no light upon the issue's contents, other than to say that Servalan would seem to be making an appearance, which, given that she's the show's main bad guy, is hardly a turn-up for the books.

Iron Fist may make the front cover but this issue's main tale is a thing called Prelude of the War-Devil! which stars the Avengers.

I can shed little light upon what happens in that one but I do know that Red Ronin features.

Elsewhere, Night-Raven's battling with Red Nightmares.

And, in the issue's final tale, Iron Fist finds himself up against three assassins. One of whom is the Boomerang!

Everyone's favourite barbarian must face the Stalker Amongst the Sands, an adaptation of Robert E Howard's Valley of the Worm.

At least, that's what the front cover says.

According to the issue's index page, what we get are a Conan tale titled Black Lotus and Yellow Death and a Brule the Spear-Slayer yarn called Wizard and Warrior. The latter being adapted from a piece by Lin Carter and Howard.

That may all be confusing but the exciting news is the advertised poster is the Boris Vallejo painting of a tree-crucified Conan being watched by vultures. Anyone who doesn't want that on their bedroom wall is a madman.

I do believe this is the last-ever issue of Rampage and it goes out with a clash between the Thing and Hyperion that all logic suggests Benjy can't possibly win - especially when Thundra shows up, as well!

But, of course, the book's true stars are the X-Men. And they're still having trouble with the Dark Phoenix, as the saga that no one will ever forget starts to approach its cosmos-crunching climax.

Rampage may have bitten the dust but there are no such problems for Marvel UK's Star Wars mag which continues rolling along like a veritable juggernaut.

Sadly, that's all I can say about it, as I don't have a clue what happens in this issue.

Hooray! I had this issue!

The UK's favourite sci-fi mag takes a very very very in-depth look at the hot new film Krull, starring Bernard Bresslaw.

And there's great news for Charlie because this issue features a retrospective of Catweazle.

Forty Years Ago Today! The 1982 Marvel UK annuals for 1983.

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

***

A wise man once said, "It's CHRISTMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAS!!!!!!!!"

That man was Noddy Holder and, once again, that man is on the UK charts, thanks to his lead role in Slade's evergreen classic Merry Xmas, Everybody.

But was he on the chart exactly 40 years ago?

Yes, he was. And, intriguingly, besides that track, Slade were also on it with a single called (And Now - the Waltz) C'est La Vie. I'm sure we all remember that one well.

More of that chart, in our monthly look at Marvel UK's output, later this week.

But, for now, what was on TV, as we made our way through Christmas Day, back then?

That afternoon, BBC One was serving up a plateful of Top of the Pops, featuring Duran Duran, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Culture Club, Haircut 100, Spandau Ballet, Captain Sensible and Bucks Fizz.

Later that day, it treated us to International Velvet, Jim'll Fix It, The Paul Daniels Magic Christmas Show, Last of the Summer Wine, The Two Ronnies, Death on the Nile, Perry Como and, spookiest of all, Charles Dickens' The Signalman.

BBC Two, meanwhile, gave us The Islanders, Gold from the Deep, The Book Game, Horizon, The Millionairess, On the Tracks of the Wild Otter, The World of James Joyce, Richard Baker's Christmas Dozen and Fedora. Of all the shows I've listed so far, Fedora is the only one I remember watching, although I'm sure I must have watched Top of the Pops because only a barbarian wouldn't.

ITV, that day, was offering Journey Back to Oz, Enid Blyton's Island of Adventure, Andy Williams' Christmas Special, The Parent Trap, 3-2-1, Game for a Laugh, Bruce Forsyth's Play Your Cards Right, The Black Hole, Chas and Dave's Christmas Knees-Up, Cleo and John, and Christmas at Radio GOSH.

Thrilling stuff indeed but all of that was doomed to pale into insignificance the moment we sat down to read whatever annuals Marvel UK could be motivated to throw at us that year.

And it could be motivated to throw four of them at us.

It seems we can always rely on the Hulk to have an annual, whatever the fate of his weekly comics.

And, this time, our hero finds himself battling a whole host of corny old Marvel monsters, thanks to the machinations of Xemnu the Titan who, himself, once went by the name of, "The Hulk."

Happily, the current holder of that title quickly sees off those lesser monsters and, finally, wins out with the help of a collapsing dam.

I also happen to know there's also at least one text story in this book but don't ask me what happens in it.

Can Spider-Man possibly survive when he encounters a masked crackpot, with a sword, who goes by the sobriquet, "The Rapier?"

Too right he can. It's going to take more than a cut-price Swordsman knock-off to stop everyone's favourite wallcrawler.

As with the Hulk's annual, this too contains a text story whose plot escapes me.

We also get what seems to be an episode guide to the TV show. A feature I'm sure we've all been praying for.

And, most nostalgically of all, there's yet another chance to read Lee and Ditko's Secrets of Spider-Man which, I think, appeared in the first US Spider-Man Annual and, also, Fleetway's 1972 UK Marvel Annual.

Because Santa loves us, we're also treated to a Worzel Gummidge annual.

Or are we?

Infamously, this year, thanks to a printing error, the book was entirely filled, not with tales of a loveable scarecrow, but with reprints from Skywald's horror mags and it, thus, treated us to tales of mutilation, blood loss and cannibalism. An event that caused a major scandal, an investigation by Esther Rantzen's That's Life TV show and even led to questions being asked in Parliament.

Fortunately, the following year, things were back to normal.

It's a Star Wars annual and, no, I don't have a clue what happens in it.

Well, that's not strictly speaking true. I think I can guess it features the likes of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and Darth Vader.

Exactly what they're up to, though, I cannot claim to know. Sadly, when it comes to this summary, The Force is very definitely not with me.

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. 

***

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!

Speak Your Brain! Part 44. How many Marvel honours do you have - and is your tree a fake?

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

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

The World Cup's over, UK temperatures have soared and we look forward to whatever presents Santa's going to leave around our tree but is that what's on your mind?

I cannot say.

What I can say is that, whatever your concern, here's where you have your chance to mention it.

That's because it's the return of the feature that never fails to send the internet into a tizzy. The one in which the first person to comment gets to choose the topic of the day!

It might be one of many things. Such as arts, carts, marts, darts, smarts, parts, films, flans, plans, books, bagels, cooks, nooks, crooks, ducks, drakes, pixies, rocks, socks, blocks, music, mucous, fairy tales, fairy lights, Fairy Liquid, fairy cakes, Eccles cakes, myth, moths, maths, magic, tragedy, comedy, dromedaries, murder, larders, Ladas, mystery, mayhem, molluscs, Moorcock, May Day, mangoes, bongos, drongoes, bingo, Ringo, Pingu, Ringu, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Doris Day, Marvin Gaye, Marvin the paranoid android, Brookside Close, Ramsay Street, Coronation Street, Albert Square, Scarlet Street, Dead End Street, chickenpox, the Equinox, parallelograms, rhomboids, androids, asteroids, The Good Life, the Next Life, pomegranates, raisins, grapes, currants, blackcurrants, figs, waves, granite, marble, marbles, maples, staples, fables, stables, sofas, eggs, pegs, legs, dregs, moons and supermoons, Supertramp, Supertrams, streetcars, desires, sodas, sausages, eggs, whisky, broth, Bath, baths, Garth Marenghi, Garth Brooks, Garth Crooks, Bruno Brookes, Bruno Mars, Mars Bars, wine bars, flip-flops, flim-flam, flapjacks, backpacks, see-saws, jigsaws, dominoes, draft excluders, blockheads, blackheads, dunderheads, deadheads, webheads, flowerpots, Bill and Ben, Ben and Jerry, Margo and Jerry, Tom and Jerry, flour pots, bread bins, bin bags, body bags, body horror, shoddy horror, doggy bags, bean bags, handbags, glad rags, silk, milk, mink, coal sacks, cola, cocoa, dodos, Dido, Soho, Solo, silos, windows, day-glo, glue, Gloy, Bostik, pancakes, Eccles cakes, Bakewell Tarts, Fabulous Wealthy Tarts, Mr Kipling, Rudyard Kipling, pizzas, pastas, pastors, baking soda, sci-fi, Wi-Fi, Hi-Fi, sewage, saunas, suet, Tomorrow People, yesterday's men, Forever People, Party People, purple people-eaters, Blobs, Globs, slobs, Sheila Steafel, steeples, Silurians, Sontarans, Sea Devils, sins, suns, sans, sense, sludge, slumps, sumps, pumps, sunshine, slime, soup, sandwiches, servants, Sultanas, Santana, Sultans, grapes, grappling, grippling or sandcastles.

But even that list might not be enough to satisfy readers of the blog that never stops and they may wish to discuss something different altogether.

If so, this is where it'll happen.

If it does happen...

2000 AD - November 1984.

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

***

Do you know it's Christmas?

Of course you do. You're a wise and erudite person who stays in touch with the latest developments.

However, in November 1984, there were those who weren't convinced that everyone was cognisant of the fact.

And those people were the assembled hordes brought into the studio to record that year's big Yuletide hit.

That hit was, of course, recorded by Band Aid and I suspect that, from this post's woefully clunking introduction, you've already guessed what it was called. Recorded to raise money to combat the famine in Ethiopia and featuring all our favourite singers - and Bono - it would go on to be released on December the 3rd and sell squintillizillions of copies.

Also released that month, were a bevy of movies; among them, The Killing Fields, A Nightmare on Elm Street and a cult favourite of mine Night of the Comet.

However, for fans of comic books, there was only one film to buy a ticket for.

And that was Supergirl, starring Helen Slater as the Maid of Might. Many have slaughtered the film for being total cobblers but some of us would argue it does a pretty good job of capturing the feel of the comic, even though, tragically, at no point does Comet the superhorse show up.

On the UK singles chart, I Feel for You by Chaka Khan held dominance for almost the entire month, before being toppled by Jim Diamond's I Should Have Known Better which is a single I shall be happy to never hear again.

I was also not totally sold on Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Welcome to The Pleasuredome which crashed onto the UK album chart at Number One. The singles were classics but, for some of us, the LP had a distinct air of the cynical cash grab about it. Surprisingly, it only held on to the top spot for one week before being deposed by Wham!'s Make It Big which, itself, was then dethroned by Various Artists' The Hits Album. Various Artists were having a hell of a year and seemed to be topping the chart on a regular basis, with the public never growing tired of them, no matter how many records they released.

But what of the galaxy's greatest comic?

It was still giving us the now-familiar thrill-power of Judge Dredd, Nemesis the Warlock, Ace Trucking Co, The Hell Trekkers, Rogue Trooper and, inevitably, Tharg's Future-Shocks.

But perhaps the development that most caught the eye was Prog 393's long-awaited return of the Stainless Steel Rat, in a serial titled The Stainless Steel Rat For President. I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that it involves the Stainless Steel Rat running for president.

December 16th, 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. 

***

This week in 1972, humanity was about to wave goodbye to the moon, as the last-ever [so far] manned mission to that globe touched down and the Selenites breathed a sigh of relief that their underground city had, once more, remained undetected by the unsuspecting peoples of Earth.

But you know what was detected, that week?

Issue #11 of the UK's hottest new comic!

As we can tell from that cover, the Hulk finds himself confronting the outer-space menace of the Metal Master who magnificently predated the first appearance of Magneto by a full seven months.

Elsewhere, Spider-Man's still striving to win his first-ever fight with the Sandman.

And the Fantastic Four are still out to thwart the will of Dr Doom in their first-ever clash with him.

As if that's not enough for us, we also get a four-page Lee/Ditko feature that reveals the Secrets of Spider-Man.

And, by some means, we can all get to be a Marvel editor!

But the big news is that, at last, after eleven issues, the book has finally stopped going on about that poster!

The Marvel Lucky Bag - December 1982.

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

***

Film-goers had more options than they could shake a stick at when they looked at the cinema listings in December 1982.

Why, if you were willing to shell out the money, you could experience 48 Hrs, Gandhi, Airplane II, Sophie's Choice, The Dark Crystal, Tootsie, The Trail of the Pink Panther and The Year of Living Dangerously.

My pick of those would, inevitably, be Airplane II, even though I don't remember it being very good.

I am fascinated, however, to see that The Year of Living Dangerously featured Australian actor Bill Kerr, best known in Britain as Tony Hancock's slow-witted sidekick in Hancock's Half Hour. It does always seem strange to see him turn up in other things, especially serious dramas.

It's 37 pages of history being made, as Monica Rambeau becomes the new Captain Marvel!

I've not read this one but, according to the Grand Comics Database, Monica causes a fancy new weapon to explode and it gives her super-powers.

Weeks later, stricken by excess energy, she visits the Baxter Building to get Mr Fantastic's help but, upon learning he's away, tries the Avengers Mansion and recruits Iron Man's help, instead.

All of which poses the obvious question of where's Spider-Man in all of this, bearing in mind it's supposed to be his annual?

Now it's time to get excited.

Because Adam Warlock gets his own, brand-new, comic!

Granted, it's not that new, being made up entirely of reprints from his mid-1970s run in Strange Tales.

But you're never going to complain about a second chance to read those classics.

And it's not just Warlock who's getting his own comic this month.

So is Kull!

And the tale it contains really is new!

And it's 48 pages long!

From what I can make out, while rebuilding his city, after an earthquake, Kull breaks open a previously buried tomb that's covered by serpent-men symbols.

I think we can all guess that that's going to lead to nothing but trouble...

But the big news of the month is the Smurfs have their very own Marvel comic! I can't wait to see Roy Thomas' attempts to integrate the Smurfs into the Marvel Universe.

Sadly, Roy has no involvement in this mag. Instead, the writing is credited to a man called Peyo who also draws the tales contained within.

Marvel's most speculative mag asks what would have happened had the Fantastic Four not gained their super-powers?

Sadly, I can't tell you what would have happened, as I've never read it but, given how What If tales tend to turn out, I'm going to guess it would have spelt disaster for humanity, especially when Galactus shows up.

The back-up tale, on the other hand, asks us what would have happened had Nova not given up his powers.

And I can't answer that question either.

The Avengers get their 11th annual and it's another one whose contents are a mystery to me but it seems to involve a crossover with the Defenders and a battle with Nebulon and his mystery girlfriend.

I'm always happy to rush to the defence of Al Milgrom but even I can't defend that total mess of a cover.

Forty years ago today - December 1982.

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

***

England are, once more, out of a World Cup, sunk by the French and, so, we must turn our gazes away from plucky losers and move them toward a bunch of people who always win.

Marvel super-heroes.

But do they always win?

Will triumph accompany them, this month?

Or will they too know the bitter taste of defeat?

Marvel's answer to Superman arrives on Earth, as Gladiator aims to thwart a potential invasion but ends up mistaking the Fantastic Four for Skrulls, leading to a clash the team can't possibly hope to survive.

Or so it seems...

Yet again, Iron Man finds himself facing a foe who's good at melting things, meaning his armour's got a challenge ahead of it.

Along the way, Shellhead rescues Rhodey - who's been stricken by spider venom, thanks to the machinations of the not-at-all-cliched Laird of Glen Travail.

Things start to get complicated for Spidey, as the Owl elects to work with Doc Ock in a joint bid to dethrone the Kingpin as boss of the New York mobs.

And, just to add complications to those complications, Peter Parker gets a visit from Debra Whitman's psychiatrist, as regards her belief that our hero's really Spider-Man.

When thieves steal the Eye of Horus and try to sell it in Chicago, Egypt's Scarlet Scarab shows up and helps  Thor bring the men to justice.

I'm struggling to remember what happens in this one but I do believe that, now he has Bruce Banner's mind, the Hulk's pardoned by the President.

Clearly, from that cover, a whole heap of Marvel heroes are involved, as well, and I've a feeling they and Hulkie must thwart what seems to be a Krylorean invasion.

However, it's nothing of the sort. It's an illusion created by the Leader for who-knows-what nefarious purpose.

There's no shortage of incident in this one, as Stick brings the Black Widow back from the dead but is then killed by agents of The Hand.

That's followed by the Widow and Foggy setting about breaking up Matt and Heather's relationship.

And then it turns out The Hand are out to resurrect Elektra!

It's a cover that can't help but remind one of the front of Avengers #61 in which the gang had to battle Surtur and Ymir but the story inside this one's very different, as the world's mightiest super-team finally defeat the Irish gods they were battling last issue.

Don't ask me how they do it, because I don't know.

But I do know Dr Druid's involved.

It's bad news for the X-Men, as they discover the Brood Queen's had an egg implanted in each and every one of them.

But it's better news for Carol Danvers who, in the heat of battle, suddenly regains her super-powers and is reborn as the noticeably Phoenix-like Binary which is a terrible name for a super-doer.

Still, that is the most Dave Cockrum costume ever.

The Tarantula's turned into a human spider, and Will O' the Wisp's still getting in Spider-Man's way.

Sadly, that's all I can remember of this one.

Cap's childhood best friend's been captured, which means the star-spangled battler has to rescue him.

The only problem is Arnim Zola and Baron Zemo appear to be involved.

Also, Bernie Rosenthal still knows Cap is really Steve Rogers.

But, then, who doesn't?

I've no idea what happens in this one but I'm willing to bet that giant spiders, evil sorcerers and helpless females are involved.

Oh, yes - and pirates.

December 9th, 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. 

***

Here in the present, the World Cup is on and many triumphant players will, no doubt, claim to be over the moon.

However, this week in 1972, a trio of men were soon to be literally over that object.

Those men were the crew of Apollo 17, destined to be the last manned moon mission for many a decade.

But they weren't alone because the mission also included five mice. I'm not sure what those were there for but I fear they were doomed to be disappointed when they reached their destination and discovered it isn't made of cheese.

Also disappointed, that week, was Imelda Marcos who was stabbed and seriously wounded by an assailant.

On the UK singles chart, there was no change, as Chuck Berry retained his Number One spot, thanks to the awesome power of his Ding-A-Ling.

While, over on the British album chart, there was also no change, with its summit retained by Various Artists' 25 Rockin' and Rollin' Greats.

I may not be a huge fan of that Chuck Berry single but these are the tracks of which I did approve, from that week's singles chart:

Crazy Horses - the Osmonds

Gudbuy T'Jane - Slade

Crocodile Rock - Elton John

Leader of the Pack {1972} - the Shangri-Las

Nights in White Satin - the Moody Blues

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - John and Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band with the Harlem Community Choir

In a Broken Dream - Python Lee Jackson

and

C Moon - Wings.

For those who wish to research the subject in greater depth, that week's UK singles chart can be found here.

While the corresponding album chart resides right here.

Despite the cover's proud boast that the Hulk finds himself up against the might of Tyrannus and his subterranean hordes, he, in fact, finds himself up against General Fang and his Himalayan hordes.

Fortunately, being smarter than anyone else in the story, the Hulk soon defeats them by dressing up as the Abominable Snowman.

In the middle of the comic, Spider-Man's still waging his first-ever battle against the Sandman - and only Henry the Hoover can save him!

And, thanks to Dr Doom's quest for treasure, the Fantastic Four have been sent back to the days of Blackbeard.

They can easily deal with pirates but can they prevent the Thing from turning against them?

And, yes, ten issues into its run, the book is still going on about the poster it's been going on about since issue #1. I'm starting to wonder if the current issue of Mighty World of Marvel is still going on about it in 2022.