April 7th, 1973 - 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. 

***

Nowadays, a man like me can create a blog post by using just his phone and the awesome power of his intellect.

But, once upon a time, such pleasures were denied a young gentleman.

And that time was April 6th, 1973.

However, the very next day, we were well on the way to that glorious future. Thanks to Martin Cooper of Motorola, it was the day on which the first-ever handheld mobile phone call was made.

How little Martin could have guessed, when he made the call, that that one small event would trigger a sequence of occurrences that would snowball until they culminated in the glory and grandeur that is Steve Does Comics.

It wasn't such a good week for skinflints, however, as it was the week in which the UK government introduced Value Added Tax to the items we bought in the shops.

I'm sure most everyone's aware that April 7th was the date of that year's Eurovision Song Contest which was won by Tu Te Teconnaîtras by Anne-Marie David, for Luxembourg. As myth and legend can attest, our own Cliff Richard came third with Power to All Our Friends, reminding us that there was a time when coming third was a disappointment for this land.

From one singing superstar to another, as that week's UK singles chart had a brand new Number One.

And that Number One was Get Down by Gilbert O'Sullivan, a track that, surely, found Gilbert at his most Elton-ish.

Over on the associated album chart, the top spot was still gripped by 20 Flashback Greats of the Sixties as presented by those ever-popular Various Artists.

Judo Jim Starlin and Amazing Al Migrom give us not-their-finest cover, as the Hulk has his first meeting with the Watcher.

After defeating the galaxy's mightiest warrior, in order to get his hands on the Watcher's Ultimate Machine, our hero's teleported back to the Leader's lair.

But when the villain tries to use it, he quickly learns that even his giant brain can't handle the level of knowledge the Watcher possesses.

On an altogether more mundane level, Daredevil runs up against the Purple Man.

But what's this? The Watcher's back already? In the Fantastic Four's strip where he explains who he is and why he can't take sides in the battle between the team and the Mad Ghost and his super-apes? Truly, we're going to feel all Watchered out, this weekend.

Who doesn't love the circus?

Spider-Man doesn't.

And neither does Daredevil.

He likes it even less when the Ringmaster hypnotises Spidey, along with the rest of the audience, in order to steal all their belongings

Fortunately, the man without fear's lack of eyesight proves to be a priceless weapon against the mesmeric mischief-maker.

But he must feel like he's trapped in Groundhog Day. After all, what with the Ringmaster in this strip, and the Purple Man in his own, Daredevil's up against two foes with the ability to control people,  this week.

In Thor's strip, as a rite of passage, the heir to the throne of a race of shape-shifting aliens leads an attack on Earth, which involves them replacing government officials in New York.

Happily, Thor uncovers their plan and quickly thwarts them.