September 15th, 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. 

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I've no vital information from the worlds of sport, music, TV, film or politics to impart at the beginning of this post. Therefore, let us launch straight into comic book action of a kind that only Marvel UK could provide.

The Avengers and Fantastic Four are still falling over each other in their feeble attempts to stop the Hulk, AKA Bob, from running amok on the streets of New York.

With Reed Richards hospitalised, the Thing starting to feel like a punch bag, the Human Torch injured and Sue Storm being Sue Storm, how can the two teams possibly hope to put an end to the menace that only Bob can pose?

Meanwhile, in their temporary strip, the X-Men are still having their first-ever adventure and still trying to stop Magneto from gaining control of all those nuclear weapons at that military base he's trying to take over.

I'm assuming the mighty mutants have been given their own brief slot in the book because they'll soon be turning up as guest stars in the Fantastic Four's strip, and someone at Marvel UK wants the readers to know who they are when that occurs,

But what's this? I see that, on that cover, the team are billed as the world's strangest teenagers. Let's face it, they have plenty of competition for that title.

I do believe this is the tale in which, fresh out of jail, the embittered Professor Stromm decides to claim revenge upon Norman Osborn for having previously double-crossed him.

It's a move that leads to the unleashing of Stromm's menacing robots - and to him being shot by a sniper, through a window that only someone who can fly could possibly access. But who could that be? And just who is this man they call Norman Osborn?

And why does he have the same weird hair as his son?

After several weeks of battling, Thor finally defeats the Grey Gargoyle. I think he does it by, somehow, rendering him immobile.

Even more importantly, our hero gets his powers back, after they were severely curtailed by Odin in one of his huffs. 

I note that this tale's inked by Chic Stone which, given the villain involved, seems very apt.

But there's more entertainment than even all that because we also get another Tale of Asgard. And, in this timeless classic, Odin discovers the trolls have teamed up with Surtur in a bid to rebel against Asgard.

Needless to say, this can only mean one thing. That Odin gets all disputing factions together, around a table, to discuss just how the realm can be run in a way that's fair and equitable to all and that doesn't leave anyone feeling aggrieved.

Oh. No, he doesn't. Instead, he decides it's time to kick troll butt!