The Marvel Lucky Bag - September 1973.

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

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September 1973 holds the distinction of being the only month I've ever covered in this feature where I've never heard of a single movie released in it

Thus it is that we got movies bearing such deathless names as From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E Frankweiler, I Escaped from Devil's Island, The Pyx, The Spook Who Sat by the Door and Harry in Your Pocket.

Classics all, I'm sure.

Conan gets his first-ever annual.

And does so in style, with a dramatic cover by Barry Smith.

Not so stylishly, the insides are made up of nothing but reprints. In this case, Bazzer's versions of Lair of the Beast-Men and The Tower of the Elephant.

Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four get their tenth annual.

Sadly, it too is composed of reprints.

In the first tale, as the cover makes clear, we're re-exposed to the wedding of Reed and Sue.

And, in the second, we're given the return of the original Human Torch, as the Mad Thinker restores the android to life, purely for the purpose of attacking the modern Human Torch.

No reprints in this one, just legendary fare unfolding before our eyeballs, as we get the start of Panther's Rage and the introduction of a brand new villain when T'Challa returns to Wakanda, only to discover his people have started to resent his lengthy absences.

Having said there are no reprints, it turns out this issue's back-up tale is a 1950s reprint starring Lorna the Jungle Girl.

Marvel Feature gives us the prototype for Marvel Two-in-One, as Kurrgo and the Leader unite to pit the Thing against the Hulk, in an attempt to discover which of them's the better fighter.

I've a feeling it all involves an attempt by the Leader to regain the use of his paralysed body. And, of course, at least one of the villains is cheating.

Not to be left behind, Spider-Man gets his own annual as well.

And I think we've all guessed that it reprints Spectacular Spider-Man #2 in which Norman Osborn regains his memory and sets out to destroy his old foe, with the aid of hallucinogenic pumpkins.

Needless to say, he fails in his aims, and another dose of amnesia arrives just in time to save our hero from an embarrassing predicament.

Brother Voodoo makes his death-defying debut, as Jericho Drumm returns to Haiti to find his brother dying from the Curse of Damballah.

Worlds Unknown presents its version of Farewell to the Master, otherwise known as, "That story that inspired The Day the Earth Stood Still."

But who can guess the startling secret of Klaatu?

And I don't mean that he recorded the original version of Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft.

Marvel's most uncanny stuntman gets his own mag, as the Ghost Rider's needed to evict a demon from Linda Littletree's body.

But will he get the chance, with Johnny Blaze critically injured while trying to smash through a police roadblock?

It would appear this tale also features the first-ever appearance of Daimon Hellstrom, AKA the Son of Satan. A man who would never be critically injured by trying to smash through a police roadblock.

In yet more Yellow Submarine inspired shenanigans, our hero tries to liberate Zephyrland from its music-banned torment, by fighting its evil tyrant Virago.

Except she kicks his butt.

So much for that plan.