October 27th, 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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In 1973, you were either a Donny Osmond fan or a David Cassidy fan.

Unless you were a fan of someone else altogether.

Thus it was that that age-old rivalry was stoked up again, as Cassidy of the David variety smashed his way to Number One on the UK singles chart, with his classic double-A side Daydreamer/The Puppy Song.

Admittedly, when I say, "Classic," I possess no memory of either track and have no idea how either of them went.

Interesting to see that, although he was ruling the charts in Britain; in the US, by the start of 1973, his chart career was already over, with a string of singles failing to crack the Top 200 until Gettin' It in the Street reached Number 105 in 1976. The divergent tastes of the UK and US publics are ofttimes a mystery.

On the accompanying British LP chart, pole position was now hogged by relentless party blues-boogie three-chord-wonder rock band Status Quo with their album Hello.

I must confess I've never heard that record but think I can make a pretty good guess as to what every track on it sounded like.

Stranded in China, the Hulk must match the might of the deadly Smashor, thanks to the machiavellian machinations of the mendacious Mandarin.

I would assume this is all part of the villain's attempt to get the Hulk to assist him in his plans for world domination. Setting a giant robot on someone seems a strange way to win friends and influence people but what can you do?

Next, we get an oddity, as the mag presents us with a 1961 Lee/Ditko tale called The Stone Man in which a pensioner asks the statue of a local hero to help the local poor. His prayers are answered but his neighbours cheat him out of his share of the statue’s gift. Can it be long before that statue avenges the old man?

No, it can't.

And, in our final strip of the issue, Dr Strange helps the Fantastic Four rescue Sue Storm from the clutches of the lovesick Sub-Mariner.

Gasp, humanity, as Wonder Man makes his senses-shattering debut!

But is he hero or villain?

Or is he both?

It's true. The man known to the world as Mr Zemo launches his latest plan to destroy the Earth's mightiest heroes, by getting his new recruit to join the gang and then betray them.

Will his foul scheme triumph?

Not if Wonder Man has his way!

Meanwhile, in Dr Strange's deathless strip, Baron Mordo places a spell over our hero's house which transports it to another world.

With Strange out of the way, the villain visits the Ancient One, claiming he's changed his ways. Will the elderly eldritch educator see through his pesky plan?

Too right he will.

The Rhino's busted out of prison - and he's out for revenge against Spider-Man, after their last meeting!

The cloddish wrongdoer might seem unstoppable but our hero has a secret weapon up his sleeve.

Literally.

Meanwhile, in Thor's current adventure, our hero's still battling Loki in the Trial of the Gods, while Balder attempts to stop the Enchantress and Executioner tormenting Jane Foster.