November 10th, 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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At last, the nation's fish were safe!

It's true. This week in 1973 was the one in which the Second Cod War between the United Kingdom and Iceland ended. Who won? Who lost? I've no idea.

But how long could it be before there'd be a Third Cod War?

Only time would tell.

Over on the UK singles chart, there were also celebrations. This time, for David Cassidy who was still at Number One with his double-A side Daydreamer/Puppy Song.

And the British album chart was similarly becalmed, with David Bowie's Pin Ups still at Number One.

That David Cassidy single may not have been my favourite ever but the following 45s were ones that I did approve of on that week's UK listing:

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John

Showdown - Electric Light Orchestra

Photograph - Ringo Starr

Knockin' On Heaven's Door - Bob Dylan

My Friend Stan - Slade

Nutbush City Limits - Ike and Tina Turner

My Coo-Ca-Choo - Alvin Stardust

Lamplight - David Essex

and

Amoureuse - Kiki Dee.

Should you wish to study the matter in more depth, that week's UK singles chart can be found here.

While the parallel album chart dwells here.

Can it be? The webbed wonder having to fight the Lizard, with one arm in a sling?

Yes, it can.

And not only are those odds stacked against our hero but the villain has a whole host of reptiles on his side, as well!

But how ironic that Spidey has to tackle the villain while only supplied with one arm when, in a future tale, he'll have to fight the fiend while lumbered with six of the things. And that the Lizard, himself, tends to oscillate between possessing two arms and one.

I do believe this is the adventure in which Stan Lee challenges us to fill in several blank dialogue balloons. I must confess that, after all these years, I've still not got round to doing it.

Meanwhile, back in Asgard, Loki's won the Trial of the Gods, by using enchanted Norn Stones, which leads Thor to intervene in a certain East Asian conflict. Someone has to pay for the god of mischief's duplicity. And it's going to be the Viet Cong!

Spider-Man's busy, this week. Not only does he have to thwart the Lizard, it would appear he's going to have to defeat the entirety of the Avengers, as well!

But is he the real Spider-Man?

Or is he, instead, a robot version of the crime fighter, sent back in time by Kang in his latest attempt to get one up on the team?

I can shed little light upon this week's Dr Strange adventure but, according to the cover, death awaits him beyond the purple veil, which sounds like bad news.

Fresh from annihilating the Mandarin's fortress, the Hulk encounters the Inhumans. And that means we too encounter them for the first time, thanks to them not having yet turned up in the Fantastic Four's reprints.

However, these aren't the nice Inhumans. The ones who maintain a rigidly hierarchical society, keep slaves and marry their own relatives. No. These are the evil ones, banished by order of Black Bolt. And, as we all know, any encounter with the Hulk quickly turns into a fight with the Hulk.

The Fantastic Four, meanwhile, are concluding their scrap with the X-Men which is rapidly turning into a team-up, as the fact that the Mad Thinker and Puppet Master are the true villains of the piece becomes apparent.

And even a subterranean base and a big android can't shield that duo for long from two teams of super-heroes.