November 17th, 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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If there's one thing in life we can all be certain of, it's that a sitcom starring nothing but old-age pensioners can't possibly last for more than a short stint. After all, how long can it be before the entire cast are dead?

But how wrong we would be in thinking that, because this week in 1973 saw the launch of a sitcom about the retired that would run for a walloping 37 years, and 31 series.

You'd better believe it. It was in this week that BBC One's Last of the Summer Wine began its first series, following a premiere in the January 4th edition of Comedy Playhouse. So long-surviving was the show that, sometimes, it's a shock to discover it's not still going.

Over on the UK singles chart, there was a brand new Number One. It was by Gary Glitter. And it was called I Love You Love Me Love.

Moving swiftly on, the accompanying album chart saw the roost still being ruled by David Bowie with his oddly unhyphenated LP Pin Ups.

And it's arrived! The most important week in the history of the human race!

After all, this is the week in which I decide to collect comics, rather than just throwing them away.

And which adventures are we treated to on the event of this momentous circumstance?

As we can see from that cover, the Hulk's still up against the Evil Inhumans whose leader Maximus is attempting to get his hands on an ancient power source that can grant him control over the Great Refuge - again.

But, despite what the cover claims, the Fantastic Four are not in combat with the X-Men. That duel was all done and dusted with last week.

Instead, the cosmic quartet are confronting the ephemeral return of the Red Ghost - or the Mad Ghost as he's always called in the UK books.

I don't recall too much of what happens in that tale but I'm pretty sure it starts on Yancy Street and ends up on the moon, with the Watcher, as always, getting involved in things.

It's bad news for Spidey. Barely has he had time to recover from thwarting the Lizard than a whole new menace hits town.

And that menace is the Shocker, a small-time crook who's built himself a super-powered suit, while in prison, and is determined to make the most of it.

Sadly, that crook has not taken into account his one weakness.

His thumbs.

Meanwhile, drama hits a whole new level in the Thor strip, as the thunder god finds himself in a Vietnamese jungle and having to face the unstoppable might of the Destroyer, thanks to a foolish hunter having accidentally activated the enchanted robot.

With his hammer chopped in half by the menace, how can even our hero possibly survive?

And this is it, the comic whose glossy cover was the thing that convinced me the time had come to spare all future comics the dustbin.

In fairness, despite its vital importance in mankind's story, I don't recall too much about the main tale. I seem to remember the Mad Ghost and Mole Man are in it and that they, sort of, team up.

Stan Lee wrote this tale, so I'm going to assume that one of those villains kidnaps the Wasp, and the rest of her team have to go and rescue her.

I'm also going to assume the bad guys fall out and the good guys win.

I possess much stronger memories of the Dr Strange tale. The sorcerer supreme steps in when a TV station decides to conduct a live broadcast from a haunted house. Holy shades of Ghostwatch, Batman!

This time, no nation is traumatised but it is true to say that dark forces are at play and the supernatural surgeon has to overcome a house that's literally alive.