March 2nd, 1974 - 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. 

***

Fifty years ago this week saw no change at the peak of the UK singles chart, with Suzi Quatro's party-pleasing Devil Gate Drive retaining its stranglehold on the Number One slot.

However, it was a different kettle of rock on the accompanying album chart which saw Slade's Old, New, Borrowed and Blue usurp the Carpenters' greatest hits to seize the crown therein.

The Hulk's still in Central America and still battling the evil Inhumans but, even with their abilities, it's hard to see how they can hope to defeat the puce-panted powerhouse.

But perhaps they won't have to.

When General Ross and his men show up to peacekeep the place to smithereens, it's surely not going to take much work for Maximus to trick our hero into joining forces with him.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, in a bid to cure his blindness, Matt Murdock's visiting a European state ruled by one of his old college friends.

But that college friend is a ruthless dictator and the required eye surgeon promptly dies in a revolt.

In the watery depths, the Fantastic Four are still helping the Sub-Mariner overcome an invasion attempt by Attuma's hordes - without letting Subby know they're even there.

Speaking of underwater trouble, Cap, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are also in a fight to the death with Attuma.

And Hawkeye can't help them because he's stuck in New York, delayed by the inconvenience of having to battle the Beetle who, for some reason, has decided to single-handedly invade the Avengers Mansion!

Tragically, my knowledge of what occurs in this week's Dr Strange tale is as limited as it so often is.

The second Spider-Slayer launches its deadly attack and gives Spidey a run for his money until the webby wonder realises the robot's attracted to anything spidery and, thus, lures it back to its creator's lab where the multiple spiders kept there for research purposes cause it to explode like the blundering oaf it is.

In Iron Man's strip, communist spy the Actor steals Tony Stark's latest plans and discovers Iron Man's secret identity!

Needless to say, Iron Man wastes no time in tricking that spy's overlords into murdering him.

With Odin miffed at Thor for having revealed his secret identity to Jane Foster, the thunder god returns to Earth, looking to be reunited with his beloved.

Only to find her hitting the town, with Hercules!

Infuriated by such shenanigans, Thor quickly comes to blows with the Olympian but how long can it be before Odin puts a spoke in the works?

And we finish the book with a Tale of Asgard in which Balder saves the ship he's on, by blowing a horn which causes the total destruction of the attacking Dragon of Utgard.

Speak Your Brain! Part 73. Your favourite Star Trek shows.

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

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

How exciting! I've just realised it's one of those special Februaries! The ones that have 29 days in them!

Not that that makes any difference to this site. After all, today is the 27th and would, therefore, have occurred even in a non-leap-year.

Still, perhaps it's what's playing on your mind. And perhaps it's not. It doesn't matter. As long as you have something on your mind, then we're all set to go, as today sees the return of the feature they're all talking about. The one in which the first person to comment gets to choose the day's topic for debate.

Therefore, I shall offer no guidance as to what that might be and shall merely step back, recede behind this handily placed pair of curtains and let you The Reader take the microphone.

February 1984 - Marvel UK monthlies, 40 years ago this month.

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

***

February 1984 was a disastrous time for those who like to do things by halves, because it was the month in which Chancellor of the Exchequer Nigel Lawson announced that after, an unlucky for some, 13 years, the UK halfpenny was to be scrapped. Personally, it's a trauma so huge that I've never got over it.

It was, however, a great time for those who liked gold.

Or indeed silver or, even, bronze, as it was the month in which the Winter Olympics kicked off in Sarajevo. Mere days after that opening ceremony, Britain found triumph, thanks to ice dancers Torvill and Dean.

In the then Soviet Union, triumph was also visiting Konstantin Chernenko who succeeded the newly deceased Yuri Andropov as General Secretary of that land's Communist Party.

Upon the UK singles chart, it will surprise few familiar with 1980s music to discover Frankie Goes to Hollywood's irresistible juggernaut Relax greeted the new month at Number One.

But even that couldn't stay on top forever and, so, by February's end, it had been supplanted by the Teutonic tunefulness of Nena and her 99 Red Balloons.

Meanwhile, on the accompanying album chart, February launched with the Eurythmics' Touch hogging pole position before being replaced by Simple Minds' Sparkle in the Rain which then had to make way for the Thompson Twins' Into the Gap. 

Cloak and Dagger's strip makes its Mighty World of Marvel debut when the contrasting couple ask someone called Father Delgado for sanctuary in his church.

Someone else who might appreciate sanctuary are Captain Britain and his allies. Luna, Betsy and friends are done over by the Beetles while the good captain visits Jim Jaspers' lair - only to find the villain has become all but unstoppable.

In his strip, Night Raven must tackle The Haunting of Don Salvatore Vischetti.

And in Daredevil's strip... ...well, there is no Daredevil strip. Despite the comic being called Mighty World of Marvel Featuring the Daredevils, poor old Hornhead isn't able to get into a comic that's 50% named in his honour.

The mag that's bigger on the inside than the outside gives us a preview of the undersea drama the world will come to know as Warriors of the Deep in which the Silurians team up with the Sea Devils in a bid to destroy humanity.

But that's not all because this issue also gives us a preview of The Awakening and Frontios.

As well as that, there's a review of 20th anniversary episode The Five Doctors, a comic strip called Skywatch-7 and an interview with Leela actor Louise Jameson.

I can tell you little of what transpires within this one but I do know it centres around a 40-page tale called Lady of the Silver Snows which is brought to us by the not-so-barbaric team of Chris Claremont and Val Mayerik.

The nation's favourite sci-fi mag proves its foresight by previewing the upcoming alien invasion television mini-series V.

Also, Irving Kershner discusses his directorial work on The Empire Strikes Back and Never Say Never Again, we're given an interview with special effects wizard Douglas Trumbull, and columnist Barry Forshaw presents a thinkpiece about video censorship.

February 23rd 1974 - 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. 

***

If I were to declaim, to you, the words, "Come alive! Come alive!" you'd know exactly what I was saying to you.

I'd be saying, "Come alive!"

But where would I be saying it?

Why, down at Devil Gate Drive, of course.

For, verily, it was that very song which was topping the UK singles chart, this week in 1974. And that was good news for Suzi Quatro who was the woman responsible for it.

Over on the British album chart, there was no change from the week before, with the Carpenters' The Singles 1969-1973 still ruling the roost.

But none of the above truly matters.

This is what matters.

That here is the issue where I began regularly reading the Avengers' weekly comic, rather than just seeing the occasional edition of it.

And what a way to start that era, with that rascally rogue Attuma kidnapping the winsome Wasp, as she flies across the ocean, looking to warn the world of a potential attack by the Sub-Mariner.

Needless to say, such an affront forces the world's most powerful heroes to get involved.

And involved they get by quickly getting stomped all over by the villain.

I do believe that, in his strip, Dr Strange is still battling a Baron Mordo whose power is being boosted by that of the dread Dormammu.

But, unfortunately for the villain, Dormammu's becoming increasingly distracted by events in his own dimension.

Unless I miss my Gamma-loving guess, the Hulk finds himself in a Central American republic where the locals reside beneath the hypnotic spell of a giant robot.

And that's not the only shock for our hero because it turns out that robot's a mere lackey.

And it's under the control of none other than Maximus the Mad!

Elsewhere, it seems like good news for Matt Murdock because one his old friends is now supreme ruler of a European country and invites the blind lawyer over for an operation to restore his sight.

However, once there, it doesn't take Matt long to realise his friend is a ruthless dictator - and has an army of robot knights!

And even more elsewhere, Attuma's proving to be a busy lad, this week, because not only must he contend with the Avengers, he's also got to foil the Sub-Mariner who - whether he knows it or not - is being aided and abetted by the Fantastic Four.

From that cover, I think we can deduce the Spider-Slayer is back - and deadlier than ever!

Clearly, this is bad news for everyone's favourite web-spinner who's only just regained his memory after his near-death experience with Ka-Zar.

Iron Man, meanwhile, finds himself Trapped by the Mad Barbarian.

Based on Marvel UK's previous form, I'm going to assume the Mad Barbarian was called the Red Barbarian in the original US comic and has had his name changed to avoid offending whoever it is who'd be offended. I'm also going to suspect his home country's been renamed, "Bodavia."

It all involves a commie scheme to send malevolent master of disguise The Actor to steal the plans for Tony Stark's latest weapon. I think we can all assume Tony's not going to stand for that kind of malarkey.

And, almost finally, for this issue, Thor fights the Demon to recover a Norn Stone.

But is the thunder god ready for the wrath he's about to face from Odin for revealing his secret identity to Jane Foster?

And the issue closes with a two-page map of Asgard to make sure we won't get lost the next time we visit it.

Speak Your Brain! Part 72. Of Hype and Disenchantment.

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

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

Hark!

Can you hear it?

In the trees? In the babbling brooks? In the air around us and upon the breeze?

Why, no. You can't.

That's because there's nothing to hear.

Wherever we traipse in the unending forest that is the internet, there lurks nothing but dread and silence.

But why?

Because there is not yet anything to say.

But, with any luck, there soon shall be.

And that's because, at the centre of that forest, we've stumbled, once more, upon the feature that even the squirrels themselves have learnt to fear. The one in which I keep quiet and whoever finds this site gets to decide the day's topic for debate.

That debate could be about anything that tickles your fancy or peels your potatoes.

Therefore, hesitate ye not, brave wanderer and announce that topic in the comments section below.

2000 AD - January 1986.

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

***

Some seekers of global unity may dream of hands across the water but, in January 1986, it was a case of hands beneath the sea, as the UK and France announced plans to construct a tunnel beneath the English Channel. One which would allow people to get on a train in one of those countries and ride it all the way to the heart of the other.

And it wasn't the only display of European partnership underway at the time. It was, after all, the month in which Spain and Portugal joined the European Community which would go on to become the European Union.

Not so happily for the human race, January also saw disaster when the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up only 73 seconds after launch, killing its entire crew of seven astronauts.

Over on the UK singles chart, the month was dominated by just two songs. Firstly, the Pet Shop Boys' West End Girls and then a-ha's The Sun Always Shines on TV.

The album chart, meanwhile, was initially topped by Now That's What I Call Music! 6 before even that had to make way for the unstoppable behemoth that was Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms which had already been on the chart for 35 weeks at that point.

But what of the Galaxy's greatest comic? What was it up to as that year began its long hard trek towards the following Christmas?

It was up to The Ballad of Halo Jones, Sláine, Ace Trucking Co, Judge Dredd and Strontium Dog. The observant witness will have noticed that no new strips seem to have appeared during that period.

February 16th 1974 - 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. 

***

As has been previously mentioned in this site's comments section, this week in 1974 saw the launch of a TV phenomenon.

That phenomenon was Bagpuss.

Produced by Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate's Smallfilms company, only 13 episodes were ever made of the show that featured the adventures of a stuffed cloth cat but that didn't prevent it from becoming a low-key national treasure.

Having said that, I don't think I've ever seen a single episode of it but I have heard it spoken of in hushed whispers wherever men meet to speak in hushed whispers.

Two days after that launch, the world of football witnessed a major event of its own, as Birmingham City centre-forward Bob Latchford became Britain's most expensive player, thanks to a £350,000 move to Everton.

There were no signs of change atop the UK singles and album charts, that week, with Mud's Tiger Feet and the Carpenters' Singles 1969-1973 maintaining a stranglehold on their respective Number One spots.

I do, of course, love Tiger Feet but other tracks I approved of on that singles chart were:

Devil Gate Drive - Suzi Quatro

The Man Who Sold the World - Lulu

Dance With the Devil - Cozy Powell

The Show Must Go On - Leo Sayer

How Come? - Ronnie Lane & Slim Chance

Living for the City - Stevie Wonder

Jealous Mind - Alvin Stardust

My Coo-Ca-Choo - Alvin Stardust

The Air that I Breathe - the Hollies

After the Goldrush - Prelude

and

Lamplight - David Essex.

Should one wish to scrutinise the situation in more depth, that week's singles chart may be perused here.

While the corresponding album chart resides within.

The team's new lineup gets its toughest test yet when Victor Von Doom decides that, before he next tackles the Fantastic Four, he first needs to strike fear into their hearts - and concludes that the best way of doing that is by defeating the Avengers.

Needless to say, even with home advantage on his side, that proves to be harder than it sounds.

Something else that's harder than it sounds is describing what happens in this week's Dr Strange tale. Other than being able to disclose that he must face Dormammu, I dwell within total ignorance upon the matter.

Can it be?

Can Spider-Man be dead?

No.

It can't.

Not that we'll find that out until next week.

For now, we'll have to settle for a titanic tussle between man-spider and jungle lord that'll have our hero feeling distinctly waterlogged.

Meanwhile, in Iron Man's strip, things are getting wierd.

In fact, they're getting Dr Wierd, as a villain originally called Dr Strange gets renamed by Marvel UK to prevent readers becoming confused.

Now they're just left to be confused by why the villain can't spell his own surname correctly.

I don't remember much of his plan but I do know it's foiled when his own daughter gives Iron Man a couple of torch batteries with which he can regain his vigour and unleash his full might.

Meanwhile, witch doctor turned super-villain, the Demon is still rampaging around Asia - but the masked malcontent hasn't counted on Thor showing up.

Possibly more significantly, things are stirring in Olympus, with Hercules being sent to Earth, by Zeus, for reasons I don't recall.

The Hulk's epic battle with the Sub-Mariner continues apace. And even the danger of innocent bystanders being killed isn't putting an end to hostilities!

Back on dry land, Daredevil concludes his first-ever tussle with the Stiltman, by shrinking him down to the size of an atom.

And, in another part of New York, Gregory Gideon continues to throw his wealth at the Fantastic Four, in his attempts to defeat them

And, with Dr Doom's time machine now lurking in the Baxter Building, as a trap, it looks like he just might succeed.

But could an innocent child's devotion to decency be enough to melt the heart of even the frostiest of tycoons?

The Marvel Lucky Bag - February 1984.

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

***

Films to treasure for the rest of your life were notably absent in February 1984 but the month did see the release of both Blame It On Rio and Footloose, neither which are within a million miles of being movies I actually like but they are, at least, films I've actually heard of.

In all honesty, this month's Marvel B-Listers don't look much more promising than those movies but I'm nothing if not an optimist. So, let's see what we can find amidst them that might tickle our fancy.

And I cannot deny that I've picked this one purely because of the strangeness of its cover. What's going on? Why are they all just stood around, like that? What can it all portend?

That, I cannot say. All I know of the tale within is that it's titled Assault on the Empire! and has a character called Cloud in it.

Possibly the least attractive cover in the history of comics tells us we've the chance to reacquaint ourselves with Elektra's appearances in the pages of Daredevil, thanks to the medium of reprints.

I've not included an issue of Epic Illustrated in ages. So, what does this one offer us?

It offers us Wizard's Masque, Dispositio: Chapter III, The Scroll, Frankenstein, Terror in Paradise, Conan the Calendar, The Legend, The Dance, Reunion, The Monster and The Hero, as brought to us by the likes of Jim Starlin, John Bolton, Bernie Wrightson, Charles Vess and Bill Sienkiewicz, among many others of redoubtable talent.

Judging by that cover, it looks like plenty of people are in for a whole heap of trouble.

And our hero clearly agrees because, when the media show up to broadcast a symbolic funeral for the town of Clairton, Rom decides it's a great opportunity to warn the world of the threat the Dire Wraiths pose to us all.

My motto is, "Never turn down a chance for morbidity," and, clearly, someone at Marvel agrees with me because this month's edition tells us all we need to know about characters who are either dead or inactive; from Air-Walker to Man-Wolf.

A brand new mag gives us lots of old stories, as a whole heap of Lee/Kirby Tales of Asgard reprints get its very own comic.

The X-Men's unlikely crossover with the Micronauts continues, as Chris Claremont, Bill Mantlo and Butch Guice spin a yarn they call Into the Abyss!

Marvel does like to give us tales in which Conan finds himself in the modern age. In this one, he becomes a gang leader, although I've no doubt he'll be one with a moral code.

I'm assuming this is the adventure in which he gets into a fight with Captain America and makes short work of him?

In the issue's second tale; according to the GCD, Phoenix, the Silver Surfer and Dr Strange return to the destroyed universe.

I'm not sure what they do about it from that point on. I can only hope they use their vast power to un-destroy it.

Forty years ago today - February 1984.

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

***

A wise man once said, "Time, time, time. See what has become of me."

That man was Paul Simon and I've no idea what he meant by it.

However, I do have an idea about something else.

And that idea is that I now need to strip to the waist and wrestle so violently with Time that it runs backward and I can, at last, see just what was going on in the Marvel comics which bore the never-to-be-forgotten cover date of February 1974.

A totally bizarre story meets our eyes, in which the Fantastic Four must defeat legendary comic book artist Neal Adams who's kidnapped the Human Torch so he can use the hero's power, to agitate the Earth's core and accelerate our planet's expansion.

Granted, the villain isn't named in the story as Neal Adams. Instead, he's called Alden Maas but even I can spot that's an anagram.

Regardless, at the tale's climax, we discover the Mole Man isn't best pleased by nefarious Neal's plan.

And I think we can assume that can only be bad news for the plucky penciller.

It's time for a revenge match, as Bruce Banner visits the circus - only to discover it's the Circus of Crime!

Spotting Bruce in the audience, the Ringmaster sets his latest recruit the Dragon Man on him but that's clearly not going to stop the Hulk from wrecking the hypnotic huckster's latest money-making scheme.

Still working as a hero for hire, Rhodey takes a job in Hong Kong, trying to discover what ruined a load of film stock.

And it turns out the Radioactive Man destroyed it.

As far as I can remember the glowy scientist has no interest in the film stock and is on another mission altogether.

Needless to say, that doesn't prevent the villain and the armour-clad hero from clashing.

Spidey gains an unlikely ally when the Hobgoblin decides to show up at an exclusive club, many of whose members he's attempting to blackmail.

Unfortunately for the villain, the Kingpin also happens to be a member of the club and decides to help our hero in his battle with the flying felon.

In his other mag, Spidey displays an epic gift for terrible judgement when he decides to reveal his true identity to the Black Cat, even though she's clearly not a full shilling.

Unfortunately for the wallcrawler, it turns out she doesn't fancy Peter Parker, only Spider-Man, meaning he's going to have to keep his mask on at all times if she's to avoid having a psychiatric meltdown in his presence.

It's a veritable nightmare for the X-Men when Mystique breaks into their HQ in an attempt to liberate Rogue from their clutches.

Only for her to discover her "daughter" doesn't want to be liberated.

Beneath the streets of New York, the Morlocks are also up to things. Things which I suspect can't be good things.

From what I can remember, Conan rides into yet another town and finds himself up against yet another sorcerer.

The good news for him, this time, is the sorcerer's a bit of an amateur and easily defeated - even with a demon on his side.

It's not one of Daredevil's finer tales, as the man without fear finds himself battling an annoying stage magician who loves to commit crimes.

This leads to him re-encountering one of the gang who used to taunt Matt Murdock by calling him, "Daredevil," when he was a kid.

Off the top of my head, I can't remember if it's the villain or his victim who's our star's former tormentor.

I do remember, though, that the villain's lumbered with the rather unfortunate sobriquet of, "The Trump."

Also, for no good reason, Matt has a mental meltdown about it all.

But, sadly, not one that's actually interesting.

It's the cosmos-crunching conclusion to the Beta Ray Bill saga, as that character, Thor and Sif finally encounter the demons from another dimension who've been wiping out Bill's people.

Needless to say, those scoundrels don't last long when confronted by that power trio, and the day is soon won.

Not only that but, afterwards, Odin gives Bill a civilian secret identity that's fit to rival Don Blake himself.

I suspect loose ends from other comics are being tied up in this one when the Avengers must go to the aid of Spider-Woman whose body's in a hospital bed, thanks to her spirit being trapped on the astral plane.

As you might expect, the gang lacks the skills needed to help her but, fortunately, they know how to contact Dr Strange who certainly can do something about it all.

In further news, it's only in the last few days that I've discovered Spider-Woman's alter-ego Jessica Drew isn't named in honour of TV detectives Jessica Fletcher and Nancy Drew.

When Cap's friends are tormented by a series of nightmares, there's only one person can be responsible.

Mother Superior - the daughter of the Red Skull!

And that's the limit of what I remember about this one.

And about her.

February 9th 1974 - 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. 

***

Even as I type these fateful words, snow is falling all around me but, like a trooper, I shall plough on and see what lies hidden in the drifts of the roadside ditch that humankind knows as History.

It's one I've never read but that cover's making me wish I had.

It would seem our heroes ally themselves with Princess Ravonna in an attempt to stave off an invasion by Kang the Conquerer.

But what's this? It seems the inveterate loser Kang is somehow victorious?

However, his troops soon put a stop to that because they then rebel and he's forced to seek the assistance of the people he's just been fighting.

That's all well and good but what's Dr Strange up to?

Sadly, it's a question I'm incapable of answering.

Which is as it should be, bearing in mind the cover says he's facing unknown danger.

Spidey's still suffering from amnesia - but there's one man who can't forget.

And neither can he forgive.

That man is J Jonah Jameson and, when Ka-Zar arrives in New York, the publisher does his best to convince the jungle lord to bring the webbed wonder to justice.

This is, I detect, a noticeably similar storyline to the one which first introduced Kraven the Hunter to the comics readers of this world.

In his adventure, Iron Man's still having to deal with the seemingly prehistoric peril of Gargantus.

Happily, Shellhead quickly realises his foe's a robot and uses the transistor-powered might of his magnets to tear the machine to pieces, prompting its alien creators to abandon their plans for invasion.

And, finally, this issue, having returned to Midgard, Thor reveals his secret identity to Jane Foster.

But he has no time dwell upon the decision, as he must zoom off to Asia to confront the freshly-spawned menace of the Demon.

It's the most epic clash of them all, as the Hulk and Subby come blow to blow when the Avenging Son thinks there's something going on between Bruce Banner and Lady Dorma.

Needless to say, there's no such hanky been pankied but try telling that to Captain Hair-Trigger.

Back on dry land, the stultifying Stiltman makes his awe-inspiring debut when Nelson and Murdock find themselves hired by a disgruntled scientist who says his boss has stolen his invention.

And this week's issue is completed when cash-stacked globalist Gregory Gideon makes a bet that his limitless wealth can succeed where the world's super-villains have failed - and defeat the Fantastic Four.

And, to do it, he even acquires Dr Doom's time machine which has just been left lying around in its castle.