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. 

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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?