May 17th, 1975 - 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 we all know, Country legend Tammy Wynette achieved musical greatness in 1991 when she sang on the KLF's Justified & Ancient but she achieved immortality in a different way, this week in 1975, when her disc Stand by Your Man hit the pinnacle of the UK singles chart. It is genuinely shocking to realise that only sixteen years separate those two singles. Somehow, it feels like the vastness of eternity must lie between them.

No change, however, was to be sighted atop the UK album chart, with the Bay City Rollers retaining the supremacy they'd already seized, with their latest offering Once Upon a Star.

Spider-Man demonstrates why you should avoid him like the plague if your name rhymes with, "Stacy."

Elsewhere, Tony Stark's also in danger of losing a friend, thanks to the Mandarin having abducted the hapless Happy Hogan.

Rapid action is clearly required and, so, Stark wastes no time at all in taking time out to invent, build and test a new suit of armour before setting off to deal with the fiendish fiend. 

Speaking of fiendish fiends, Mangog's happily exercising his right to roam, and scattering the best warriors Asgard can muster, as he closes in on the fabled realm, with just one thing on his mind.

Unsheathing the gigantic Odinsword!

The Hulk's socking it to the American legal system, although I think he's still, at this point, resisting arrest at the airport and battling the finest of New York's heroes.

But be impressed by Daredevil. Not only is he in New York, fighting the Hulk, he's also trapped in the Latverian embassy, having, in his own strip, been captured by Dr Doom who's swapped bodies with him, in order to launch a sneak attack on the Fantastic Four.

And such is the genius of the villain that he doesn't even notice his brand new body is blind.

However, with the FF appearing in both the Hulk and Daredevil stories, their own strip is absent from this issue.

This is the second of only two issues of The Super-Heroes I ever owned.

I got it from W H Smiths and remember being highly taken by John Buscema's pencils in a tale that sees Mephisto decide to give super-powers to the ghost of the Flying Dutchman, in order that he can defeat the Silver Surfer.

When it comes to the X-Men, Professor X reads a news story about the Sub-Mariner and wonders if he might be a mutant. Which, I suppose he is.

Magneto also wonders the same thing and, so, the race is on to get Subby to sign up with either the X-Men of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. 

Clearly, no one's told them the Avenging Son is not what anyone would describe as a team player - but I'm sure they're about to find that out for themselves.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, Shang-Chi's about to have yet more trouble with the phansigars who are out to rob a corner shop.

Next, Yellowjacket's kidnapped the Wasp and taken her to his secret HQ in a tree. It's there that she gets to know him better before returning to the Avengers' HQ to let the rest of the gang know she's about to marry the vespidan villain.

But, as that cover makes clear, Dr Sanders is about to recruit the aid of the Sub-Mariner, in his quest to get to the bottom of what's going on with the Undying Ones and their influence over his friend Kenneth Ward.

I think this issue may be the last the world has ever seen of Apeslayer but I like to think he's still out there, somewhere, battling those mendacious monkeys to the bitter end.

Regardless, in this sensational issue, our man escapes the clutches of the Warlord and flees, with his mates, to what's left of Yankee Stadium.

There, they face a giant crab and the bionic might of the Warlord himself.

And, speaking of might, Adam Warlock's still on the High Evolutionary's asteroid and still battling to prevent the Man-Beast from wrecking Counter-Earth. For this purpose, the Evolutionary sticks a mysterious gem on his forehead. One that I'm sure will not go on to cause any problems at all in the future.

And then we get Good Lord! the short in which a bunch of astronauts from Earth inadvertently kill God, having mistaken him for an attacking monster!

I do detect one of the few issues of this mag that I actually owned.

Inside it, someone called Mr Lo is blundering around London on behalf of someone called Dr Sun.

But Drac has more to worry about than even that because, by the story's end, he's been killed by Blade!

And there's serious trouble ahead for Jack Russell because lunatic vigilante the Hangman is on the loose and it can only be a question of time before he decides it's a good idea to hang the nearest werewolf!

And finally, this issue, someone called Papa Jambo is training Jericho Drumm to become the man the world will know as Brother Voodoo!

It's one of my favourite Barry Smith Conan tales, as he and Roy Thomas show us their adaptation of Rogues in the House. A title so often mistyped as Rouges in the House.

As we all know, this sees Conan team up with a thief and a priest in an attempt to take down one of those pesky man-apes you can't move for in the Hyborean Age.

Elsewhere, King Kull's caught up in the Night of the Red Slayer!

And then we encounter a short called The Blood of the Dragon!

I know little of it but am aware that it features cameo appearances by both Gil Kane and Roy Thomas.

The Marvel Lucky Bag - May 1985.

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

***

There's nothing like a movie for bringing to life our nightmares, dreams and whatever it is that's the midway point between a nightmare and dream.

So, which nightmares and dreams were being given life during this month in 1985?

These nightmares and dreams were being brought to life: Brewster's Millions, Rambo: First Blood Part II, A View to a Kill and Fletch.

A View to a Kill is the only one of those I've ever seen. Therefore, in my time-honoured tradition of determined ignorance, I shall declare that to be my film of the month, even though it's not actually all that good and its main appeal to me rests in its theme tune.

But forget James Bond. There's nothing more exciting than a knight in shining armour, and that John Bolton cover declares that's just what's in store for us, as the Black Dragon makes his lances-shattering debut!

Just what distinguishes him from Marvel's already existing Black Knight?

I've no idea but, within this book, he gets 31 pages of metal-clad mayhem, action, thrills, spills, chivalry and deviltry.

And that's then followed by something called The John Bolton Photo Session.

I'm assuming that involves photos of John Bolton, which seems a strange thing to put in a comic about a knight but there you go.

Everyone's favourite cannibals make their Marvel mark.

And it's not even written by Michael Fleisher!

It's written by Dave Manak!

Anyway, it seems they've got trouble with the Rainbow Bridge.

Whether that brings them into conflict with Thor, I cannot say.

I suspect it doesn't.

This comic will last for fourteen issues before death claims it.

And the company's move towards attracting younger readers continues when the Get Along Gang launch themselves upon an unsuspecting world.

And Dave Manak's behind this one, as well!

I know nothing of this comic but I do know its main attraction is called The Ice Cold Mystery and features such characters as Montgomery Moose, Woolma Lamb, Dotty Dog, Portia Porcupine and Zipper Cat.

No Dave Manak in this one. Instead, Muppet Babies #1 is delivered by the typewriter of Stan Kay who weaves us a thriller which goes by the name of The Haunted Nursery. A thriller wherewithin our heroes discover that a secret door connects their nursery to a haunted castle inhabited by a monster who turns out to also be a baby!

To be honest, if I were a young child, every single thing in that plot description would traumatise me.

The future star of Hollywood gets his very own limited series!

I know nothing of the tale inside, other than that it's called Animal Crackers and is the brainchild of no lesser talents than Bill Mantlo and Mike Mignola.

I'm assuming this is Marvel's answer to Richie Rich.

But what's this? Artist Warren Kremer seems to have been involved in the creation of both Richie Rich and Royal Roy?

Whatever the character's antecedents, this issue mostly concerns itself with The Mystery of the Missing Crown in which the king of Cashelot discovers that one of his crowns is missing!

We also encounter a 6-page adventure in which Roy and his crocodile Gummy catch two poachers on his royal estate.

I feel like I'm going to find Roy a tough character to relate to.

And yet another new mag hits our local shops.

In this one, Peter, Jonah and a trio of interns visit a strange island where planes have been disappearing.

But the gang soon fall into the hands of Ducktor Doom who's using those he captures to film a rock video that'll make him rich.

It may all sound like a living nightmare but, fortunately, Spider-Ham's on hand to save us all!

John J Muth's stylish cover lets us know Moonshadow is back for a second issue.

Tragically, I can reveal nothing of this month's contents, other than that they go by the name of A Very Uncomfortable Thing.

Can it be?

Can the Thing really be quitting the Fantastic Four?

Well, yes, he can. Especially as he quit the team several months ago, back when this series began.

Regardless, this issue's episode is titled Remembrances and I assume there'll be much soul-searching, agonising and mulling over the fact that Johnny Storm's now dating Alicia.

That's a very dramatic cover from M D Bright.

But, sadly, I can't reveal whether the insides are equally as potent, as I've never seen them.

I do know, though, that this May's masterpiece is labelled The French Spaceman which makes me wonder if we're going to see Batroc, Radion or the Grey Gargoyle, as I believe all of them are French.

Granted, none of them are spacemen but I don't know of any French Marvel characters who double up as spacemen.

Forty years ago today - May 1985.

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

***

The beckoning fingers of The Past signal for me to step forward and see just what I find there.

Drama piles upon drama when Conan and Fafnir must combat a god of death that goes by the handle of Kx'Ulthuum. A character whose name was clearly born when writer Michael Fleisher's cat tripped over and fell on his keyboard.

As always - and possibly thanks to a magic sword - our barbarian is triumphant.

However, the ever-hapless Fafnir bites the bullet!

Not literally, of course. Bullets haven't been invented yet.

I do, of course, mean he dies.

I feel like this is the third time he's done that.

Conan must be wondering how come he always comes back and Bêlit never does.

It's serious trouble for the X-Men in an issue that is, for some reason, double-sized.

In it, we see Thunderbird's brother try to avenge the death of his sibling, by abducting Banshee and forcing the gang to invade NORAD.

Needless to say, the X-Men survive that bid and Thunderbird's brother learns the error of his ways.

As does Firestar who's also involved. Apparently, this is her first-ever appearance in a Marvel comic.

Behold an odd little story in which the Jester busts out of prison, purely so he can show off his acting skills in front of a theatre audience.

Upon realising the fiend is actually good at acting - and not the irredeemable ham everyone always assumed - Hornhead decides to let him get on with it.

Can it be?

Can Marvel's two most patriotic captains be at each other's throats?

No. It can't be.

In fact, Modred the Mystic has stolen the UK hero's costume, in order that he can do something or other. 

Whatever that something or other is, I can't help feeling the combined power of the two crime-smashers will prove too much for him.

I struggle to recall details of this one but I do know Xeron and Captain Cybor's latest pursuit of Klaatu proves to be as disastrous as their previous one, leaving the Hulk and Puffball Collective back where they started from.

From what I can remember, Thor goes off in search of the presumed-dead Odin but quickly gets squished by an avalanche.

Fortunately, for him, some old bloke pulls him out from under it all and nurses him back to health.

As they get to know each other, our hero starts to suspect that man may be Odin in disguise.

But, no, unknown to the thunder god, he's actually, Odin's dad!

I think.

If not, he's someone else.

Peter Parker meets a woman on a train. Not long afterwards, she's killed by a hit-and-run driver and needs a replacement kidney from her brother.

So, Spidey sets out to find him but, along the way, accidentally bumps into Killer Shrike who thinks the hero's come looking for him and decides to get his retaliation in first.

Life's never simple for the web-faced wonder. This time, he discovers an old man's going to be kicked out of a nursing home because he's officially dead and, while travelling around town, trying to get New York's bureaucrats to sort out the problem, he keeps being attacked by a wannabe super-doer who's decided it'd be fun to have a series of scraps with the wall-crawler.

Sometimes it seems like Rhodey can't get a break. He goes to see Hank Pym about his headaches and is promptly attacked by a crook who causes all three of them to fall into another dimension. One that Rhodey has to get them all back out of!

Also notable, is that this issue sees the first appearance of Scourge when he kills a character who seemed like he was going to be the main villain of the piece.

Remember that early story in which Dr Doom tried to kill the Fantastic Four by launching their HQ into space - with them inside it?

Well, now he's decided the only reason that plan failed was because the Sub-Mariner was there and messed it all up for him. Therefore, he might as well try it again. But, this time, without Subby's help!

Then again, is it really Doom?

Or is the truth even more senses-shattering than even that?

Captain Marvel, having been sent on a wild goose chase by the Vision, lands on one of Thanos' abandoned bases, deep in the depths of deepest space.

But is it really abandoned?

And just how far can she trust the other people who've also found their way there?

May 10th, 1975 - 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. 

***

The pinnacle of the UK singles chart was in no mood for change, this week in 1975.

And that meant Mud retained the top spot they'd seized the week before, thanks to their single Oh Boy.

The summit of its parallel album chart was also becalmed, with the Bay City Rollers' Once Upon a Star retaining the dominance it had already established.

Filled with admiration for the oeuvre of Mud as I am, I must confess to not feeling Oh Boy was up there with their timeless classics Tiger Feet, The Cat Crept In, Lonely this Christmas and Dyna-Mite.

However, there were songs I did approve of on that week's Hit Parade. Amongst them were:

Lovin' You - Minnie Riperton

Hurt So Good - Susan Cadogan

Honey - Bobby Goldsboro

Love Me, Love My Dog - Peter Shelley

Fox On the Run - The Sweet

Stand by Me - John Lennon

Autobahn - Kraftwerk

The Israelites - Desmond Dekker

and

Imagine Me, Imagine You - Fox.

Should one wish to investigate the matter further, that very singles chart can be found right here.

While its accompanying LP chart dwells within.

It's a tentacular spectacular as 'orrible Otto Octavius continues his ample-armed assault on Spider-Man amidst the rooftops and skylights of New York City.

And could it be that George Stacy knows the truth of Peter Parker's secret?

Following that, the Mandarin's once more making plans for the destruction of Iron Man.

And I think this may be the start of the knuckle-clencher in which Happy Hogan fills in for the ailing Tony Stark when it comes to wearing his armour in public.

And, of course, Mandy promptly mistakes him for the real deal and kidnaps him!

An even bigger crisis awaits Thor and the Warriors Three who'll soon, no doubt, be the Worriers Four, as they've been sent off, by Loki, to battle Mangog and prevent him from reaching Asgard, in Odin's absence.

As we can all see, this is the week in which Yellowjacket makes his homicidal debut. The one in which he shows up from nowhere, claims to have killed Hank Pym and declares he's going to marry the winsome Wasp!

I'm proud to announce I guessed his shocking secret almost from the moment he first appeared.

Regardless, before encountering that shocker, we find Shang-Chi and his Secret Service pals visiting the Natural History Museum in London, receiving a hint that Dr Petrie may still be alive, and then getting attacked by a bunch of cavemen.

And, after the Avengers tale, we see Dr Sanders (for that is his name now) discover the servants of his friend Kenneth are, in fact, demonic minions of the evil Undying Ones!

Looking at that cover, I do feel like, from now on, I should end every statement I make in the real world by adding the words, "...WITH YOUR DEATHS!"

I'm sure that'll go down well.

I do believe we've entered the second part of The House That Screams which doesn't sound like the sort of house I'd choose to enter. Regardless, others are clearly braver than me and, although I know little of the tale, I believe it involves a scrap between Drac and Blade.

Next, the nightly werewolf's still up against Sarnak who's unleashed a horde of mutant monstrosities upon the streets of Los Angeles.

And I suspect we're getting more of the origin of Brother Voodoo.

Drama hits heights never before seen in human history, as the captured Apeslayer faces experimental brain surgery!

Fortunately, Sandra Simian's having none of it and, while no one's looking, releases all the captured Freemen.

Not so fortunately, before our hero can be rescued, he gets tortured!

Next, we encounter an interview with Marvin Paige in which Susan Munshower talks to the casting directer of the Planet of the Apes TV show.

Elsewhere, on the High Evolutionary's asteroid, Adam Warlock's still battling to prevent the Man-Beast from making a total mess of the creation of Counter-Earth.

And we finish with a seven-page reprint of Doorstep, as sourced from the pages of 1973's Worlds Unknown #2.

I'm struggling to know just which tale this is but am wondering if it's the one in which a flying saucer lands in the United States, the US military manages to kill its monstrous inhabitant and then discovers it was only a baby and its parents have left a note which asks them to look after it until they get there.

The Silver Surfer there, engaging in his favourite pastime of taking a break from bemoaning that humans fear and distrust him, in order to engage in his second-favourite pastime of flying around, trying to terrorise them. 

Then again, is it the Silver Surfer?

Or is it an evil lookalike created by the equally evil Dr Frankenstein?

And can the real Surfer possibly hope to stop it?

Next, with Professor X's mental powers gone, Magneto abducts the Angel and whisks him away to Asteroid M.

But what's this? at the end of it all, Xavier reveals his power loss was a just ruse to test his students?

What a leader.

I mean, genuinely, what a leader.

Every man deserves his day in court and it looks like the Hulk's included in that.

Not only that but a whole heap of super-heroes turn up to testify on his behalf.

But not before they've had a fight with him, of course.

After that, Daredevil's kidnapped by Dr Doom who has a brilliant plan to swap bodies with him and gain entrance to the Baxter Building while disguised as the man without fear.

The reader possessed of a strong memory will recall that, only last issue, the Trapster also tried to gain access to the Baxter Building while disguised as the man without fear.

Yet again, the Fantastic Four's strip is absent.

I do believe this is the one in which Conan's friend gets hanged by the neck for some crime or other. Which is quite a powerful thing to put in a comic and, therefore, a good thing to put in a comic.

Needless to say, our favourite barbarian sets out to avenge him. 

And that can only spell trouble for any bull-gods who happen to be in the vicinity.

And, of course, despite what the cover claims, there's no sign of Ka-Zar in this comic.

There is, however, much sign of King Kull whose in serious conflict with the Demon-Hordes of Thulsa Doom!

The Marvel Lucky Bag - May 1975.

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

***

Movies! I love 'em!

Especially ones I've heard of.

And, this month in 1975, the filmic releases I've heard of included such gems as The Day of the Locust, The Eiger Sanction, French Connection II and Return of the Pink Panther.

Of those, the only one I can remember actually having seen is Return of the Pink Panther. Therefore, I shall go against all conventional wisdom, every Oscar nominations committee and all human reason and nominate that as my film of the month.

Conan's had his own monochrome mag for some time now and, at last, his perennial bridesmaid, Kull gets one too.

Shall it wow the world like the Cimmerian's book has?

That, I cannot say but I can announce it'll go on to last for just three issues before disappearing from our lives, which does suggest the US public may not be in the mood to take it to their hearts with mad abandon.

Inside, we find A King Comes Riding! from Roy Thomas, Ross Andru and Wally Wood, which sounds an intriguing combination.

There's also The Shadow Kingdom and The Valley of the Worm! Both of which - shockingly, for a first issue - are reprints.

There is, however, some new material, including King Kull: A Retrospective Review and Hail the Barbarians!

Forget Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. This is the one we've all been waiting for, as the greatest martial arts scrapper of them all - Roger Moore - hits the front cover of our favourite fighting mag.

And he hits the insides, as well, thanks to a 13-page Don McGregor review of The Man With the Golden Gun which he titles The Man with the Golden Gun Shoots Blanks!

I get the feeling that may not be a positive review.

I do have to say, though, that only Dauntless Don could stretch a review of that film out to thirteen pages.

Elsewhere, we encounter Shang-Chi in Blood of the Golden Dragon and the Sons of the Tiger in The Crack of the Whip!

And Kull isn't the only pulp hero to gain a first issue, because the savagest doctor of them all lands his own Giant-Size mag which largely consists of The Man of Bronze! as first published in 1972's Doc Savage #1.

That's followed by Master of the Red Death! reprinted from Doc Savage #2.

We also discover a 5-page article about the great man, delivered by Bob Sampson.

Tragically, but perhaps not to anyone's great surprise, this is the only issue ever published of this title.

As we, no doubt, know, the Sons of the Serpent are causing chaos on the streets of New York and, somehow, despite just being blokes with sticks, they manage to capture Dr Strange, Valkyrie, Yellowjacket and Nighthawk, as well as putting the Hulk out of action!

Arrgh! #3 hits our newsagents and I must confess I included it purely because of that Alfredo Alcala cover.

That's not to say the insides aren't also redoubtable but I don't know what they contain, other than that they're likely to be of a humorous bent and that not all of them are reprints.

The man who doesn't know how lucky he is to not have to face talking apes is back!

And he's in impending lumber because the more-than-miffed Martian Masters send the High Overlord to get him!

But hold on!

Drop everything!

History's being made before our very eyes when a whole new bunch of X-Men hit the scene and do so in a full-length thriller that sees the old, boring, team captured by a living island, and Professor X has to hastily construct a new group to rescue them!

And that's not all - because that epic's followed by reprints of the Werner Roth mini-strips in which we get to learn more about the abilities of Cyclops, Marvel Girl and Iceman.

I can't speak for anyone else but, to me, it all sounds worth 50 cents of anyone's money.

Can even the crown prince of Wakanda survive a fall from a pterosaur?

Yes, he can.

But can he also survive an assault by Salamander K'Ruel the human cactus?

I've no idea what this one involves but it's called A Book Burns in Citrusville! I shall, therefore, assume it's a warning about the dangers of setting fire to books and of the sort of people who do that sort of thing.

I possess no doubt the Man-Thing, as an avid reader of all things literary, takes immediate action to prevent such cultural vandalism and then helps the local kids build a new library.