January 25th, 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. 

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This week in 1975 saw bad news hit those who fancied going to Europe for a day trip.

That's because it was the week in which work was abandoned on digging the Anglo-French Channel Tunnel. It seemed mankind's long-held dream of reaching France without risking seasickness was destined never to materialise. 

Not that I'd have cared. I'd rather cross the Channel in a hovercraft. That's far more James Bond. And, as we all know, you can judge the worth of anything by how James Bond it is.

Also that week, jazz pianist Keith Jarrett played the solo improvisation The Köln Concert at the Cologne Opera. This may not sound like big news but it seems it went on to become the best-selling piano recording in history.

And what of television?

January 25th saw BBC Two broadcast Hammer's The Plague of the Zombies as its Midnight Movie. A decision of which I thoroughly approve.

And music? Was it too pulling its weight?

I cannot pass judgement but, that week, Ms Grace by the Tymes ascended to claim the Number One spot on the UK singles chart.

Meanwhile, the accompanying album chart was still being  dominated by Elton John's Greatest Hits, as it had been for several weeks.

Spidey wraps up his latest battle with Electro. And does so in the studio where he was supposed to be guesting in a chat show.

Elsewhere, Iron Man continues his first-ever battle with the Titanium Man but, when he sends Happy Hogan to bring him a vital piece of equipment, the chauffeur gets caught up in the fight and is seriously injured.

Lastly, having been released from custody by Loki paying his bail, Thor now has to battle the evil god, on the streets of New York, even though the thunder god possesses only a fraction of his former power!

Is this the best cover we've ever seen commissioned specially for a Marvel UK mag?

It may be. And we have to thank Arvell Jones and Keith Pollard for its existence.

As I think we can all guess, this is the one in which the Black Panther must defeat the Grim Reaper, in order to revive the Avengers from their deathlike comas.

He also has to avoid being shot by the police, while he's at it.

But, before that, we get more from Iron Fist who's, yet again, battling against would-be assassins. And, again, he's aided by that mystery ninja who keeps popping up everywhere.

Considering how much he keeps rescuing the Fist. I'm starting to think it's Mystery Ninja who should have been given his own strip.

And what of Dr Strange?

The good doctor's in the process of trying to rescue Clea from the Sons of the Satannish and it's going so badly that he too might need to be bailed out by a ninja.

The troubles just keep coming for Jason and Alexander. No sooner have they escaped into a jungle than they return to their village, looking to appeal to everyone's good sense.

And because no one has good sense, they're then forced to exeunt pursued by gorillas.

Next, we get a never-to-be-forgotten single-page article about Stan Lee's recent trip to London. One that includes news of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.

Why it contains news of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, I don't recall.

And then it's a treat for us all, as we experience Marvel's adaptation of Fredric Brown's Arena in which an Earthman must combat a hostile alien to decide which of their species will be allowed, by rulers of another species, to win an ongoing war.

This tale does, of course, bear striking similarities to the Star Trek episode of the same title.

Sadly, it doesn't, at any point, feature a man building a cannon from a bamboo shoot.

It may be the Hulk on that cover but, inside, the focus is very much on Jim Wilson who uncovers yet more of the plot to replace America's big wigs with robots.

And discovers the man he thought was Glenn Talbot is, in fact, none other than that fiendishly foreheaded felon of infamy the Leader!

Meanwhile, I do believe Daredevil's undecided as to whether to propose to Karen Page as Matt Murdock or as his non-existent brother. Possibly, he'd be better off visiting a psychiatrist instead.

Not that it might matter, as a gangster called The Boss has decided he likes the idea of kidnapping the woman. And, therefore, he does kidnap her.

Finally, the Fantastic Four think they have problems, with the Sandman and Wizard trying to bust free from captivity but they don't know what trouble is - because their arch-nemesis Dr Doom's realised he quite fancies having the powers of the Silver Surfer.

And he knows just how to get them...

You could never accuse Dracula of not liking children. After all, this week, he's completely surrounding himself with them.

Admittedly, that's only because he's hypnotised them into attacking our regular cast of Dracula hunters.

When it comes to those of a lycanthropic leaning, Jack Russell's ally Father Ramon Joquez is possessed by someone called Aelfric who's been trapped in The Darkhold.

And what's this? Do I detect the beginnings of the Crossover From Hell?

Too right I do because this is the week in which Frankenstein's Monster hangs out with a group of gypsy entertainers and manages to get himself tricked into helping one of them return Dracula to life!