Speak Your Brain! Part 101.

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

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

No sooner has a landmark been reached for the feature that reinvented what it means to be human than we move on to its next instalment.

What a metaphor for life that is.

But are metaphors what's on your mind?

Or does something else tickle your fancy?

That, I cannot know.

I cannot know because even I, grand puppet-master of the internet that I am, have no control over what happens next. It's true. Only you can decide that.

And you can decide it by posting a topic for debate in the comments section below.

April 1985 - 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. 

***

They always say, "If it's not broke, don't fix it."

And how well the Coca-Cola company learnt that lesson when, in April 1985, it dumped its familiar recipe and unleashed the unstoppable powerhouse that was New Coke onto the market.

So bad was the response to it that the original version was back in the shops less than three months later.

Having far more success were Philip Bailey and Phil Collins who were top of the UK singles chart, as the month arrived, thanks to their platter Easy Lover. However, that was soon deposed by USA for Africa's We Are The World which then had to make way for Phyllis Nelson's Move Closer.

So, in the space of just four weeks, the UK top spot had been held by Phil, Phillip and Phyllis. Strangely, no one with any variation of those names seems to have appeared on We Are the World, unless you count keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. 

Over on the accompanying album chart, only one LP topped the listings, that April. And that was Hits 2 by Various Artists.

The nation's favourite sci-fi, fantasy and horror mag takes a look at the hot new film we're all talking about. And that's 2001 sequel 2010.

There are also inspections of Brazil and the films of Wes Craven.

And we learn of a brand new New Zealand film called Death Warmed Up which I must confess to never having heard of but it stars Michael Hurst who will go on to find fame as Iolaus in the TV show Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

From that cover, I assume we'll be getting a glimpse at Attack of the Cybermen which features Sarah Greene as an ice-cold space alien.

We're also treated to an interview with the original Romana - Mary Tamm. 

There's a chat with Christopher Barry who's no relation to the Red Dwarf star of the same name but is, instead, the man who directed The Brain of Morbius.

We also visit the set of the legendarily disastrous serial Timelash. While, elsewhere, the mag looks back at The Stones of Blood and at 1984's Chicago Convention.

I'm assuming that's a Chicago-based convention dedicated to Doctor Who. Not a convention held to celebrate the works of soft-rock band Chicago.

I do believe we're about to read the Captain Britain tale that owes absolutely plenty to the first Quatermass adventure, by giving us a man who transforms into a hideous monstrosity and goes on the rampage in the streets of London.

I have no doubt Britain's favourite hero will stop him.

If not, he'll probably fail miserably and have to stand around watching while someone else does it, like usually seems to happen in his adventures.

Following that, Abslom Daak is involved in a Suicide Gambit.

Night Raven encounters Retribution.

We discover Episode 4 of Paragon of Painthorpe Street.

And the Freefall Warriors find themselves entangled in Mission Improbable.

In this week's thrilling epic, we explore more of Marvel's take on Conan the Destroyer, in which our hero escorts Jehnna to retrieve the horn of Dagoth but Taramis plans to sacrifice her in a ritual that will restore Dagoth to life!

Then there's the four-page article Sword, Sorcery and Celluloid.

From that title, I'm going to assume it's about Sword and Sorcery's penetrations into the field of cinema. I am, therefore, expecting plenty of Harryhausen.

In this month's slice of Magik, Illyana defeats Belasco and becomes ruler of Limbo. Hooray!

Next, Marvel Showcase brings us John Erasmus' A Peace of His Mind.

Then, Night Raven encounters Part 2 of The Visitor.

How ironic that, just before starting work on this post, I was listening to ABBA's The Visitors. Truly, fate works in strange and mysterious ways.

And King Conan is up against The Black Sphinx of Nebthu.

April 26th, 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. 

***

Just what was occurring, this week, exactly fifty years ago?

Unemployment was happening - as the UK's jobless total hit the culturally significant one-million mark.

Meanwhile, a conference of Labour Party members voted against continued membership of the European Economic Community.

And Derby County became Football League champions for the second time in four seasons.

From that cover, I'm assuming we're still enmeshed in a tale that sees Doc Ock hijack a plane and demand bags of money and freedom in return for not killing its high-ranking passengers.

I also suspect that Gil Kane takes over on pencilling duties.

Meanwhile, also involved in aerial antics, Iron Man battles Titanium Man in the skies above Washington.

But what's this? The Titanium Man transfixes Shellhead with a paralysis beam?

How's he going to get out of that one? 

Elsewhere, while Sif recovers from her operation, Hela shows Thor the realm of eternal glory he'll enter if he only has the sense to surrender to her.

And Loki takes advantage of Odin's latest power nap, by seizing the throne of Asgard!

But that's nothing, because, miles away, something far worse is occurring, thanks to that silly sausage Ulik accidentally freeing Mangog from captivity.

But there's even more to look forward to than that, this issue, because I do believe its back cover features an advert for the greatest book ever written; Origins of Marvel Comics!

It's one of my favourite covers, for one of my favourite stories, as the Avengers must take the fateful decision as to whether to make the Vision a member.

But, before that, there's the stunning truth about the origin of the mysterious ninja who's been plaguing Iron Fist for weeks.

And, in the issue's final tale, it all kicks off when the Juggernaut and Nightmare decide to have a punch-up - until it dawns on them they'd be better off working together to fight Dr Strange.

However, they only succeed in freeing the captive Eternity.

And I do believe it's thanks to all this that Stephen Strange is suddenly renamed Stephen Sanders for reasons that escape me.

All I can say is it's a good job he's a doctor and not a colonel.

But more importantly than even that is a back cover which features an advert for Dinky Toys' Eagle Transporter. Thus alerting the world not only to the existence of Dinky Toys' Eagle Transporter but also to the upcoming existence of Space: 1999!

The Hulk's still going Quatermass about it all when he fights a senator who's become a malevolently murderous mass of marauding mucous!

Also, we find the Trapster invading the Baxter Building by pretending to be Daredevil.

Despite the cover's claims, there's no sign of Dr Doom in this tale.

Yet.

And there's even more trouble for the Fantastic Four in their own strip when Blastaar and the Sandman join forces, even though they don't like each other and barely have a brain cell to rub together between them.

Is that a Neal Adams cover I espy?

It surely is!

Inside, Dracula arrives in Paris - only to be attacked by a woman who seeks revenge in the name of her sculptress ancestor.

Next, we discover a one-page look at The Invisible Man.

Then, Jack Russell's captured by something called the Tatterdemalion on behalf of someone called the Committee.

It's all thrilling stuff, I'm sure, but all this excitement means there's no room left over for Frankenstein's Monster!

This is the third Marvel UK mag of the week to use the word, "Terror," on the cover. But this is the only one to feature an Apeslayer inside it.

Under attack, the saboteur of gibbons takes refuge in a museum where he acquires the attire we all most strongly associate with Killraven him.

And that's not all, because we also encounter Marvel's adaptation of The Invisible Man, as brought to us by HG  Wells, Ron Goulart, Val Mayerik and Dan Adkins.

It's just another day at the office for Conan when he opts to rob a tomb and is promptly attacked by giant skellingtons!

Those disposed of, he once again bumps into Jenna in a nearby village and, threatened by soldiers, she and he flee the scene.

Despite the cover's proud proclamation, Ka-Zar's nowhere to be seen within these pages. Instead, we're presented with Kull who enters a temple where he encounters Thulsa Doom for the first time.

And Doom, the sneaky snake, pretends to be a good guy!

Surely one of the greatest comic book covers of all time meets our eyeballs, as the Silver Surfer meets the mighty Thor.

Inside, Loki tries to deceive the former herald into helping him defeat the thunder god. But, showing far better judgement of character than he normally does, the Surfer quickly suspects everything's not as he's been told

Finally, Magneto and his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants are still in the process of taking over the South American nation of Santo Marco.

And Professor X is still in the process of losing his super-powers.

Speak Your Brain! Part 100.

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

***

Image by Tumisu
from Pixabay

Holy smokes! Can it be that the feature which reinvented civilisation and opened up a brand new zeitgeist for the gestaltisation of Homo Sapienosity has reached its 100th edition!?!

Yes it can.

And just what will it do to mark such a landmark event?

Absolutely nothing.

It'll be exactly the same as it's always been.

Which is that the first person to comment gets to decide the topic for debate. And then we all, with any luck, join in.

Therefore, hesitate ye not, as we prepare for the long, cold gruelling march towards the inevitable 200th edition that must surely arrive at some point.

2000 AD - March 1987.

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

***

Everyone loves a good film.

And did March 1987 provide us with any?

I can neither confirm nor deny that but I can announce it was a month that saw the release of such fare as Lethal Weapon, Evil Dead II, Raising Arizona and Withnail and I.

Of those, I shall declare Evil Dead II to be my favourite, even though I recall little of it, other than that it's a horror film. And to be honest, it being a horror film is good enough for me.

But what was occurring beyond the cinemas of the world?

It was a month which saw the first Starbucks outside of the USA open and it was in Vancouver.

A franchise looking to break soil even further afield was Disneyland. The seeds for that were sown when Disney CEO Michael Eisner and French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac signed an agreement to construct a near-5,000 acre Euro Disney Resort in the Val d'Europe area of Paris.

When it came to the UK singles chart, March launched with Ben E King's Stand By Me at Number One before that was deposed by Boy George's Everything I Own which itself had to then make way for Ferry Aid's Let It Be charity single.

On the accompanying album chart, The Phantom of the Opera Original Cast Recording greeted the new month in top spot before making way for The Very Best of Hot Chocolate which then succumbed to U2's The Joshua Tree which was then forced to subside before the might of Now That's What I Call Music! 9.

But what of the galaxy's greatest comic?

It was still feeding us a diet of Bad Company, Strontium Dog, Judge Dredd, The Dead and Tharg's Future-Shocks.

However, Prog 513 also presented us with Star Traks, Spitting Images and Classic Covers of 1977, while Prog 514 provided us with Classic Covers of 1978.

April 19th, 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 Bay City Rollers may have been saying Bye Bye Baby, this week in 1975 but we were definitely not seeing the last of them, because they were still clinging to the summit of the UK singles chart, thanks to the song of that very title.

There was, however, change atop the accompanying LP chart, as The Best of the Stylistics hit its pinnacle on behalf of the band of that self-same name.

You guessed it, it's another instalment of the tale in which Doc Ock hijacks a plane and holds its VIP passengers hostage.

Elsewhere, Tony Stark's in the bad books of Senator Byrd and heads to Washington for a congressional hearing.

But the all-improved Titanium Man's also on his way to that city - and he can't wait for his return bout with Iron Man.

And I do believe Thor still hasn't recovered his hammer, following its abduction by Loki. Is this the end of the thunder god?

More to the point, is it the end of Sif? The poor lass is in need of surgery but, just as Dr Don's about to administer it, who should attack the hospital but the god of mischief himself.

Dr Strange may be the cover star but the issue kicks off with Iron Fist kicking-off against the mystery Ninja.

It's a fight that somehow manages to clear Danny of all blame for the death of Harold Meachum. However, it's also a fight that may lead to our protagonist getting a good stabbing.

Meanwhile, we get the second part of the Vision's debut appearance, and what seems to be the death of Ultron. Not to mention a bout of poetry from Percy Shelley.

And we finish with Dr Strange in a strange land, as he comes up against the seemingly unstoppable might of the Juggernaut who's determined to find a way back to Earth.

I do believe this is the one in which, like Tony Stark, the Hulk sets off to Washington. But, unlike Stark, he encounters a senator who's turned into a mutated pile of mucous that's clearly modelled on the monster from The Quatermass Xperiment.

And it's a strange day for the law firm of Nelson and Murdock when the Trapster shows up seeking legal advice about the next crime he plans to commit.

That crime involves him killing Daredevil then entering the Baxter Building while disguised as the man without fear, in a bid to kill the Fantastic Four.

I'm not sure I'd tell a law firm, in advance, that that was my plan.

Speaking of the Baxter Building, I do believe Blastaar's found his way into our world and is in the process of forming a deadly alliance with the Sandman.

My detective-like instincts tell me this issue may feature an adaptation of REH's The God in the Bowl.

In which case, I've read the original version of the tale and pronounce it to be interesting.

Elsewhere, we're getting more of the origin of Ka-Zar. And I do believe Maa-Gor, the always troublesome man-ape, features strongly.

I've no doubt it's time for a quick bout of jazz, as the lord of vampires finds himself in the Big Easy and enmeshed in the plans of a witch queen of New Orleans who needs his blood to restore her lost youth.

Then we get a mostly text-based Dracula story from Gerry Conway and Pablo Marcus.

That's followed by single-page feature on Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

And, finally, Jack Russell finds himself up against Kragg - the lurker from beyond - who wants to feast upon his life energies. 

Frankenstein's Monster, however, would appear to be absent, this issue.

From what I can make out, the slayer of apes is captured by the Queen of Sirens and handed over to her simian overlords, to fight in a gladiatorial pit!

Following that, we find an eight-page look at the career of Natalie Trundy who played various roles in several Planet of the Apes movies, including chimps, mutants and humans.

That's followed by Thomas and Mayerik's adaptation of L Sprague deCamp's time-travel tale A Gun for Dinosaur!

From the subtle clues on the cover, I'm assuming this is the one in which Loki tries to trick the Silver Surfer into having a scrap with Thor.

Magneto, meanwhile, is out to take over a South American country - and the X-Men are out to depose him.

Sadly, somewhere in all this, an explosion robs Professor X of his mental powers.

Atlas/Seaboard April 1975.

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

***

It's another month for us and a bumper one for Atlas, as yet more of its magic arrives to fuel our imaginations.

But just what will that seemingly unstoppable juggernaut of a minnow throw at us, this time, to convince us to dump Marvel Comics and pledge our allegiance to the new kid on the block?

Wulf the Barbarian hits his sensational second issue and does so by getting up to something or other.

Frankly, I've no idea what that something or other is, even though I've read it. But I do know it involves various people returning from the dead and is brought to us by the suitably sorcerous team of Larry Hama and Klaus Janson.

Oh. And there may be a water monster involved.

Probably one with tentacles.

Wulf's not the only one getting a second issue, because the Tarantula is back and up against no lesser menace than the Spider Priestess herself!

My memories of this are also vague but I shall assume she's the one who turned him into an arachnid nightmare in the first place.

Also, I think her name is Nora.

You have to give Atlas credit. You don't get many American comic book characters called Nora.

And the Brute also lands his second yarn.

In this one, mad doctor Karlheinz Speer kidnaps the scientists who rejected him, then turns them into reptile men who can survive a nuclear holocaust.

I think I'm starting to see why they rejected him.

But hold on. What's Plastic Man doing in a comic from Atlas?

Despite first appearances, it seems the hero of this comic isn't Plastic Man at all - but a man called the Cougar who seems to facing the menacing menace of Baron Krolok the vampire.

I assume he's no relation of Count Orlok.

Those not paying full attention to that cover may think the Destructor's battling that Nazi fiend Baron Strucker.

But, no. It would seem he's contending with a man called Deathgrip who I can say little about but I think we can all guess just what his power is.

And Morlock is also back.

For some reason, I'm struggling to recall the plot of this one.

Is this the issue in which our hero kills and eats a small girl and then encounters what are clearly the Droogs from A Clockwork Orange, on a train, before eating them?

More vampiric vexations greet us when our favourite astronauts encounter a troublemaker who may bear a noticeable resemblance to Dracula but who isn't really Dracula.

This month reminds us that you can't keep Lomax and Luke Malone down.

I know nothing of the stories within this issue, other than its first tale is called ...Taxi 2147 is Missing! while the second is Whatever Happened To Luke Malone?!

And what fresh new Hell awaits Sgt Stryker?

It would seem we get more of an origin that involves General Wright promoting him to sergeant before pardoning four arrested soldiers and naming them the Death Squad.

But there's more because we also find a back-up strip called Chennault Must Die!! which stars good old Warhawk.

The Bog Beast is here and I'm sure that can mean nothing but trouble for everyone.

That's followed by a chiller called The Last Train and then one titled Requiem for a Werewolf! These are tales which give Tom Sutton and Jerry Grandenetti the chance to show off their horror skills.

A major change comes over John Targitt, as he suddenly gains a costume and is re-dubbed Man-Stalker.

My memories of this one are fuzzy but, beyond our hero's acquisition of a new wardrobe, I do feel I recall his boss not being altogether trustworthy.

I would claim a sensational new hero makes his debut but I do believe he's already appeared in one of Atlas's other books.

Plus, let's be honest, he's not exactly sensational.

Regardless, when Lanny Hill's sister is killed by wrongdoers, the dashing doctor decides it's time to put on a costume presented to him by an African chieftain and use his unique skill-set - gained from injecting himself with tiger hormones - to track down and slaughter the scoundrels.

And, finally, this month, Vicki is also back, with a string of fun short stories reprinted from the 1960s.

The Marvel Lucky Bag - April 1985.

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

***

The only films I've heard of that came out in April 1984 all contain, within their titles, the names of animals.

Can this be coincidence?

Or is it all part of a Cosmic plan I can't even begin to comprehend?

And just what are those films?

They are: Cat's Eye, Ladyhawke and The Company of Wolves.

I suspect The Company of Wolves is the classiest of those. Although, not having seen it in decades, I'm currently struggling to recall much of it beyond the fact it stars Angela Lansbury and contains lycanthropic larks.

It looks like it's curtains for our heroes.

However, they've still got another nine issues before cancellation. So, it probably isn't.

As for what happens in this one, I have no idea, other than it would appear to be a little chilly.

I suspect Iron Fist's glowing knuckles of justice will be able to keep them warm for long enough to escape their predicament.

I'm somewhat surprised to see this book's still going, bearing in mind the Thing is now back in the Fantastic Four's mag and resolutely back on Earth.

But perhaps this issue is the reason for his return to that locale, as I do believe it's the one in which he defeats his double but Tarianna pops her clogs.

I know little of the contents of this one but that's an appealing cover. Therefore, I'm motivated to be interested in it.

Inside, we discover stories with titles like A Boy and His Dinosaur, The Crystal Skull, Deathdaze and Pirate Love.

Each of those has the same writer but not the same artist. Therefore, I'm not sure if they all add up to one long story or are completely unrelated.

I think we've all always wanted an official index to The Amazing Spider-Man. And now we've got one.

I'm not totally sure what that involves but I'm going to guess at cover reproductions and plot synopses for all our favourite early Spider-Tales.

But perhaps a more significant Spider-Man comic makes its debut.

And it's one that seemingly resolves the saga of Spidey's alien symbiote costume for good when, having reunited itself with him, it helps the crime-fighter defeat a gang of Vulture wannabes and then sacrifices itself to save him from some bells.

But it does raise the question. Does the world really need another Spider-Man book and just what distinguishes it from its predecessors and stablemates?

It seems that only time will tell.

The planet may or may not need another Spider-Man book but if there's one thing it definitely needs, it's one dedicated to Top Dog!

I admit it, I don't have a clue who Top Dog is. I'm assuming he's no relation to Top Cat, what with him being a dog.

It seems that, in the first of this month's tales, the canny canine and Joey reminisce about how they met and how it came to live with the Jordan family by pretending to be a regular, non-speaking, dog. So, quite similar to the plot of John Carpenter's The Thing.

We also have a yarn in which Mervin Megabucks kidnaps Top Dog.

What does he think he is? A Yorkshireman?

This would appear to be part of a whole new imprint called Star, which is, it seems, the new world in the Marvel Universe.

I think this book will run for around 14 issues.

And it's another new venture when Wally the Wizard sets our spinner tacks in a spin.

It would appear that, after accidentally freeing Gorg the demon, Wally's sent to deliver medicine to King Kodger. On the way there, he rescues a baby dragon.

But, while that's going on, Vastar the Vile creates a giant metal locust to attack the Royal Castle.

A pedant might point out that a single locust is not a locust. It's just a grasshopper.

This book will survive for 12 issues.

And it's another new mag, as Strawberry Shortcake #1 arrives to replenish our lives.

I know little of this issue's contents, other than the story within is titled The Great Pie-Baking Contest and features such characters as Strawberry Shortcake, Huckleberry Pie, Blueberry Muffin, Raspberry Tart, Custard, Sour Grapes, Peculiar Purple Pieman of Porcupine Peak, Raisin Cane and Apricot.

Looking at that title and that cast list, does this mean the entire cast gets baked in a pie?

It looks like this book might be a lot darker than it looks.

Regardless it'll survive for just six issues.

Which looks to be longer than the cast will.

At last, Marvel's biggest saga yet comes to its universe-shattering conclusion.

In 43 power-packed pages, the company's heroes must come back from the dead, Dr Doom must learn to control the power of the Beyonder, the Beyonder must reclaim that power from Doom and, of course, everyone has to figure out how to get home.

Apart from the Thing who has no desire to return home.

And, therefore, he doesn't.

The Star new world strikes again.

But, this time, it does so with the aid of a character I've actually heard of.

But what's this? Heathcliff gets catnapped and, also, pays a visit to Hollywood?

I can exclusively reveal that, unlike some others, this mag will flourish and it'll survive for 56 issues.

Will the new comics ever stop coming?

Seemingly not.

In this one, as all lovers of the TV show will no doubt testify, fun-loving creatures dwell below ground, while, in the house above, lives a human inventor and his dog.

Sadly, however, this comic will only survive for eight issues.

But wait. What dread news assails my mind? 

I've just discovered the TV version of Fraggle Rock had different central characters in different countries.

As all sensible people remember; in Britain, the resident human was played by Fulton McKay.

However, in North America, Gerry Parkes filled that role and, in France, he was played by Michel Robin.

What kind of madness is this?

Very similar, in many ways, to Fraggle Rock was Dune.

And so it is that it receives its own Marvel mini-series.

This is, of course, reprinted from 1984's Marvel Super Special #36 and is the handiwork of Ralph "Karate Kid" Macchio and Battling Bill Sienkiewicz.

And because one movie adaptation's not enough for us, we get another, as the sequel to 2001 receives its own limited series. This time, reprinted from the pages of Marvel Super Special #37.