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. 

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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.