The Marvel Lucky Bag - April 1975.

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Films of distinction were, perhaps, notable by their absence from the cinemas of the world in April 1975 but there were at least three movies I've heard of that were unleashed that month.

Those movies were Death Race 2000, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Russ Meyer's Supervixens.

I must confess to only having seen the first two of those and can declare that I enjoy them both equally. If I'd ever seen Supervixens, I'm sure I'd have enjoyed that one, as well.

But it's the start of a saga I'm sure we'll never forget, when the Sons of the Serpent return to launch chaos and spite upon the streets of New York.

But not before the Valkyrie gets to wander those streets and see for herself the living conditions of that city's poor.

And it's another comic some of us will never forget, as Moses Magnum makes his first appearance and prompts Spider-Man and the Punisher to team up in response to his habit of abducting people from the back alleys of America and conducting illegal gas experiments on them.

In addition to that, we encounter a reprint of Doctor Strange #179 in which the spidester and the surgeon combine to bring down Xandu and his Wand of Watoomb.

A dramatic Jim Starlin cover heralds an issue in which something or other happens along the way to our hero encountering the Magus.

I do believe this month sees the introduction of Pip the troll.

A classic cover by John Buscema and Boris Vallejo tells us we're about to open an adaptation of Robert E Howard's A Witch Shall Be Born.

That's thrilling enough but even more exciting than that, I'm sure, is a three-page look at trade routes in the Hyborian Age followed by five pages of drawings of our hero by Bob Kline.

I've no idea who Billy Jack is but it seems he was the subject of a 1971 movie and, thus, he makes the cover, despite only having nine pages devoted to him inside the mag.

I am, of course, assuming he's the same Billy Jack as the one in the movie.

Shang-Chi, meanwhile, stars in A Different Lesson In Blood Unchanged!

And the Sons of the Tiger headline Gladiators in the Crypt of Tomorrow.

History is made, as Marvel launches its adaptation of the second apes movie, as brought to us by Doug Moench and Alfredo Alcala.

And there's an interview with a director of the TV series, a profile of Natalie Trundy and a review of a paperback adaptation of two episodes of that TV show.

It's Morbin' Time, as the living vampire tries to survive a tale called A Taste of Crimson Life.

We also encounter chillers with such names as A House of Pleasure, The House of Death and Blindspot!

Regular fire meets Hellfire - not to mention Soul-Fire - when the Human Torch bumps into the Son of Satan.

Apparently, it all leads to Daimon Hellstrom helping Johnny exorcise a demon that's possessed Wyatt Wingfoot's almost super-humanly unlucky tribe.