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. 

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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!