May 31st, 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. 

***

All eyes were on matters of Europe-wide significance, this week in 1975.

The first was the European Cup Final, at which Leeds United were defeated 2–0 by Bayern Munich in Paris. However, the evening's events went pear-shaped when Leeds' Peter Lorimer had a goal disallowed and the match's generally suspicious refereeing ignited a riot among the fans.

Later, that week saw the launch of the European Space Agency, with the UK among its ten founding members.

As we can see, everybody's favourite slinger of webs is still having trouble with a man called Bullit who's out to get elected via a campaign of zero tolerance towards criminals - despite being a criminal himself!

Meanwhile, Iron Man's investigation of the collapse of a house leads him to a subterranean world ruled by none other than the Mole Man!

And Thor and friends are still trying to halt the devastating amble of Mangog.

I do recall that this one features the Hulk's first encounter with the Silver Surfer, meaning it's being printed many many months later than it should have been. I can only assume Marvel UK was waiting until we'd been properly introduced to the board-bound sensation before publishing it.

It is, of course, the one in which Hulkie tries to force the Surfer to take him away from the planet Earth, unaware his opponent is also trapped on this world.

Daredevil's back and about to have a return run-in with the Ani-Men who are now under new management. That management being a mystery villain called the Exterminator.

And the Fantastic Four's decision to take a relaxing break on an uninhabited island goes instantly south when it turns out the island is inhabited.

It's inhabited by a giant robot called a Sentry. And it works for a long-gone bunch of aliens called the Kree!

Not only does the Surfer have his hands full with tackling the Hulk, this week, he's also got to deal with Spider-Man!

Frankly, other than that Spidery and Surfery are in it, I struggle to recall anything about this tale.

When it comes to the X-Men, they're in the process of graduating from Professor Xavier's school.

But no sooner has the Prof declared he's taking a leave of absence than the Blob returns and gets caught up in a battle between the team and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.

And I do believe this is the story in which Cerebro puts in its first appearance.

Well, the Hulk wanted to leave the planet Earth and that's exactly what he does when he encounters the original Night-Crawler in a tale that's already been reprinted in The Mighty World of Marvel. Such are the continuity problems Marvel UK sometimes finds itself lumbered with.

But, before that tale, we encounter Shang-Chi who, while fighting evil at Buckingham Palace, stumbles across Dr Petrie and rescues him from the clutches of Fu Manchu, meaning our hero's no longer a murderer!

Following that, we find the conclusion of the Avengers' battle with the Circus of Crime, conducted against the backdrop of a completely deranged Hank Pym marrying the Wasp.

It's in this tale we discover that if you marry someone while clinically insane, it still counts in the eyes of the law.

It's that rarity, a Dracula Lives cover where our favourite fang-barer isn't boasting about how he's going to kill everybody else in the comic.

And that's probably because he's dead.

But no one ever called the prince of darkness a man who takes death lying down.

And so it is that barely has Blade offed him than the count's revived. This time, by an itinerant minister called Josiah Dawn.

And I do believe we're seeing an equally impressive fightback from the Werewolf by Night who, having survived the Hangman's attempts to kill him, defeats the vigilante and frees his captives.

And, finally, Brother Voodoo is up against The March of the Dead.

I'm not sure that insulting an ape by calling him, "Ape-face," makes an awful lot of sense. I mean, what other kind of face would a gorilla be likely to have?

Regardless, Kingdom on an Island  of the Apes continues, with Derek accused of having killed the Lawgiver. An accusation which sees him fleeing Ape City and seeking refuge on a mysterious island he comes across on his journey.

That's followed by An Interview With Wally Harton: Costumer on the Planet of the Apes.

And, on Counter-Earth, Adam Warlock must survive an attack by Rhodan and the Hounds of Helios.

Is this the first-ever appearance of what will become that good old cover staple: Conan stood atop a veritable hillock of attacking foes?

Whether it is or not, the man becomes captain of the royal guard of Zahmahn and the boyfriend of its queen.

But, when that queen catches him with a servant girl, she flings the pair of them in a dungeon, to be devoured by the Dweller in the Dark!

Elsewhere and Elsewhen, King Kull fights his way through a yarn excitingly titled The King and the Oak.

And we get what I believe to be Thongor's first appearance in the pages of Marvel UK, thanks to Thongor! Warrior of Lost Lemuria! which is, it seems, based on Thieves of Zangabal by Lin Carter.