September 6th, 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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On September 6th, 1975, all sensible beings were trembling with fear because, that night, BBC Two was showing The Beast With Five Fingers.

Five fingers?

Hold on a minute. I've just checked - and I have ten fingers. Why would I be scared of something that's only got half as many fingers as I have?

For me to be scared of anything, it has to have at least twenty seven fingers.

And toes.

But that film wasn't alone in launching an assault on our sanity. Directly after broadcasting that, the channel then treated us to The Maze, the tale of a Scottish lord who's really a giant frog.

And, speaking of that land, the most celebrated Scotsman ever to have an English accent was having a far happier time of it, as, that very week, Rod's latest platter that mattered Sailing hit the very pinnacle of the UK singles chart.

And he was living it up on the corresponding album chart too, thanks to his LP Atlantic Crossing still holding sway over all others.

I don't know about the Beast With Five Fingers but Spidey's the man with slippery fingers when the Green Goblin enacts his latest diabolical wheeze.

Not only that but the webbed wonder's also mislaid the spider symbol from his back. Can things possibly get any worse for our hero?

Things are pretty bad for Iron Man too. Powered only by whatever electricity he could gather from the cigarette lighter in his cousin's car, he's now in the hands of the Maggia and having to endure a first meeting with Whiplash!

Thor, meanwhile, is on a far-flung future Earth and having to fight the troll-like mutates who live there.

But they're the least of his problems because Pluto's there as well!

And I don't mean Mickey Mouse's dog!

And what's that in that medical establishment?

It seems to be a man-sized cocoon containing who can know what?

As we can see, Kang's well on his way to getting everyone's favourite super-team involved in a game of chess they'll never forget.

Except he's not, because this issue actually sees the gang conclude their battle with an Adamantium Ultron, as the rapacious robot tries to read the mind of the man who created the metal from which he's been forged!

But, before that, we see Conan encounter the Song of Red Sonja, thanks to the Hyrkanian heartthrob recruiting his assistance in pursuit of her secret mission...

And, then, Dr Strange is back and, having defeated Sligguth, he now must endure a tussle with The Shambler from the Sea!

I'm not saying those apes are slow movers but they've been running away from the same scene on every cover for the last three issues and they've still barely advanced by a foot in that period.

Regardless, I do believe this week sees the mind-shattering conclusion of Marvel's adaptation of Beneath the Planet of the Apes.

Not to mention the conclusion of the planet Earth.

And, good grief, Captain Marvel's still battling the sinister Sentry. How many more issues can this fight last for?

But forget all that. We end the issue with far more important struggle, thanks to a one-off tale called Adam... And No Eve in which the last man on Earth dies, unaware that his death will initiate the creation of a whole new world of living creatures.

This is, of course, brought to us by Alfred Bester, Denny O'Neil and Frank Robbins.

I've never read this issue but it's clear Drac's up against a foe whose conversational technique can only be called enlightning.

Elsewhere, Jack Russell must deal with some sort of Hammer pastiche in which he's in Mallet Studios and threatened by actors who may be intended to represent Christopher Lee and Ingrid Pitt.

We then get a one-page strip which tells us of the North American legend of the Thunderbird.

The Living Mummy's up to something somewhere.

And there's a one-page feature that tells us all we need to know about a thing called the Atomic Monster.

The Leader's still in control of the Rhino's body and still out to cause trouble for our hero.

Daredevil's now in prison - thanks to everyone thinking he's killed the Jester - and trying to find a way to escape before he can be unmasked.

And the Thing's still rampaging around the streets of New York, having been turned evil by the Mad Thinker.

Unless every issue of The Super-Heroes features the Silver Surfer attacking Doc Savage and the X-Men, I must conclude that recent covers of the mag have been very good at giving no representation of what actually happens within.

However, I do know that, inside this one, the Silver Surfer must take action, thanks to the creation of a massively powerful robot called the Doomsday Man!

We encounter the climax of whatever it is that happens when Doc Savage has to deal with The Coming of the Silver Ziggurat.

And the X-Men invade the Sentinels' underground base but are soon captured.

Meanwhile, the Sentinels' Master Mold is out to create an army of robots capable of conquering the world!

Fifty years ago today - September 1975.

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

***

Time for us to fling ourselves, once more, into the waiting arms of nostalgia - and hope they don't turn out to be the terrifying tentacles of Doc Ock! 

It's hospital drama for the Avengers when that woe-begotten windbag the Whirlwind returns to try and abduct the comatose Wasp!

But what's this? It seems this is the issue in which Hank Pym finally discovers his arch-foe has been his chauffeur for all these years!

It's Conan versus Conan in the tale we, no doubt, never thought we'd live to see. And it would appear it's all down to an oracle in the vicinity of the city of Ronnoco!

I really don't know what's going on but the GCD assures me the Falcon recovers from his coma, with his "Snap" Wilson persona intact, while Cap battles illusions of villains from his own past.

It looks like a grave situation for  the man without fear when his fight with Copperhead reaches its dramatic climax.

They always say good things come in pairs but, by the looks of things, it's bad Things that come in pairs.

I've no idea what happens in this one but it seems that Arkon, Thunderbolt Ross and Gaard all put in an appearance. Therefore, I'm going to guess that alternate world shenanigans are involved.

Half Skrull, half shopping cart, all awesome; the Shaper of Worlds is back.

And it can only mean trouble for the criminally underrated Toad Men.

It's a pivotal point in the life of Tony Stark, as exposure to the suffering caused by the Vietnam War convinces him to halt his involvement in arms manufacturing.

Getting flung off a bridge is the least of Spider-Man's worries because we've reached a tale to shock the world, as, at last - in the most insane revelation in the history of great literature - we finally get to discover who the Jackal is!

Nope. no idea what happens in this one.

Clearly, it involves Ulik but it would also seem to include Isis and Osiris.

I do know Star-Quake sounds like it should be a follow-up to legendary Caroline Munro/David Hasselhoff epic Starcrash.

To be honest, if the story inside isn't as magnificent as Starcrash, I may be tempted to demand my 25 cents back.

Thus are Marvel's main heroes disposed of.

But what of that other company?

The one that goes with Marvel like fish goes with chips?

Just what would we find in a random sample of its output that bears the same cover date?

We'd find that Beowulf's in trouble again.

Tragically, I completely struggle to recall anything that happens in this tale, other than that I reviewed it several years ago and that said review may be found right here.

Can it be?

Can a horrific new monstrosity be about to enter the life of our youthful hero?

I suspect not. I suspect the thing they're reacting to on that cover is Pyra who I remember little of, other than that she doesn't look like a monster.

There are few comics more idiosyncratic than DC's 1st Issue Special.

And, so, issue #6 sees the arrival of the Dingbats of Danger Street.

I know nothing of the contents of this one, other than it's brought to us by Jack Kirby and, in it, the Dingbats' lives are disrupted by a man called Jumpin' Jack who I'm assuming isn't Jack Kirby.

It seems they also encounter someone called Gasser.

It all raises the obvious questions in my mind. Was Jumpin' Jack inspired by Spring-Heeled Jack? And was Gasser inspired by the Mad Gasser of Mattoon?

I cannot say.

Because I don't know.

Not because I'm banned from saying.

As if all the Batman goodness we've encountered over the years hasn't been enough for us, we're set to get even more of it, as Batman Family #1 enters our lives!

In our first thrilling tale, Batgirl and Robin must unite to keep British mega-patriot Benedict Arnold from taking over the United States!

Then we get The Origins of Batgirl and Robin the Boy Wonder.

Next, Alfred the butler finds himself battling The Great Handcuff King!

Following that, a crook once caught by Commissioner Gordon uses the detective to lure Batman into a trap!

Now, we encounter a reprint of Batman's first-ever encounter with the Man-Bat!

And, a one-page feature tells us how Alfred became Batman's butler, and of his time as the villain the world could only know as The Outsider!

Another classic Mike Kaluta cover introduces the last issue of this book. One in which the man of mystery investigates a remote village run by people who like to re-enact the past.

Can Shaddy and Margo survive a stint on the local ducking stool?

And will our hero's knowledge of hemp save them?

It's time for some sizeable fun, as Batman secures his latest treasury-sized collectors' edition.

In this one, we find such thrilling content as The Cross Country Crimes!, The Blackbird of Banditry!, The State vs Lucky Sheldon, Secrets of the Batcave, The Scarecrow! and The Lady Rogues!

We also discover a one-page feature dedicated to Batman's Television Villains.

And there's the inevitable table-top diorama. This time, by Jim Aparo and featuring The Joker, Penguin, Catwoman and Two-Face. From that description, I'm going to assume it reproduces the front cover.

But in 3 dimensions!