November 1st, 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. 

***

I'll admit I've never been a huge fan of circuses but, on November 1st, 1975, BBC Two did, at least, broadcast the activities of a circus I can approve of.

And that was The Circus of Horrors, the nightmare cinematic tale of a mad cosmetic surgeon causing chaos amidst the carnival folk of Europe.

The highlight of that film was, undeniably, a drunken Donald Pleasence being killed by the least convincing-looking bear that I've ever seen succeed in killing a man.

But there was a greater horror awaiting me. For, little did I realise, as I sat down to read that week's comics, that minds immeasurably superior to mine were failing to re-order most of my favourite Marvel UK mags and that I was soon to be robbed of those titles for months on end, by their sudden disappearance from my local newsagents.

But enough of that! I can win £150 for drawing cartoons!

With that, I'll be able to buy 1,666 copies of The Titans #3!

Not that I've ever owned a copy of The Titans #2.

I do, however, know the Inhumans show up at the Baxter Building and attack the Fantastic Four, believing the quartet to be responsible for a missile attack on the Great Refuge.

After that, Captain America and Bucky have problems with a duo called Sando and Omar in a re-imagining of a tale originally published in the 1940s.

Following that, while the Sub-Mariner's on a quest to find a magic trident, Warlord Krang's taken over Atlantis and quickly turned it into the despotism he's always wanted it to be!

And that's not all - because Subby has to fight a giant seaweed monster!

Nick Fury's still in the process of saving SHIELD's Helicarrier from Hydra's exploding chair. An act of leadership that will see him be given the job of SHIELD director.

Captain Marvel, meanwhile, finds himself in the path of Solam, a monstrous creature accidentally created by a man messing about with a solar light cannon.

Now the nightmare begins for me because this issue marks the start of the spell in which The Avengers will all but disappear from my local newsagents, meaning an equally long spell of not reading it.

But it is clear to me that Conan's heavily involved in an adaptation of Bob Howard's The Blood of Belshazzar.

And it's clear to me the Avengers - and, more precisely, the Black Panther - are up against the Sons of the Serpent who I have no doubt are out to tear American society apart, as they always are.

And Shang-Chi's still having fun with Groucho Marx, as The Si-Fan Strikes!

Meanwhile, despite what the front cover insists, Dr Strange is not only not up against the tentacular terror of Shuma-Gorath, he appears to be completely absent from this issue!

I can only assume Shuma-Gorath has bumped him off.

In these dread pages, several things occur.

Blade fights Dracula on the streets of London, even trying to use a ski-pole as a stake!

Three werewolves fight each other in the streets of Los Angeles. One of them dies, another is cured of his lycanthropy and the third is Jack Russell who has to remain both alive and a werewolf, in order for his strip to survive.

And the Elementals are loose on the streets of Cairo, while in search of a scarlet scarab.

But that can only be bad news for the Living Mummy - especially when they place a huge dome over the city, to prevent anyone entering or leaving it!

"Bonus!" declares the cover. "The people who are The Planet of the Apes!"

What on Earth could such a strange statement mean?

It means more of that interview with Paula Crist and William Blake who've played Zira and Cornelius, for promotional purposes, during conventions, talk shows and other such incidents.

But, first, the real thing because, in Escape From the Planet of the Apes, Cornelius and Zira appear before a Presidential commission and reveal to the world that they can speak!

And then, a pivotal moment in human history arrives - in more senses than one - as Moench, Thomas and Niño's Erich Von Däniken inspired Man-Gods From Beyond the Stars begins a brief but beautiful run that shall, I'm sure, never be forgotten by anyone who was there.

Especially not the primitive cave people who suddenly have a bunch of advanced aliens landing in their midst.

But it's not just The Avengers that's about to vanish from my life, as, from next week, this publication will also go AWOL from my nearest newsagents for several months.

Before it goes, I do, at least, get to discover the origin of Morbius the Living Vampire and get to wonder if Spidey will ever rid himself of his extra arms.

Then, Iron Man finds himself having to, once more, face the murderous Freak.

Is the Freak still Happy Hogan in this tale? Or has someone else inherited the mantle? I struggle to recall.

Strangely, on the cover, Shellhead seems to be battling the Destroyer, which is a little odd.

Thor, meanwhile, is depicted fighting Ulik but, as far as I'm aware, he's actually fighting Loki who's trying to prevent Don Blake from operating on the injured Balder, before his alter-ego Thor is exiled in space for going insane without his father's permission. A serious crime indeed.

And guess what?

The Mighty World of Marvel is also about to vanish from my local newsagents for several months on end.

I've no idea what's going on at that newsagents!

Anyway, it does go out on a high, with the Hulk caught up in a tragedy revolving around the foolishness of eating tourists.

Then, I think Daredevil's up against Starr Saxon's deadly kidnappo-bot.

And, in the Fantastic Four's strip, Hornhead finally resolves his dispute with the first family of Marvel, by convincing them he's not Dr Doom in disguise.

A fact which is, I'm sure, a relief to his allies in the conflict; Thor and Spider-Man.

Fortunately, The Super-Heroes, isn't about to vanish from my local newsagents.

Because it was never anywhere to be seen in my local newsagents.

Also struggling to get his hands on things is Giant-Man who's now in his third week of trying to intercept the Human Top. And all the training in the world isn't making our hero any faster.

The Cat's up to something but I'm not sure what. From that cover, it seems to involve Sub-Mariner foe Commander Kraken who the cover blurb writer seems to think is called Commander Kraven.

But just what's happening with the X-Men?

It would appear the Blob and Unus are in the habit of robbing banks by pretending to be our mutant do-gooders - but the true villain of the piece is that dastardly fiend Lucifer!