November 22nd, 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. 

***

On November 22nd, 1975, BBC One showed The Vengeance of She, a film that made such an impact on my soul that I can recall nothing of it other than that Ursula Andress wasn't in it.

My Googling tells me this was the most interesting thing that happened anywhere in the world on that day.

Clearly, I was going to need to fling myself into the pop charts, for excitement.

And what excitement I got, with a brand new Number One on the UK singles rankings.

Granted, that brand new Number One was D.I.V.O.R.C.E. by Billy Connolly but perhaps I could find more thrills atop the accompanying album chart.

No, I couldn't because the peak of that listing had now been claimed by the Godfather of Punk himself Perry Como, with his 40 Greatest Hits.

Perhaps I could find, within the pages of that week's Marvel UK publications, the excitement I craved.

Except my local newsagent only had one of them in stock.

What kind of madness was this?

I'm getting the feeling this week's Inhumans tale may pivot around Black Bolt using the devastating power of his voice.

So, that's basically the same as every Inhumans tale ever.

But what is new is that Jack Kirby's departed the strip and a new artist has taken his place.

And that artist is Nefarious Neal Adams who adds a whole new visual sophistication to events.

The Sub-Mariner, meanwhile, has tracked down Lady Dorma and must now liberate her from a vast horde of unfriendly sea-creatures they call the Faceless Ones.

I do believe Nick Fury and SHIELD are up against Hydra.

Meanwhile, it's deadly peril for the free world, as Captain America's been captured by the Red Skull and brainwashed into wanting to kill a big-shot American general!

And Captain Marvel is having to battle a giant robot created by Walter Lawson, the man the captain is pretending to be in his bid to avoid detection by the humans!

I don't remember much about this week's Conan thriller other than that the barbarian famously wrestles a horse into submission.

But, of course, the big story is one which involves another barbarian.

One who comes from another dimension and can throw lightning bolts at you.

You guessed it. It's the electrifying debut of Arkon! 

And that,'s not all because we're also treated to the thrilling return of the Scarlet Witch and her brother!

Not to mention that of the mighty Toad!

Meanwhile, Dr Strange's Shuma-Gorath epic drags on and on, as the master of mystic arts now encounters a giant monster that probably doesn't exist.

Rather like an end to this saga.

What's this? I do believe this is the first issue of Dracula Lives not to feature the book's title character in the main cover image.

In London, the lord of all vampires gets caught up in an investigation into the theft of a statuette.

But, first, he must see-off a gang of muggers.

No problem for a man with the power to mesmerise the feeble-witted.

Speaking of which, Jack Russell continues to have trouble with Atlas, the Hollywood star who's more than miffed about having become disfigured.

And the Living Mummy's still having to contend with the fact that the Elementals have taken over Cairo and are lording it over the local populace, like the wrong 'uns they undoubtedly are.

Cornelius and Zira have escaped the Planet of the Apes but how are they going to escape the Planet of Mankind now mankind knows the truth of what happened to Taylor and his friends?

Not to mention knowing the fate of the world itself?

I have no doubt this issue is where we'll start to find out.

Following that, I think we reach the final part of Man-Gods From Beyond the Stars, with their leader departing for other worlds, after getting a cavewoman up the duff.

And we finish the issue with a Tony Isabella, Robert Shaw, Gene Colan short called The Star-Magi, although I struggle to recall anything of what happens in it.

It all starts off as fun and games in the Savage Land, for the crew from the Daily Bugle - until a giant reptilian space alien called Gog shows up to poop the party.

Meanwhile, Iron Man's trying to cure Happy Hogan of being the deadly Freak.

But that's soon going to be the least of his worries - because the Unicorn's back and looking for trouble!

Speaking of which, Thor's found the biggest trouble in the universe, in the form of Galactus!

But, fortunately, the planet-eater's too busy, determined to tell the thunder god his origin, to do any of his usual devastating.

The Super-Heroes is still trundling along, inoffensively.

And is doing so by offering us the second part of Giant-Man's first encounter with the Black Knight. One which takes place in a funfair!

Elsewhere, The Cat must fight the Man-Bull after bumping into him in a bar.

And, this time, he's got a herd of cows with him!

And, not having to deal with any cows, the X-Men defeat Dominus and Lucifer by destroying the robots that have been doing all the work for them.

I may never have had this issue but I did have a copy of its Hulk tale, thanks to the 1975 Marvel Annual. So, my sense of deprivation is not as great as it might have been.

As for what happens in it, the Hulk only goes and bumps into a man called Captain Omen and, as we can all spot, "Omen" is "Nemo" backwards.

And that gives us a clue as to what kind of tale we're heading into.

A very watery one.

On far drier land, Daredevil's in his gym and still fighting Starr Saxon's murderbot!

And, in the Fantastic Four's strip, Galactus has taken a break from chatting with Thor, to scour the Earth for the Silver Surfer, so he can re-hire him as a herald.