December 20th, 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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As the year approaches its latter days, let us visit the land of Marvel UK to see what is occurring therewithin.

I think it's pretty obvious, from the cover, just what this week's Avengers story is.

It's the one in which they do battle with, erm, er...

Anyway, inside the comic, the cover's other star - Conan - is up to something as well.

Though I don't know what it is.

As for the Avengers, once inside, we discover there are no giant robots anywhere in sight.

Instead, the world's mightiest super-team finds itself working for ruthless tycoon Cornelius Van Lunt, thanks to a liquidity crisis.

And I do believe Dr Strange goes in search of Baron Mordo, in order to inform him of the death of the Ancient One.

From what I can make out; this week, Black Bolt's captured by Magneto who thinks he's a mutant, and is out to recruit him and the rest of his family to the evil mutant cause.

When it comes to the Avenging Son, Namor has a stroke of misfortune when he's taken over by the Puppet Master who wants him to rob a bank on his behalf.

In Nick Fury's strip, Hydra are still planning to set off a massive big bomb.

Speaking of major explosions, Cap and Bucky are still in Greymoor Castle in World War Two and bidding to prevent Nazis from launching a great big missile at London!

And Captain Marvel decides to give Yon-Rogg a taste of justice but has to cut short that revenge mission when he discovers Carol Danvers is imperilled on Earth.

I initially misread the speech balloon on this cover as saying, "Stay back, folks! So commands Dracula!" I now can't imagine the lord of all vampires talking like anything other than a duff working men's club entertainer.

Within these pages, it would appear Drac's still on the lookout for that missing statuette.

However, a villain's got his hands on it and plans to use it to take over the universe!

In the Living Mummy's strip, Dr Skarab's tapping into the scarlet scarab's power, looking to defeat the evil Elementals.

And the Werewolf by Night finally reaches the climax of his tussle with the Jekyll-and-Hyde-like Dr DePrayve.

As we can see from Ken Barr's dramatic cover, we're still escaping from the Planet of the Apes.

While, in his strip, the Black Panther finds himself confronting the snake obsessed-terror of Venomm.

And Ka-Zar's still hanging around with the Man-Thing and AIM.

It's news that all monster fans should celebrate, as Zzzax makes his electrifying debut!

And even Hawkeye may struggle to stop him!

But there's bad news for Matt Murdock. Not only does Starr Saxon know he's really Daredevil, the hero's now starting to hallucinate, thanks to having radioactive blood.

And Saxon's run off with Karen Page!

Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four are in a microscopic realm, having trouble with Psycho-Man, while the Silver Surfer - the man they were there looking for - has returned to our world, in order to become Galactus' herald again.

It's crisis time for Spider-Man when Professor Smythe not only unleashes his Spider-Slayer upon the streets, walls and rooftops of New York but, also, thanks to a city-wide network of hidden police cameras, has just found out that Spider-Man is none other than Peter Parker!

I don't know. First Daredevil, now Spider-Man. It's getting like super-heroes can't keep anything  secret anymore.

Tony Stark's in a far-flung future, trying to put an end to the reign of a super-computer he himself created.

And Don Blake decides to help out at a local hospital when a renowned civil rights leader gets shot. But, in that self-same establishment, the Wrecker's tranquillisers wear off and it's no time at all before he's back to smashing things to pieces.

Giant-Man makes short work of toppling the communist government of El Toro, by revealing to the people that the newly-installed president rigged the election!

Count Nefaria still has a dome over the city of Washington but is soon thwarted by Professor X and his ability to read minds.

And the Scarecrow sorts out a bunch of occultists who are trying to steal the painting he lives inside.