January 17th, 1976 - 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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If there's anyone in human history who should have died by murder, it should have been Agatha Christie.

Not because I have anything against her but I feel it would have been somewhat appropriate. And then the entire nation should have been challenged to find out who killed her.

However, she wasn't murdered. Instead, the legendary crime writer died from natural causes, this week in January 1976, at the age of 85, in her Oxfordshire home.

Well, Agatha may have been the queen of crime but, when it came to music, there was only one queen.

And that was the one that was then ruling the UK singles and LP charts, thanks to Bohemian Rhapsody and A Night at The Opera.

It's a veritable brain-gripper, as Conan finds himself caught between Death and 7 Wizards.

I have no idea what that's about.

I'm going to guess that death and seven wizards are involved.

But can even the sword swinging Cimmerian seriously seek to smite seven sorcerers simultaneously seeking to slaughter him in the same or similar circumstances?

In the present, as we can see from the cover, the world's mightiest heroes must contend with the Lethal Legion.

And Dr Strange is in the dim and distant past, caught up in the Biblical madness of Sise-Neg.

Strangely affected by the suicide of Shiela Whittier, the king of vampires finds himself reflecting upon his past and an encounter with Otto Von Bismarck, which is not a direction I was expecting the strip to go in.

Elsewhere, the Werewolf by Night has his first encounter with Dr Glitternight who might sound like a respected Pub Rock outfit who've decided to jump on the Glam Rock bandwagon but he is, in fact, a deadly sorcerer!

And one that's creates a tentacled monster based on Jack's girlfriend Topaz!

And, deep in the swamps of America, I do believe the Man-Thing must contend with a racist sheriff.

"This is the big one, Marvelite! At last! The senses-shattering end of the Spider-Slayer!"

I would suggest that's a very liberal use - and possible abuse - of the phrase, "Big one."

Regardless, it's just occurred to me that I've never, in my entire life, leapt through a huge sheet of paper. It's a piece of negligence I shall have to put right, before it's too late.

When it comes to Iron Man, I do believe the tin-plated powerhouse is still battling the awesome menace of the Crusher.

And Ulik turns up in Thor's strip. As does the Circus of Crime.

I can only assume the troublesome troll gets to join the sinister circus. Possibly, after being hypnotised by it rapscallion ringmaster.

Not for the first time in Marvel UK history, a cover has nothing to do with the contents of the mag whose pages it precedes.

Inside the book, we're greeted by the latest episode of Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. A tale in which I'm fairly sure no gorilla generals appear.

Meanwhile, Ka-Zar is still out to rid the New York streets of drugs gangs and finds himself in a fist fight with no lesser foe than the Pusher himself.

And I believe the Black Panther finds himself battling Baron Macabre and his army of fake dead men.

Can even the Hulk survive the power and wrath of Betty Ross?

I think we may have to wait until next issue to find out, as I'm not convinced she actually makes the transformation into the Harpy just yet.

For some reason, we then encounter a retelling of Daredevil's origin, from Gene Colan and Stan Lee, which I think has already been reprinted in the pages of Mighty World of Marvel.

In the FF's strip, the recently cured Ben Grimm must decide whether to become the Thing again.

And yet another of the Thinker's tiresome robots activates and goes on the rampage.

I'm going to guess that Ben has to become the Thing again, in order to stop it.

Big changes are afoot in Marvel UK's best-value-for-money comic.

No sooner have the X-Men disappeared from The Super-Heroes than they arrive in The Titans.

And it seems Captain Marvel's now been reborn into the form we all know and love.

And that means it's time for him to team up with Rick Jones!

Thanks to a cave.

And some Nega-Bands!

And a fair bit of plagiarism from Fawcett Comics.

Following a scrap with Iron Man, the Sub-Mariner sets out to rescue Lady Dorma from the clutches of Warlord Krang - but only succeeds in losing his memory.

I suspect that, this week, in Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD, Hydra agents mistakenly kill their own leader Arnold Brown.

And Captain America must battle Batroc the Leaper, to prevent the theft of a mega-powerful explosive whose detonation could annihilate the city.

I think we'd all love to know who'd win a fight between the Thing and Hulk.

Even though the Hulk always wins their fights.

Regardless, they're at it again, as Kurrgo and the Leader pit them against each other in an old Wild West ghost town, for the sake of a wager.

But what's this?

The villains have planted a bomb at the location?

One that could be more of a threat to our heroes than their own fight is?

Elsewhere, I do believe Giant-Man defeats a criminal magician on a boat.

And Ulysses Bloodstone must nobble The Lurker Within.

Within what? I hate to think.