January 3rd, 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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Hooray! It's a brand new year!

But have no fear. I'm still going to be serving up the same old rubbish.

Sadly, 1976 started badly for the UK, with its first week seeing hurricane-force winds of up to 105 mph killing 22 people across the country.

When it came to the music industry, there was no change atop the UK singles and LP charts, with Queen maintaining dominion over both, thanks to Bohemian Rhapsody and A Night at the Opera.

I know for a fact that Conan's in this issue.

And I know for a fact that I don't have a clue what he's up to in it.

I do, however, have a clue what the Avengers are up to.

And that clue is the front cover.

Thanks to that, I know the malevolent Man-Ape is back, attacking the Avengers Mansion and determined to wage war on our favourite super-team!

Dr Strange, meanwhile, travels back in time, a couple of hundred years, in a bid to thwart the latest scheme of Baron Mordo.

And it all ties in with a man called Cagliostro!

It's the legendary Emergency 8p Issue, which I never had and was totally unaware of until I gained access to the internet.

I'm still not totally sure what the emergency is and why other Marvel UK mags are unaffected but it does mean we get a non-glossy cover and a temporary price drop!

Inside, Magneto's still convinced the Inhuman royal family are mutants and is still determined to make them serve his cause.

Elsewhere, Subby's still trying to protect Atlantis from a giant sea-monster controlled by Warlord Krang who's got the Puppet Master to make him a useful maquette of it for that purpose.

Captain America's got a battle on his hands, trying to stop the Red Skull's giant Sleepers as they blunder across America, in a decidedly unwieldy but destructive fashion.

As they seem to have been doing for several months now, Hydra are hoping to set off a giant bomb and Nick Fury's trying to stop them.

And Captain Marvel's having some sort of meeting with Zo, the mystery being who gave him his thrilling new powers that I can't remember.

Dracula's out, causing mayhem, in the streets of England, and Shiela Whittier's male friend has decided its time to get over to Drac's gaff and stick a great big stake through him.

The Werewolf by Night is having to endure the return of the Hangman.

And the Man-Thing's having trouble with demons.

I do always wonder why MODOK messes about with daft schemes when he's the inventor of the Cosmic Cube. Can't he just make another one and take over the world?

Regardless, like any sensible person, he's decided the best way to destroy the Hulk is to turn Betty Ross into a Gamma-mutated monster.

But, first, he's going to need a giant, robot, body.

As far as I'm aware Daredevil and the Black Panther team-up to finally bring down Starr Saxon.

While, when it comes to the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards is making yet another bid to cure the Thing.

But will he have time to do it before the Wizard shows up, armed to the teeth with his awesome Wonder Gloves?

As we can all see, Spider-Man's stuck with the latest incarnation of the Spider-Slayer!

In Iron Man's strip, the Crusher's finally found his way back to the surface from the centre of the Earth.

And, of course, he wants his revenge upon the armoured Avenger who sent him there.

In Thor's strip, Jane Foster is back but is, also, a captive of a zillionaire called Krask who wants to conduct a mind-swap operation that could be bad news for the thunder god.

What's this? No sooner has Escape from the Planet of the Apes concluded than we're flung straight into Conquest?

When it comes to the Black Panther, he's still having trouble with Malice who attacks his palace, in a bid to liberate Venomm.

And Ka-Zar's still on the streets of New York and trying to bring justice to the drug pushers who inhabit it.

"Once again, Giant- Man must face the horrifying Human Top!"

I think they may be slightly overplaying the Human Top's ability to cause a sense of terror in an observer.

And, speaking of not being able to inject much terror into the human heart, the X-Men defeat the Locust by making his own insects turn against him.

Meanwhile, the Scarecrow's up against a bunch of demons summoned by the Cult of Kalumai!

I have no doubt he shall prove to be victorious but I do believe this is to be his last-ever appearance in the comic.