February 28th, 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. 

***

There have been many grim times in Britain's history but, surely, the grimmest must have been February 18th, 1976, when things became so heated in the latest Cod War that Iceland broke off diplomatic relations with the UK over it.

We can only hope we find Marvel's finest heroes in more tranquil mood.

That's a very odd cover which looks like it's been cobbled together from a bunch of totally unrelated images.

However, it does tell me one thing.

We've reached the issue in which naughty old Aries of Zodiac has taken over Manhattan, while everyone was asleep, and surrounded it with a force field!

With the rest of the Avengers out of commission and all other super-heroes locked out of the island, it's down to the Black Panther to come to the rescue.

But first, he'll need the help of Daredevil!

As for Conan, I do believe he's ridden into Aghrapur and has befriended King Yildiz.

I have a feeling that'll lead to trouble.

Then again, has Conan ever made any decision that hasn't led to trouble?

As for Iron Fist, he's broken into Tony Stark's factory, in a bid to rescue Colleen Wing and, of course, this will bring him into conflict with Iron Man himself!

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes continues on its inevitable path but, rather more importantly, we're provided with a map of the Black Panther's hidden kingdom!

I've no doubt at all it'll come in exceedingly handy if we ever choose to visit the place and I remember being especially taken by it revealing the location of the valley in which all of Wakanda's dinosaurs live.

Which does make me wonder why maps of the UK never show where all the dinosaurs live. Are the people at the Ordnance Survey fools? Do they not realise how vital it is for me to have such information?

Elsewhere, in the United States, Victorius kidnaps Bobbi Morse and takes her to his castle, causing Ka-Zar to go in there, after him!

As for T'Challa, he's busy still fighting a pack of wolves in the snow.

With Quincy Harker still trying to kill Dracula, via a string of booby traps, the ageing vampire hunter reminisces about his past encounters with the fiend. Ones that deprived him of his daughter, his wife and his legs.

Following that, Jack Russell and Topaz try to get the captive Dr Glitternight to bring an end to the spell that's turned Lissa into a wolf-demon-woman-thing.

Elsewhere, the whole world's gone mad. Frankly, I don't see what the Man-Thing's going to do about that but it's happening in his strip. So, I assume he'll play some part in resolving the crisis.

It's the news I've been praying for!

I can save 75p on a Sea-Monkeys kit!

But, back in the 1970s, surely they must have only cost 50p in the first place?

Are they now paying me to take them off their hands?

But even more thrilling than a Sea Monkey is another kind of monkey.

A tree monkey.

In fact, a gibbon.

It's true, Martin Blank's hairy alter-ego makes his debut, this week, as he embarks on a career of crime-fighting.

Which only lasts until he bumps into Spider-Man who insists on insulting him at every opportunity, thus turning him into a super-villain.

Elsewhere, Loki continues to rule Asgard, thanks to having purloined the Odin Ring - and Thor and the Warriors Three are helpless to do a thing about it.

From what I can remember, Silver Dagger's stabbed Doc Strange in the back and the Sorcerer Supreme's spirit is now in a Lewis Carroll style realm where he's having conversations with a talking caterpillar.

Meanwhile, in Iron Man's strip, Jasper Sitwell discovers he can't bear to harm Whitney Frost, despite knowing she's the head of the Maggia.

And, amazingly, the feeling's mutual!

Finally, the Hulk and Human Torch are battling Blastaar who I suspect would, given the chance, prove to be far more ruthless than Sitwell and Frost.

It's double trouble in a tale that only a fool would want to miss, when two of the Hulk's brawlingest bad boys unite to take over Hulkbuster Base.

And only our hero and Jim Wilson - and Jim Wilson's girlfriend - can stop them!

Daredevil's got problems too. He's trying to get over his recent defeat by Mr Fear but, every time he tries to perform a feat of heroism, he's crippled by an uncontrollable sense of panic. Can this be the end of the man without courage?

The FF are still in the Negative Zone, and Reed comes to realise the Cosmic Control Rod - which gives Annihilus his power - might be just the thing to restore the ailing Sue to full health.

But what are the chances that the big-talking grasshopper is going to cooperate?

Subby may be the cover star but the issue kicks off with the X-Men having their first encounter with the Cobalt Man whose Iron Man style armour is starting to send him mad.

Then, Prince Namor's trying to prevent a giant space robot from capturing Atlantis on behalf of Attuma.

And, then, things get really odd. Last week, Captain Marvel and Rick Jones were off to recruit the help of Bruce Banner, in their bid to get away from each other but, this week, the pair are up to something else entirely, although I'm a bit fuzzy as to just what that is.

Next, Nick Fury finds himself up against the Day of the Druid.

And Captain America discovers the Red Skull Lives! which I suspect to be the tale of how the villain survived World War Two and is still with us.