February 7th, 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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It was time to get your skates on, if you were living on the planet Earth, fifty years ago, this week. Because that was when the Innsbruck Winter Olympics got underway. 

Less pleasingly, on the same day, an earthquake hit Guatemala and Honduras with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX, leaving 23,000 dead and 76,000 injured.

Meanwhile in Blighty, the Queen opened the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

But what of the music scene?

ABBA were still top of the pops on the UK singles chart, thanks to Mamma Mia, while The Best of Slim Whitman reached the summit of the corresponding LP rankings.

Spider-Man's still trying to sort out Flash Thompson's problems - with the aid of Dr Strange - after Vietnamese monks have mistakenly blamed him for the death of their high priest, during his military service.

Iron Man's still up against the Gladiator and the Maggia.

And Thor's wrapping up his battle with Crypto-Man. A feat that I believe is achieved with the aid of an act of self-sacrifice by its creator.

Holy crap!

Conan's teaming up with the Avengers! 

Then again, I suspect he's not. 

Despite the impression created by that cover, I suspect he may still, after all these weeks, be battling against those seven wizards who keep giving him so much bother.

As for the Avengers, I do believe they're trying to assist Red Wolf in his bid to prevent ruthless business tycoon Cornelius Van Lunt from taking over his people's land.

And Iron Fist's confronting the Menace of the Monstroid, a robot in need of a good punching.

Things get ever more complex, as Bruce Banner uses the technology of the extinct Bird-People to cure Betty of her tendency to turn into the Harpy, while trying not to get mashed by the Bi-Beast and having to fend off the attack of MODOK.

There's only one way out of this.

A plunge from a great height!

Speaking of that. What's this? Matt Murdock has died in a plane crash?

Well, that's what Foggy and Karen think but I suspect they may be wrong.

Especially as Daredevil's clearly still alive and well.

And the Fantastic Four and Wyatt Wingfoot's tribe manage to destroy the threat that is Tomazooma the living totem pole!

Things progress in Conquest of the Planet of the Apes when Caesar gets sold to the governor's aide but soon starts to arouse suspicions...

As for Ka-Zar, in his strip, he pursues the fleeing Gemini, even when the villain takes off in a jump jet but, upon landing, discovers his foe's been working for the Plunderer who's teamed up with none other than the gigantic Gog!

Meanwhile, the Black Panther and his forces invade the home village of Erik Killmonger.

Here's a thing.

A Dracula tale called Singleton Must Die!

That seems a bit harsh. I mean, she's no John Noakes but she's doing her best.

Elsewhere, Jack Russell's still being bothered by Dr Glitternight.

But he's got a lot more than that on his plate because, at the tale's climax, his sister Lissa turns into a werewolf demon hybrid monster thing!

And I do believe the Man-Thing's up against someone called Thog.

I dread to think what the vicar's reaction was when he was told that's what he had to christen him.

As we can tell from that cover, the Banshee makes his ear-splitting debut in this week's X-Men.

And if that's not enough to worry about, the team also have to deal with the Mimic and the Ogre!

In the Sub-Mariner's strip, Warlord Krang's flooded New York and managed to get himself and Lady Dorma captured by the US military.

Nick Fury and SHIELD are up to something that's beyond my knowledge.

And, then, Captain America and Fury must thwart a robot created by Them. An organisation otherwise known as AIM.

Captain Marvel, meanwhile, must tackle the Psyche-Magnitron when he bids to rescue Carol Danvers from the clutches of Yon-Rogg!

Somewhat bizarrely, this week, the Thing gets so upset that the Man-Thing has stolen his name that he heads off to the swamps to teach it a lesson.

Seriously.

And, somehow, this brings him into conflict with the Molecule Man.

Then, we get the Black Knight in sensational solo action, as Dane Whitman does something or other in his castle.

And, finally, Giant-Man and the Wasp must take on the massive Colossus who's been terrorising an African village.

I'm going to predict, right now, that Colossus turns out to be a communist robot.