The Marvel Lucky Bag - March 1976.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

Contrary to popular rumour, caves are not available to us all.

But there are things that resemble caves.

They call them cinemas.

And what shall we find if we enter the cinemas of March 1976?

We'll find such attractions as The First Nudie Musical, Black Shampoo, Creature From Black Lake, Robin and Marian, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Slipper and the Rose and, of course, W.C. Fields and Me. For, it was in that month they were all first released.

Of them, I've seen only The Man Who Fell to Earth - but not for about 45 years and can, therefore, offer few cogent thoughts upon it.

But you know upon what I can be cogent?

Comics!

A hero like no other makes his debut, as Omega the Unknown smashes his way into our lives.

Gasp as Omega does whatever it is that Omega does. And shriek as he doesn't do whatever it is he doesn't do.

I think I've only ever read one issue of his book and, thus, my knowledge and memories of him are fuzzy but I do believe he's from outer space and has ended up on Earth, whereupon he has immediately set about fighting crime, in a distinctly enigmatic manner.

Also, a young boy's involved but I struggle to remember just what he has to do with it all and why.

I've chosen this one because I remember its Jack Kirby pencilled cover appearing in an issue of FOOM, and liking it there.

But it's not whether you're beautiful on the outside that matters. It's whether you're beautiful on the inside. So, just how pleasing are the innards of this one?

Thinking about it, I don't know - and the internet's refusing to tell me - but I think it's a safe bet the Red Skull's involved.

And it seems the Fin, the Patriot and Miss America also put in an appearance.

Readers may be intrigued to hear that Rich Buckler and Dick Ayers provide the artwork.

It's a tale we'll never forget.

And that's good news because it means I haven't forgotten it.

The gang are eagerly pursuing their long-term strategy of aimlessly wandering around, when they encounter a man who's only going to live for 24 hours and must find a mate in that time, or watch his species go extinct.

As Carmilla Frost is the only woman around, that means she finds herself getting volunteered for the role.

Needless to say KR and his mates are not going to put up with that kind of thing.

But can they stop the 24-hour Man's mother, who happens to be a giant, mutant-dragon thing?

Skull the Slayer's still doing stuff that Ka-Zar could be doing.

This time, he's up against some sort of Egyptian type people and someone called Slitherogue who I suspect will be a victim of nominative determinism and will both slither and be a rogue.

But what's this? The Black Knight's also in action? I'm going to assume it's a reprint of a venerable and ancient tale.

The world's greatest non-team continue their idiosyncratic lives, as they battle the Headmen, in a bid to rescue Kyle Richmond's all-important brain.

Only to see it fall into the hands of Nebulon!

I've never read this one. So, all I can announce is it's by Steve Gerber and Frank Brunner and guest stars the unstoppable horror that is the Space Turnip!

And it's another one I've never read.

But I do believe that, in Bruce Jones' and Frank Thorne's mini-epic, Red Sonja must stop a mechanical man called Balek.

Fifty years ago today - March 1976.

Thanks to Charlie Horse 47 and Killdumpster for their sponsorship of this post, via the magic of Patreon. 

***

Yet again, the past is knocking upon our doors and, like its servants, we have no recourse but to answer it.

I know nothing of The Assassin, other than that he's been hired to kill the Avengers.

But whom has hired him for that task?

It's one I've never read but I do know Conan must overcome warriors on crocodiles, in order to save the village of the Watambi.

Bêlit, meanwhile, gets herself kidnapped.

Did you know alligators are less closely related to crocodiles than people are to chimpanzees? This fact has nothing to do with anything but it's the sort of info you can astound your friends with. Especially the ones who like to ride around on crocodiles.

"The Assassin never fails!"

"Bullseye never misses!"

It's clearly a good month for over-confident villains.

I am quite intrigued that, on a cover which shows Daredevil about to be killed by Bullseye, the blurb declares, "Plus: A Startling New Job For Matt Murdock!" as though anyone not convinced to buy the comic by the threat of their hero's imminent demise would suddenly be moved to purchase it by the promise that he gets a new job.

I've not read this one but I'm assuming that, cured of being the Thing, Ben Grimm can only stand and watch, as Luke Cage takes his place in the team.

I'm assuming that because that's what it says on the cover.

I believe I detect a Berni Wrightson illustration. Is this the only time he ever did a Hulk cover?

Regardless, it's clear our hero takes on the Man-Thing, and that the Collector's involved.

I do believe the Glob also turns up in this tale - but not the one that's previously fought the Hulk.

You know how, on at least two previous occasions, Tony Stark's saved Happy Hogan's life by using his Enervator but it's turned Happy into the not-so-happy Freak?

Well, it's happened again.

You would've thought Tony would have learnt his lesson, by now.

I do believe this issue was drawn by Sal Buscema because Ross Andru was busy drawing the epic Superman vs Spider-Man tale that all 1970s comic fans knew they had to get their hands on.

But a thought does strike me. Is this the Sandman's first Spider-Man appearance since the original Sinister Six story, way back in the days of Steve Ditko?

If so, that seems remarkable, bearing in mind his status as one of Spidey's classic foes.

I believe Thor may still be tangling with the world-mangling menace of the Time Twisters.

"The Savage World of 1984!" I remember it well. Nik Kershaw on the pop charts. Give My Regards to Broad Street in the cinemas. Orville the Duck on TV. It was a living nightmare.

Anyway, it seems that, in the Royalist Forces base, Cap and Falc encounter someone called Cheer Chadwick who forces them to fight in an arena.

And, so, are the greatest heroes that Marvel can provide accounted for.

But it's not the only company with heroes. That in mind, let us take a look at a random sampling of what was occurring in DC's output which bore the same cover date.

It's looking like bad news for Wonder Woman.

And for the rest of the Justice League too, as no sooner is the amazing Amazon back than they have to deal with the terror-inducing nightmare of Nekron who, as far as I can remember, is an alien who can make even the bravest of heroes too scared to do anything.

I always like to see Deadman and the Phantom Stranger on the same cover together.

And that's exactly what I've got, thanks to the moody pencil of Jim Aparo.

As for what happens inside, I have little info, other than that the main tale's called A Time for Endings and the backup strip is Will the Real Black Orchid Please Stand Up?

I shall assume the latter yarn to be the one in which a bunch of female criminals convince an innocent woman they're all the Black Orchid, in order to trick her into doing something or other.

But what's this? The presence of a statement called Epilogue for the Phantom Stranger?

Can it be? Can truly be the last issue of this legendary comic?

Yes, it can. And all I can say is that, truly, there is no justice in the world.

Because it wouldn't be a month in the 1970s without the launch of a brand new comic, DC supplies us with issue #1 of Kobra!

And I know absolutely nothing about it, other than it would appear to feature two symbiotically-linked brothers. One a good guy and the other a villain. 

Maybe it's just me but this all sounds suspiciously similar to Marvel's legendary villain Gemini.

Regardless, it seems that Jack Kirby's heavily involved, in terms of both plot and art.

Another new book hits us between the eyes - and it's an outlet for those antagonist-stopping adolescents the Teen Titans!

As we might expect, from that cover, this is made up almost entirely of reprints from the 1950s and '60s.

Among its deathless content, we encounter such adventures as Monster Bait and Skis of Death! Not to mention the inclusion of a brand new article; Introducing the Teen Titans.

And, as seems compulsory in this era, we discover an instalment of Justice For All Includes Children, to make us rethink our attitude.

There may, as David Bowie insists, be a starman waiting in the sky but, right now, there's also one waiting in our comic shops.

And will he blow our minds?

That, I cannot say, as I've never read this issue but I do know he must face someone called Turran Kha who's been sent to execute him, which seems a little rude.

I've a feeling there may be some conceptual similarities, here, to the early days of Marvel's Captain Marvel strip.

I also know it's all brought to us by Gerry Conway and Mike Vosburg.