March 6th, 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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For decades, there have been two songs I've always got confused with each other, within the confines of my mind.

Those two songs are Love to Love You Baby by Donna Summer and I Love to Love by Tina Charles.

Now, at last, I know why I get them mixed up. Not only do they have similar titles, they were both on the UK singles chart at the exact same time.

It's true. This very week in 1976, Donna's track was at Number Twenty-One while Tina's ruled supreme at Number One!

Admittedly, I also tend to get Tina Charles mixed up with Teena Marie who I get mixed up with Kelly Marie.

No such confusion for me on the accompanying album chart, that week - even though The Very Best of Slim Whitman was at Number One and The Best of Roy Orbison was at Two.

But can it be?

Our main tale's protagonist and antagonist are both feeling out of sorts?

They surely are. 

Not only has Quincy Harker decided he's too old for vampire hunting, Dracula's decided his own waning powers can only be down to the subterfuge of Dr Sun!

Elsewhere, the Werewolf by Night finally manages to defeat Dr Glitternight. But what a villain Glitternight is. It takes some talent to be outwitted by a werewolf.

And the Man-Thing's tangled up in the machinations of some sort of previous priestess of Atlantis!

I do believe Conan's having a battle with a giant statue.

One that's impervious to the mightiest of his weapons!

And, as we can all tell from that cover, Aries and his gang have captured Manhattan.

But that won't last.

Not with Daredevil about to free the Avengers from his deadly clutches.

But what of deadly knuckles?

Here's where we find out because we finish the issue with the news that Iron Fist is still fighting Iron Man in Tony Stark's factory.

As is quickly apparent, those dastardly fiends the Rhino and Abomination are still causing no end of trouble for our hero, after seizing the Hulkbuster Base.

But can Bruce, Jim and Jim's girlfriend stop whatever it is the villains are up to, before they get round to doing whatever is is they're up to?

Elsewhere, Daredevil's still sulking about his defeat at the hands of Mr Fear.

And he still hasn't managed to find Starr Saxon - the only man who knows his true identity!

In the Negative Zone, Reed Richards manages to drain enough energy from Annihilus's Cosmic Control Rod to save Sue's life when he and his mates get back to Earth.

Assuming, of course, that the larcenous locust will let them go there.

I do believe Conquest of the Planet of the Apes carries along in its not-so-merry way.

Mostly, I believe that because the ape on the front cover says so, and who am I to argue with an armed gorilla?

As for the Black Panther, he's a man who would argue with an armed gorilla.

And we know that because, after fighting wolves, last week, he now has a punch-up with Wakanda's supposedly mythical giant white apes!

Meanwhile, Ka-Zar throws away the super-soldier serum that Nick Fury gave him, and then sets off to lamp Victorius.

On his way there, he defeats Gemini and the Plunderer.

But Victorius may prove to be a tougher opponent, by far.

According to the Bank of England's inflation calculator, that 75p Sea Monkey charge, advertised on the cover, works out at £5.10 in modern money.

This compares to their current price of £10 from Argos.

I have, therefore, no doubt this proves Sea Monkeys to be a better investment than gold.

The Bank of England also tells me this comic's 9p cover price would, nowadays, be 61p and Marvel UK's portrait format comics' 8p price tag would be 54p.

In other news, the Gibbon isn't exactly a man blessed with luck. Following his humiliation at the hands of Spider-Man; this week, he bumps into Kraven who decides to mind-control him into murdering the wall-crawler!

Next, Silver Dagger's trying to get Clea to renounce the "dead" Dr Strange.

Meanwhile, the "dead" Dr Strange has entered his own Eye of Agamotto and is having an encounter with the Silver Surfer, for reasons I struggle to recall.

As for the Thing, he's been left to look after Wundarr who decides it'd be a good idea to release all the animals from the local zoo.

Elsewhere, the Incredible Hulk's under the control of a mystery villain who sends him on a mission to kill Tony Stark.

But is all as it seems?

And Loki's still the ruler of Asgard - thanks to his possession of the Odin Ring. But he quickly comes to realise the job may not be all it's cracked up to be, when Surtur shows up, looking to destroy the kingdom and all within it.

It's giant-sized trouble for the X-Men when the Juggernaut awakens from the coma he's been in.

And he now has Professor X's mental powers!

After that, Prince Byrrah shows up in Atlantis and challenges Subby to a fight to decide which of them should rule the realm.

Needless to say, the villain cheats, making sure the combat zone's littered with hidden weapons and booby traps.

And it looks like his foul plan is going to succeed!

Elsewhere, Rick Jones and his sidekick Captain Marvel must survive an attack by Megaton the Nuclear Man!

And Nick Fury must survive the menace of The Devil's Egg!

Finally, for this issue, Captain America has a major new concern on his hands, as it looks like the Red Skull's managed to steal, from AIM, a brand new device called the Cosmic Cube.

And it can grant its owner the power to do anything!