July 21st, 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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Many were the things that happened, this week in 1976.

For instance, Jimmy Carter was nominated for President at the Democratic National Convention in New York.

Elsewhere, Albert Spaggiari and his gang broke into the vault of the Société Generale Bank in Nice.

The 1976 Olympics began in Montreal and 14-year-old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci made history by gaining the first of seven perfect scores.

East Timor became the 27th province of Indonesia.

Viking 1 successfully landed on Mars.

American criminal Gary Gilmore -  whose eyes would later be immortalised in song by the Adverts - was arrested for murdering two men in Utah.

And, of course, the world was introduced to the first of a series of articles in The Times which demonstrated that a number of paintings attributed to Samuel Palmer were, in fact, the work of master forger Tom Keating.

When it came to the record industry, the week's UK Number One spot was grabbed by Elton John and Kiki Dee's Don't Go Breaking My Heart.

While the accompanying LP rankings belonged to the Beach Boys' 20 Golden Greats.

But, holy historians, Batman! Doing these weekly posts is starting to resemble watching one of those time-lapse videos on YouTube that depict the decline of the Roman Empire via the medium of maps.

And that's because, fifty years ago this week, Marvel UK now found itself down to publishing just four comics a week. Could this nightmare mean the end was nigh for our favourite reprint imprint?

I do believe I detect a Larry Lieber cover. Is this the first one he's ever done for Marvel UK?

When it comes to the comic's innards, I'm certain that Jason and Alexander are still having some sort of battle for control of Abraham Lincoln's nostril, at Mount Rushmore.

When it comes to the world of the undead, the not-at-all-Kolchak-inspired investigative reporter Paul Butterworth continues to assist Quincy Harker and friends in seeing off Dracula.

Man-Thing's still being mithered by a ghostly clown determined that everyone should know which events drove him to suicide in a swamp. 

And in another swamp in another continent, Ka-Zar's up against someone who hunts things purely to impress his father - but who gets miffed that his dad prefers his other son.

History's made, as The Avengers comic merges with MWOM and gives me my very first taste of Neal Adams' stint on the Kree/Skrull War when Ant-Man endeavours to survive a journey through the inner workings of the Vision!

But, before that, what of the cover star?

The Wendigo's sister's managed to knock out both the Hulk and Wolverine and is aiming to transfer the Wendigo curse to Bruce Banner!

Fortunately, her friend Georges decides to foil that plan by transferring the Wendigo curse onto himself!

And I suspect that this issue features a Marc Bolan interview in which the king of Glam discusses his love of Marvel comics.

But it's not just the Avengers who've made the switch to this publication. So has Conan and, having rescued someone called Stefanya, he must now confront the stone monster that mankind knows as Shokkoth.

The lawyer that mankind knows as Matt Murdock, meanwhile, has left New York and travelled to Hollywood, in search of Karen Page. I can only suspect a clash with that town's motorbike riding robber the Stunt-Master is brewing.

It's one of the least likely story lines in the history of great literature, as Dr Octopus decides to marry Aunt May in an attempt to get his hands on her nuclear power plant!

Heaven only knows what Steve Ditko would have made of it all.

In other news, Moon Knight tries to stop someone called Conquer-Lord from assassinating the mayor of somewhere or other but someone called Marlene is captured during the fight.

Far far away from there, the Silent One leads Thor to Hela who tries to kill our hero by ageing him to death!

Fortunately for the universe, that selfsame Silent One gives his life to save the thunder god. I'm fairly certain this is the same plot summary I gave last week. I can only assume this whole process took a fair amount of time.

Either that or, last week, I was wrong.

When it comes to Iron Man, I do believe he remains in conflict with the Red Ghost who's revived and powered-up the Unicorn.

And Dr Strange enters the Dimension of Dreams where he defeats Nightmare and releases Eternity from the vesper-packed villain's vituperous clutches. It seems that Nightmare had caused Eternity to dream the end of our world but Strange and the Ancient One soon put that right.

And look at that. It's another Larry Lieber cover.

Within this magnificent mag, the Fantastic Four take on a creature from space. One that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the Creature from the Black Lagoon. You have to say that, by this point, Jolly Jack was making no attempt at all to disguise his sources.

Even more excitingly, this was an issue that I, somehow, found myself possessing two copies of, meaning I was free to colour-in one of them with my coloured pencils. If Marvel UK had had any sense, they'd have marketed their comics as colouring books and used the monochrome as a selling point.

Far away from the sea, and in the middle of Wakanda, the disguised Sharon Carter sabotages Baron Zemo’s homicidal satellite and helps Captain America and the Black Panther escape the villain's schemings.

But, back to things aquatic because Prince Namor defeats Tiger Shark and reclaims the throne of Atlantis!

And, in the Ghost Rider's strip, Roxanne Simpson's saved by a blood transfusion and antivenom supplied by Linda Littletrees who's then transformed into the Witch-Woman and sets out to kill Ghostie!