August 18th, 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. 

***

Let us tarry not... ...and leap straight into the action.

I detect the tale in which the Fantastic Four find themselves up against the Maggia - and having more trouble with them than you'd expect.

I shall declare that the whole idea of those villains turning up in the FF's book seems like near-heresy. Surely, the people who took on Galactus, Annihilus and Dr Doom shouldn't be lumbered with fighting a bunch of small-time gangsters who can't even beat Daredevil.

And, speaking of FF foes, the Sub-Mariner clashes with the Thing in New York City, for possession of the Helmet of Power. Clashes, that is, until Betty Dean shows up to talk some sort of sense into Namor's head.

Meanwhile, Nick Fury's trapped aboard SHIELD's Helicarrier, by a Hydra infiltrator who's been going by the name of Professor Trojak.

Elsewhere, Johnny Blaze again becomes the Ghost Rider and sets off after evil biker Big Daddy Dawson who's kidnapped Roxanne Simpson!

And Captain America and Agent 13 seek to stop the Red Skull’s Fourth Sleeper from destroying large chunks of the United States.

Zzzax is back!

And I still don't have a clue how many times the letter Z should feature in his name.

Neither does he, I suspect.

And neither does the Hulk, I suspect.

Then again, the Hulk probably doesn't know how many times the letter Z should feature in his own name.

Sadly, the voltage-packed villain isn't here to stay, because the scientists who inadvertently recreated him soon discover a way to stop him.

Following that, the Super-Skrull takes the captured Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver to the Skrull homeworld, only to be greeted by hostility from the locals.

Next, Conan finds himself tied to the ground and left to the tender mercies of the rats of Ravengard.

And Brother Brimstone's stalking the streets of Hollywood!

But he won't be for long if Daredevil has his way.

It's a tale of pulse-pounding drama, as the Tarantula continues his reign of terror.

Perhaps more importantly, Harry discovers Peter Parker's secret identity!

In Thor's strip, Infinity's finally thwarted when our hero and his allies manage to prevent Odin from merging with the menace.

But this means Hela will now be after the thunder god's blood.

Iron Man finds himself captured by a fabulously wealthy man called Midas. Not to mention that man's mysterious sidekick Madame Masque!

As far as I can make out, the Thing and Morbius return to Earth, after their recent banishment, where they defeat the Living Eraser by using his own technology against him. 

And Doctor Strange's physical form has fallen victim to Dracula.

However, what the fang-flaunting fiend doesn't know is that his victim's mind has astrally fled his body and is looking for a solution to his problems.

Happy Herb Trimpe gives us the cover to a story we can only know as Society of the Psychedrome.

If only I could remember anything about that tale, other than that Jason and Alexander are in it.

Following that, we - and Ka-Zar - encounter a place called Tordon-Na, the Golden City! And I can't say that one's ringing any bells for me either.

But I do recall the next section because it's SFX on the Planet of the Apes Part II: Simian Illusions in which we discover more about the magic of the effects men and women who worked on the movies.

Next, things are set to go conquistador on us when the Man-Thing stumbles across a hidden community in the swamp. One that possesses the legendary Fountain of Youth.

And we end the issue with yet more of Marvel's adaptation of the original movie. In this week's exciting episode, we've reached the bit where our intrepid astronauts have their first encounter with the cheeky simians.