September 1st, 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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Get down the disco and cover yourself in glitter because, as recently mentioned by Colin Jones, this week in 1976 saw ABBA's Dancing Queen hit the Number One spot on the British singles chart. A move which cemented their position as the late 1970s' supreme musical force. Was there anyone not excited by this development?

Of course there wasn't!

The album chart, however, was still being dominated by the Beach Boys, thanks to their 20 Golden Greats album.

It may have been a good week for those two bands but it wasn't so great for the people of Yorkshire who saw drought measures introduced in their county.

I do believe the FF have finally managed to convince Subby that Magneto isn't his friend and that invading the surface world on his say-so is a bad idea.

But it may be too late because the foul, ferrous-flinging, fiend of infamy has kidnapped Sue Storm and Lady Dorma and is now holding them hostage!

In Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze prepares for a demolition derby but someone called Dude Jensen - presumably no relation to Kid - has hired a killer to eliminate rival driver Red Thompson! Presumably no relation to Emma.

Elsewhere, the Red Skull's agents kidnap Sharon Carter, causing Cap to visit Exile Island, home, not surprisingly, to the Exiles. I am suspecting this is their first appearance in the pages of Marvel UK.

Speaking of geriatric Germans, Nick Fury infiltrates Hydra Island but is captured after discovering their leader is none other than his old World War Two adversary Baron Strucker!

And the Sub-Mariner returns to Atlantis - only to find his people worshipping someone called Naga and rejecting their prince as their rightful ruler.

And it's all the fault, I'm assuming, of the Serpent Crown!

I spot a cover by Happy Herb Trimpe.

It does strike me that having your eyeballs on stalks may do wonders for your image if you're trying to look disturbing but I can't help feeling it's a serious disadvantage in an actual fist-fight, making it far too easy for your foe to do you a mischief.

Elsewhere, Ka-Zar finds himself confronted by the Devil-God of Sylitha! although I suspect it may just be its cult of human sacrifice he has to contend with.

Deep in the Everglades, after a clash with rapidly ageing conquistadors, the Man-Thing finds a village built around the legendary Fountain of Youth.

The Steve Ditko short, Behind My Door Waits... Medusa!, sees a curio shop owner tell his customers that a strange statue is a burglar turned to stone by a Gorgon. Can such a claim be true?

And in the latest instalment of Marvel's adaptation of the first Planet of the Apes movie, Taylor finds himself Captive of Hate! Not to mention being a captive of Zira who starts to suspect he may have more smarts than the average human.

It's another classic issue, as the Inhumans get attacked by the Mandroids and then Triton shows up.

But, before that, the Hulk accidentally defeats Warlord Kaa when the setting sun and floodlights destroy the villain's shadow-based powers.

But what's this? The tale ends with Colonel Armbruster shooting Bruce Banner dead!?!

It's wolf-based action for Conan when a woman called Lupalina agrees to help him rescue Stefanya from Torkal Moh.

And Daredevil's still in Hollywood and trying to get to the heart of just which member of a TV show's crew is the murderous Brother Brimstone.

Drama hits ever-new heights, when not only does Harry Osborn kidnap Flash, MJ and Aunt May, he also straps a time-bomb to one of them and challenges Spider-Man to work out which one most needs rescuing!

But what's this? A brand new strip for us to peruse?

Sadly, it's just The Invaders in which Captain America, Bucky, the original Human Torch, Toro and Sub-Mariner must join forces to thwart the aims of Nazis everywhere.

And there's trouble for Tony Stark when he's replaced by an evil Life Model Decoy. An act that leaves Stark penniless, before Madame Masque shows up and captures him!

In the Savage Land, the human race is saved because the Thing and Ka-Zar defeat the man called Volcanus and his plan to devastatingly exploit the area's volcanic energy.

But it looks like it's game over for Thor, as Hela catches up with him and forces him to surrender to prevent her from ageing a bunch of firefighters to death!

Fifty years ago today - September 1976.

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

***

It seems that September 1976 was an exciting month for all lovers of talking frogs, amorous pigs and indeterminate crow-like creatures because it was the month in which The Muppet Show was broadcast for the very first time.

To be honest, I was never a fan of them. They were far too energetic and positive for my liking and kept bursting into song at every opportunity.

Fortunately, there was one group of characters in my life who could never be called a bunch of Muppets.

And those were the heroes of Marvel!

I genuinely have no idea what happens in this one, other than from the cover giving me the impression that a brand-new lineup of Avengers is being introduced - possibly to be selected by a mass punch-up!

Perhaps more importantly, the internet informs me that this tale contains the first appearance of Wonder Man since his death in the book's early days.

I believe this is the lead-up to the tale in which Conan, Red Sonja and Bêlit scrap it out for ownership of the dreaded Book of Skelos. Only for Kull to somehow get dragged into it all.

But that's for the future. I suspect that, right now, Conan and Bêlit get to fight each other. Presumably as a result of some sorcery or other.

I believe I've never read this epic and can, thus, voice no opinions upon it but I do know that Brother Wonderful is in it, even though I have no idea who that is.

Hooray! Torgo's back - and so are the Skrulls - as the Fantastic Four strive to find a planet for Galactus to eat instead of Counter-Earth.

And Psyklop is more than back in a tale that I suspect can only mean bad news for Jarella.

However, that is the total sum of my knowledge of this adventure.

And I know nothing at all about this one, other than it not only featuring the return of the Controller but, also, appearances by the Scrounger, the Blood Brothers, Harry Key and Michael O'Brien, which is more threats than you can shake a stick at!

The Tinkerer is back - and with a cover that clearly owes much to the front of Amazing Spider-Man #98, as we encounter the tragic demise of the Spider-Mobile.

Even more tragically, I do believe this issue claims the Tinkerer isn't an alien and that he was just pretending to be, during his first appearance.

Needless to say, this is a development of which I cannot approve.

I don't know what it is. The thunder god just can't stop getting into clashes with the goddess of death.

This time, it's down to him looking for the missing Odin in to a quest that leads him to the depths of Hel itself!

A threat on a much lower level is encountered by Daredevil when the Jester reappears.

However, not having read this one, I cannot say just what the villain's plan may be.

The GCD informs me that this issue features a letter from the Amazing Randi, claiming that Uri Geller doesn't have genuine magic powers!

And it also features a letter from Geller insisting that he does!

High controversy indeed!