October 27th, 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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It was time to stick a safety pin through your nose and practice your gobbing because this was the week that saw the release of New Rose by the Damned, seemingly the first single ever to be marketed as punk rock.

Elsewhere, racing driver James Hunt became the Formula One world champion.

But of far more interest to me would have been that, on October 27th, BBC Two was showing The Mind Beyond: Stones; a drama in which a series of strange events related to Stonehenge lead an Oxford historian to wonder if it's true that stones and curses go hand in hand.

I have no memory of this masterpiece but news of it makes me feel I may have found a worthy bedfellow to Children of the Stones and that BBC Ghost Story for Christmas in which a man and woman decide to move a fallen standing stone in their garden, only for it to cause nothing but trouble.

And the good news is the thing's on YouTube, in its entirety and accessible by clicking on this very link.

Speaking of TV, later the same evening, that selfsame channel broadcast I, Claudius: Part 6: Queen of Heaven.

And what of music?

Still top of the UK singles chart was Pussycat's Mississippi, while its adjoining album chart was now being dominated by Various Artists' Soul Motion.

Hooray! It's the first issue of Captain Britain I ever read!

As I've said elsewhere, I wasn't overly impressed by the star of the book but did like that the coloured ink in his comic always smelled like marker pens.

From what I recall, Brian Braddock's at the bank when a bunch of heavily-armed men try to rob it.

Needless to say, our patriotic pole vaulter soon pounces to preclude such plundersome pilfering. 

But the Fantastic Four?

Reed's latest attempt at turning the Thing back to normal has resulted in turning him back to evil. And now the brick-faced bludgeoner is on the rampage around town!

Elsewhere, as far as I can ascertain, Captain America introduces Nick Fury to his old pal Jimmy Woo - not to be confused with Jimmy Choo - and I assume there's flashback action going on as regards the famed Northeast Blackout of 1965.

In this week's thrilling sequel to Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, the aftermath of the latest clash between apes and men sees Caesar spare Governor Breck's life and prevent Aldo from killing McDonald.

However, that leads to Aldo challenging Caesar to a battle to the death to decide just who leads the apes from now on.

My knowledge of the rest of the issue is limited but that cover tells me Ka-Zar's against the sinister Skull of the Lizard-Men which suggests to me he's still up against Sheesa, following the abduction of the Zebra-People.

I can shed no light upon just what is this week's venerable short story that's narrated by Dracula, nor what the Man-Thing may or may not be up to.

But I do know that, in Marvel's adaptation of the original Apes movie, Zira's nephew liberates Taylor and Nova from their cage.

I detect the arrival of the world's greatest poetry-spouting triceratops. And it's not every issue you can say that about.

And it all happens when the Hulk, Thunderbolt Ross and Clay Quartermain are prisoners of the Gremlin in his Siberian fortress Bitterfrost. 

Not to worry though because SHIELD soon destroys that fortress, with a nuclear satellite!

Elsewhere, having accidentally gained super-powers and escaped from prison, the man called Lucas adopts the name of Luke Cage and becomes a hero for hire on the streets of Harlem. An act that soon attracts the attention of the criminal known as Diamondback.

Elsewhere, Conan joins Murilo’s Crimson Company and travels to Ophir where they discover an ancient temple containing a mysterious ring.

But when a guard picks it up, he transforms into a monstrous shadow creature!

And, in the guise of Kid Gawaine, Daredevil would appear to still be in the process of busting the Phoenix Organisation’s criminal boxing activities. Is it just me or does this story feel like it's been going on for months? I mean, in his first issue, it only took Hornhead about six pages to bring down the Fixer's racket and he spent half of that time falling out of a window.

But can it be?

Yes, it can.

The Scorpion returns, for the first time since the days of Steve Ditko.

Considering how epic his first appearance was, it seems strange that he was used so sparingly in the strip from that point on.

Perhaps more importantly, Peter Parker's told the fingerprints of the mysterious Gwen Stacy lookalike exactly match those of the real Gwendolyne!

Having given up on fighting Durok the Demolisher, Thor returns to Asgard to confront Loki who intends to marry Sif - but the thunder god gets separated from his hammer, leaving him on the brink of turning back into puny Donald Blake!

Iron Man continues to be up against a security guard powered by Lucifer.

In the Invaders' strip, the Sub-Mariner takes on the Atlantean villain U-Man who's working for the Nazis and may be out to kill Churchill.

And, with Spider-Man dying from a toxin, the X-Men defeat Morbius to rescue the one scientist who can save our hero.

How can you not love it? Ares is out to stir up a war on Earth and we get the return of both Hercules and Hawkeye. Not to mention the chance to see just how much Barry Smith's style's changed since his previous stint on the strip, way back in Adamantium's origin tale.

Then, it's a drama we'll never forget, as Captain America asks psychiatrist Dr Faustus to help him overcome his recurring nightmares about Bucky.

But, unbeknownst to Cap, Faustus is actually driving him insane with drugs, disguises and elaborate hallucinations!

Next, Triton leaves Attilan, in search of adventure but, after mistaking a monster-movie production for a genuine attack, he assaults the film crew and is captured and transported to New York, in a water tank!

Subby, in his strip, confronts Naga, ruler of Lemuria, who's deceived him about Lady Dorma's death. In fact, the victim was Karthon's sister. Enraged, Karthon kills Naga and leads Lemuria towards peace and freedom. Hooray!

And Satan snatches Roxanne Simpson away to Hell and torments her with visions of her father's suffering, in a bid to break her spirit and make her renounce her protection of Johnny Blaze!