October 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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If you were in a hurry, this week in 1976, you were likely to be happy indeed.

That's because it was the week that saw the introduction of British Rail's InterCity 125 high-speed train, initially serving London Paddington, Bristol and Cardiff. Obviously, it went nowhere near the north. Such a thing would have been madness.

When it came to the charts; for what seems like the millionth week running, the UK singles top spot was being held by ABBA's Dancing Queen.

But there was change atop the neighbouring album chart - and a surprising one for a man like me who always assumed the band were a bit niche - because leaping seven places in a mighty bound to seize the Number One slot was Stupidity by Dr Feelgood.

But here's a thing. On October 6th, BBC One was broadcasting legendary children's series Fingerbobs. The show that introduced me to the word "scampi."

As we all recall, the Bob Harris-esque presenter was always introduced by a name that was never totally clear and might have been Boffy but might not have been.

However, thanks to a fit of investigative journalism that Woodward and Bernstein would envy, I've discovered his real name was Rick Jones.

And that's the kind of place the 1970s was. We had Peter Parker in charge of the railways and Rick Jones in charge of the Fingerbobs.

As with last issue, I possess little knowledge of our main strip which, this week, goes by the title of Trek to a City of Ashes!

I'm going to assume it involves a visit to whatever's left of either New York or Los Angeles, following the ape uprising.

Following that, Ka-Zar and Tongah are still trying to rescue the captive Zebra-Men while the villainous Sheesa is still deploying her army of the dead against them.

In the Man-Thing's strip, Manny and F A Schist continue to be ensnared in the affairs of La Hacienda and its Fountain of Youth.

But none of that matters.

All that matters is that, this week, Dracula tells us the story of Sporr! The Thing That Could Not Die! in which a scientist moves into Frankenstein's castle and creates a gigantic amoeba that promptly smashes its way out of his lab and onto a route that will take it straight towards the nearest torch-wielding villagers!

And I do believe the latest instalment of Marvel's adaptation of the first Apes movie sees Taylor on trial for the crime of speaking.

That cover can only mean the Gremlin's back!

But what of his father? Has the Gargoyle ever returned from the dead?

These are things I need to know.

In this week's thrilling Hulkisode, Bruce Banner, Thunderbolt Ross and a bunch of SHIELD agents invade Siberia, in a bid to rescue Glenn Talbot from the clutches of the aforementioned villain.

The Avengers, on the other hand, are zooming around in space and attacking the Skrull fleet while the far more important Rick Jones is headed for an encounter with the Kree Supreme Intelligence.

Conan exposes the demonic origins of Phalkar’s ruler Unos and, somehow, this all leads to a happy ending for Stefanya. Hooray!

And the Stilt-Man's still giving Daredevil problems in Hollywood.

It never fails. Every time Mysterio shows up, Spidey starts to doubt his sanity. You'd think he'd have realised by now that it's all done with trickery.

Regardless, this issue, our hero's plagued by visions of his worst enemies and of Gwen Stacy.

And it's all caused by a former cellmate of the late special effects genius, who's now adopted the deceased villain's alter-ego.

Thor's not having much success against Durok the Destroyer. A fact that prompts Balder and Karnilla to visit a mountaintop and seek the help of the Silver Surfer.

After many weeks of scheming, plotting and adventuring, Iron Man finally defeats Midas.

But, almost inevitably, the strain on his new heart fair threatens to kill him.

Behind enemy lines, the Invaders battle Norse gods who turn out to be aliens controlled by the Nazi scientist Brain Drain.

And Spider-Man and the Torch must battle Morbius after the fiend creates another vampire by the name of Jefferson Bolt.

It's that bizarre FF story Stan Lee Frankensteined together from unpublished art by Jack Kirby and newly drawn panels by John Buscema.

It'd be nice to say it's a ploy that works but reading it is a somewhat jarring experience.

In other news, Captain America battles Batroc, the Swordsman and Living Laser in a bid to defuse a seismo-bomb hidden in Manhattan. It all leads him to recognise that his all-action lifestyle could lead to the death of Sharon Carter.

Deep in the past, the Inhumans discover their extraordinary abilities came from a Kree experiment to genetically enhance primitive humans.

Namor chases after Karthon who delivers the Serpent Crown to someone called Naga.

And it all leads to the death of Lady Dorma!

And the Ghost Rider battles the One Man Zodiac, a former member of that gang who's sold his soul to a demon in exchange for the powers of every member of that gang.

Hold on. What powers?

Wouldn't it make more sense to sell your soul for the powers of every member of the Squadron Supreme?