Tuesday, 3 November 2026

The Marvel Lucky Bag - November 1976.

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

A wise man called Cliff once said, "Carrie doesn't live here anymore."

Then he added, "Carrie used to room on the second floor."

I don't know if either of those claims has since proven to be correct but I do know that in November 1976, Carrie was living in your local cinema.

That's because it was the month that saw the release of the film of the same name.

And it wasn't alone, for that November also saw the unveiling of Assault on Precinct 13, The Last Tycoon, Rocky, Shout at the Devil, Network, Buffalo Rider and, of course, Sybil.

Of the above, I think the only ones I've ever seen are Carrie, Assault on Precinct 13 and parts of Rocky. Therefore, in the absence of true insight, I shall declare Assault on Precinct 13 to be the official Steve Does Comics Movie of the Month.

Warlock #15

But hooray! The cover declares Warlock to have been unleashed at last!

Unfortunately, this also happens to be the last issue of his book. Therefore, I can only assume he's used this new-found freedom to flee the scene.

I'm certain I read this epic in the pages of Marvel UK's Star Wars Weekly but must confess to having no recollection of the events that occur within.

I do know, though, that it introduces us to such luminaries as Marr Gar, Lamilm Gor, the Ancient Traveller and, last but not, I'm sure, least, Constable Trueheart.

Sadly, I don't recall who any of those majestically monikered people are.

Marvel Feature #7, Conan vs Red Sonja

However, I certainly do recall the events in this one, as we finally get the Red Sonja/Conan clash we've all been demanding.

When the Sonj delivers a stolen page, from the Book of Skelos, to the sorcerer Karanthes, it turns out Conan's been following her and wants the page for himself.

And not one of that trio is the type to discuss things reasonably.

Tomb of Dracula #50, Dracula vs the Silver Surfer

But, now, it's an even greater clash of the titans than Red Sonja vs Conan!

Now, we encounter the Dracula vs Silver Surfer clash we may never have expected to see.

I wish I could give a blow-by-blow description of what transpires within but my recollections of it are vague.

I do, however, have a feeling the Surfer's summoned by someone, specifically to put a stop to the lord of all vampires!

Thor Annual #5, vs Hercules

Thor lands himself his fifth annual and I do believe it tells us of a time in the past when Hercules challenged the thunder god - and tensions escalated so badly it led to an unwinnable war between Asgard and Olympus!

And, of course, it was all the fault of Loki.

Power Man Annual #1

But what's this? It's not just Thor who gets an annual? So does Luke Cage?

I have a feeling this is the adventure in which our hero for hire visits Japan and has an encounter with Moses Magnum who's up to his usual magma disrupting tricks.

Marvel Two-in-One #21, the Thing and Doc Savage

It's not a team-up that should be possible but the Thing and Doc Savage join forces to combat a living black hole!

The Defenders Annual #1

It's starting to look like everyone's getting an annual, because, now, the Defenders score their first-ever.

In it, the Red Guardian and Nighthawk visit France, in a bid to stop Nebulon's Bozos but are quickly captured by the Headmen!

And so are the rest of the gang.

And Jack Norriss!

The Avengers Annual #6, Nuklo

The Avengers' sixth annual sees the gang re-encounter both Nuklo and the Living Laser in a thriller called 
No Final Victory!

Meanwhile, the issue's second strip is Night Vision! starring the android of that name, in a tale which seems to see the return of the Whirlwind.

Amazing Adventures #39, Killraven, last issue

It's a bad time for those who like their Marvel comics to be a bit more ambitious because it's not just Warlock that's biting the dust. So is Amazing Adventures.

And, in a huge blow to those of us still hoping for an Apeslayer revival, it's taking Killraven with it!

I have read this one but, again, recollections are vague and I suspect this series somewhat splutters out but I do believe Killraven and his friends encounter a strange creature in the swamp.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lamilm Gor is an anagram of Al Milgrom!

Phillip

Anonymous said...

Nothing to discuss but Rocky!

Matthew McKinnon said...

Your random choice of best film was correct, Steve. Even a stopped clock, and all that…

Does anyone here *like* Network? I like the photography and some bits of it but I do kind of agree with Pauline Kael that it’s a bit of a middle-age rant. Even in middle age I feel this way.

Hey, anyone else watch the new Carrie series? It is pretty good. More horrific and contemporary in its bullying, and fleshes out some bits of character that felt cartoonish in DePalma’s movie. Except for a grievous mis-step in the last episode, it was up there with the best King adaptations.

Comics wise - only that Warlock! And that was as a back issue picked up in the 80s.

Anonymous said...

Like Matthew, I had Warlock. I read Luke Cage Annual in UK's 1978 MWOM Annual. Killraven, too - but the story eludes me, Volcana Ash bantering with Killraven, notwithstanding. That Defenders cover (with Val's leggings changed to yellow ) fronted a totally different UK Defenders tale, in Hulk Comic:

https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/3/35/Hulk_Comic_%28UK%29_Vol_1_53.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20111023103741

And, in a twisted lyric, I always heard: "Carrie's just a room on the second floor" - which is particularly nonsensical, Carrie being a young woman, not a second floor bedsit!

Movies? I've only watched Rocky & Shout at the Devil.

Phillip

Anonymous said...

Joe - I've just been watching To The Manor Born. The episode ( about a station closing) referenced Thomas the Tank's "Fat Controller" !

Series 3 ep2:

https://www.listal.com/list/british-comedy-manor-born

Phillip

Anonymous said...

CARRIE is my fave out of this batch of movies, and i like ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 a lot too.

I bought every single one of these back in the day, but don’t have anything interesting to say about them, unfortunately. Don’t remember much about that WARLOCK except that it ended with him hugely enlarged for some reason (did he eat the pill that makes you larger?) — and likewise, i remember almost nothing at all about the last KILLRAVEN.

The only thing i remember about the Thing / Doc Savage team-up is that Ben Grimm and Doc (and a few of his crew) actually did meet in the flesh, unlike the Spidey / Doc team-up months earlier in GIANT-SIZE SPIDER-MAN.

b.t.

Steve W. said...

Phillip, I always thought he was singing, "Carrie's just a room on the 2nd floor," as well. It was only when I checked the lyrics while writing this post that I discovered I'd been wrong for all these decades. I do feel our version is the better one.

The Al Milgrom thing had never occurred to me but it is very on-brand for Jim Starlin.

Matthew, I've still not yet managed to get round to seeing Network.

Bt, of this month's Marvels, I had the Conan vs Red Sonja Marvel Feature, Fantastic Four #176 and Conan the Barbarian #68.

Anonymous said...

Steve, I’m pretty sure I thought the Carrie song and the movie were about the same person, around the time the song was released (1979?). I can laugh about it now...

DW

Anonymous said...

b.t., I'm fairly sure Warlock #15 starts with with the enlarged Warlock (following on from the cliff hanger ending of the previous issue). What a dumb idea that was. My guess is that Jim Starlin came up with it in an effort to keep Warlock away from the Earth, and separate from the regular Marvel universe.
But it was still a dumb idea.
Theres not much of a story to remember from #15 really. 'Just a Series of Events' was literally just that - a collection of seemingly random incidents. It was quite low key, which would probably have worked well in the immediate aftermath of the Magus storyline, as a contrast... but after an issue of solo Pip the troll action and the padded Star Thief two parter, it seemed like the series was becoming a bit aimless.

I would say something similar was also true of Killraven and - another of the more ambitious (as Steve put it) Marvels of the mid-70s having its final outing this month - Jungle Action/Black Panther. All three titles seemed to have been running out of steam creatively before they hit cancellation.

It's maybe also worth mentioning that November '76 marked Steve Gerber's final work on the Defenders, with that annual and #41 of the regular monthly. So we're definitely seeing a turning point at the House of Ideas.

-sean

Anonymous said...

PS On the subject of the Defenders annual, I really don't care for Val's costume on that cover.
I think she started wearing it in #40? F ortunately she went back to her classic look in #42 next month... only for some idiot to come up with an even worse version of the new costume in time for #50.

-sean

Anonymous said...

Matthew, I agree about 'Network' being a bit of a middle aged rant.
Admittedly though I am the kind of person who would regularly watch the 'Mao Tse Tung Hour'...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuqvlMxfGA4

-sean

Colin Jones said...

A caller to Radio 4's You & Yours claimed that cats love fireworks which might be news to Matthew.

I've heard hardly any fireworks so far this year. Maybe they're becoming too expensive?

Radio 4 is covering the US mid-terms all through the night - can you imagine the American networks taking a similar interest in any British elections? Zero interest more like.

Anonymous said...

Colin, I can only speak for my cat — and she fuggin’ HATES fireworks.

Although (speaking of the U.S. mid-terms) — I’ve been glued to my TV all night and I feel like firing off a bunch of rockets myself :D

b.t.

Anonymous said...

Here is a link to Buffalo Rider, so that you can enjoy this classic and be in the position of being able to decide if it knocks Assault on Precinct 13 off the top spot. I would have sent you the dvd if I could have found it and if I wasn't so cheap. Enjoy. https://youtu.be/BGG4F0CqBGA?si=K5klb4g6sg5ImFRT. This is your cyst, by the way.

Steve W. said...

Thank you, Cyst. I shall endeavour to watch it tonight. :)

Sean, thank you for that clip. I like to think that's what it's like behind the scenes at Newsnight.

DW, given how ominous Cliff's Carrie sounds, it's hard not to assume the title of it was inspired by the film, even if its lyrics weren't.

Anonymous said...

Steve - Yes, our version's better. Carrie's presence being missing, her room's all that remains of her.

As well as Stephen King's Carrie, Carrie's War also springs to mind, with a girl and her brother evacuated to Wales during WW2, staying with grumpy old Mr.Evans, and his kindly sister. The older I get, grumpy old sod Mr. Evans is more relatable, as a character!

Sean - The massively enlarged Warlock was "inspired" by Elric being massively enlarged by Lord Balo, the cosmic joker, in 'The Vanishing Tower' ! In that final Warlock, I also remember the Ancient Traveller & Warlock sitting on an asteroid, discussing the meaning of life ( life being patterns of energy converging, and that explanation being insufficient to satisfy Adam! )

Phillip

matthew mckinnon said...

Been a bit quieter here as well, this year. Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Cats are not fond of fireworks. That's patently nonsense.

Anonymous said...

I know that logically one can not argue from the specific to the general case but my cat and dog did not like fireworks.

I’ll write this and say mo more:
The orange man got crushed. Biggly. The corruption (orange face’s personal wealth alone has increased by $2,000,000,000 in the last two years) and the economic issues (gas prices, food prices, and interest rate “prices”) were excessive for those o/wise republican voters. There ARE regional/ethnic nuances too. E.g., dark-complexion folks flipped on the orange man too.


Anonymous said...

Maybe, Phillip. But I don't really care where Judo Jim got the giant Warlock idea from. The pseudo-scientific explanation was ridiculous, and on top of that made no sense in terms of the Marvel universe. I mean, how can there possibly be galactic empires like the Kree or Shi'ar - or for that matter, the Magus' Universal Church of Truth - if bodies expand at different rates (and quite quickly, as Warlock was on counter-Earth only a couple of years earlier in the Hulk) depending on where they are?

Tbh it obviously wasn't even going to work as a way of keeping Stalin's pet character off-limits to other Marvel writers, as stuff like that got retconned all the time. As it happens, Warlock's size was explained away in his very next appearance after #15, in Marvel Team-Up #55.

-sean

Anonymous said...

*Starlin's pet character
Not Stalin's obviously. Duh.

Colin Jones said...

Donald Trump is now officially lame duck a l'orange (I've been waiting months to do that joke).

Anonymous said...

Nice one.

Anonymous said...

Trump could always look on the bright side - at least he finally managed to achieve regime change somewhere...

-sean

Anonymous said...

Ah, Donny me lad, we hardly knew ye.
Or, maybe we did.
Welcome to the dustbin.
M.P.

Anonymous said...

Charlie is LMAO at Texas Governor Gregg Abbott losing his job to a Mexican. Guess he was right. That piece of filth was sending bus loads of Mexicans to Chicago, over 1000 miles away and they were being dumped out at the train station by our house in Elmhurst