March 15th, 1975 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

Twitter tells me that today is the Ides of March, as made famous by that legendary historic epic Carry on Cleo.

But what kind of a carry-on will we be getting from Marvel UK in this week of exactly forty years ago?

I must wrap myself in my time-travel toga and find out.

The Black Widow goes all Emma Peel, gets a new costume and decides to tackle her male counterpart.

More importantly, the stationers I got this from at the time had an underground tunnel that linked it to what claimed to be the largest toy shop in Europe.

And if that didn't make that stationers more glamorous than any stationers should ever be, I don't know what would.

You can read my review of this Spidey tale, right here.

It's easily my favourite Don Heck Avengers story, as our heroes go back in time to fight themselves.

I do like the evil Wasp in it. I think they should have kept her.

You can read my review of that very tale, right here.

Blade gets his first cover appearance.

I do worry about him though. On that cover, he looks about eighty. It's a miracle he managed to even get up those stairs.

Not only do we get a highly dramatic cover that promises apes vs monsters but we get the promise of Killdozer.

You can read my review of that tale, right here.

Marvel heroes never have a straightforward love life, do they?

The tale that I first read in Sons of Origins of Marvel Comics continues.

I did like the fact that Galactus was taller in it than he'd been in previous appearances.

I wasn't sure, however, about the Surfer having been a living, feeling person before Galactus created him. I had preferred the idea of him having been created from scratch by the Big G.

Much as I love Conan and much as I love Barry Smith - even early Barry Smith - I'm not sure that's the greatest cover ever to grace the front of a Conan comic.

Strange Tales #120. Is there a doctor in the house?

Here it comes - hot off the chopping board - my latest video review.

This time, I tackle the first Dr Strange story I ever read, as the psychic surgeon makes a house call and battles his least likely foe yet.

It was originally published in Strange Tales #120 but, as those who've encountered the first ever post on this blog will know, I originally read it in somewhat more British circumstances.

Now, at last, after over forty years, I revisit the tale I shall always associate with an electricity meter.

Don't ask me why I always associate it with an electricity meter. Even after forty years, some tales are too dread to tell.

March 8th, 1975 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week. A sensational new era begins!

It's exciting times for me. Not only has the UK chosen this year's Eurovision entry but it's the fortieth anniversary of the week when I discovered that Conan is pronounced Coh-nan and not Con-nun.

How did I find that out?

I found out when Stan Lee appeared on ITV children's magazine show Magpie to plug the launch of Marvel UK's two new comics, The Super-Heroes and Savage Sword of Conan. How I gasped as he began his appearance by pretending to be J Jonah Jameson while Mick Robertson dressed up as Spider-Man.

I believe it was also the first time I'd ever seen Stan Lee on TV, though I could be wrong.

But what else was happening in the mighty world of Marvel UK on that fateful week that shall live forever in legend?

It's issue #1 of one of the very books that Stan was plugging, as the Silver Surfer gets his own mag and is now free to inflict his own unique brand of self-pity and tirelessly depressing sanctimony on the people of Britain.

And Conan too is launched upon the nation.

How ironic that he and the Surfer should get their own mags in the same week. Were there ever two characters who were more the polar opposite of each other? One all moping and speechifying; and the other a man of few words, with barely any capacity for moping at all.

Why did Conan's mag not succeed in Britain when it was a major success in America? Who can know? Certainly the cover of issue #1 should have had it flying off the shelves.

Was Conan technically Marvel's first British hero? I suppose it depends where Cimmeria was.

Personally, I like to think it was in Cleethorpes.

Who can guess the dread secret of the Schemer?

In all fairness, I think we all did. Still, it's a dramatic cover if nothing else.

Marvel UK merrily printing the Hulk's adventures out of order. Straight after the first Jarella story, we get the one where she comes to Earth and it all goes a bit unfortunate if you're a sun worshipper.

Doc Strange in what I assume is the prelude to possibly my favourite John Buscema Avengers tale.

I take it from the cover that the Jason and Alexander tale's over.

I don't have a clue what happens in this week's story but it all looks like its going to be exciting.

A less than stellar cover does however contain news that we're about to meet the man who was, at one point, Marvel's biggest movie star.

March 1975 - Marvel Comics, Forty Years Ago Today.

Hold onto your tripod, tiger, because there's a very nice picture on the Internet today of how Mars looked when a fifth of it was covered by an ocean.

This has nothing at all to do with today's post, which is about what our favourite Marvel heroes were up to exactly forty years ago.

Then again, March is named after Mars. And, no doubt, Marvel is too. And I'm writing about March and Marvel. So there's a sort of link there if you're really determined to find one....

Meanwhile, somehow unconcerned about the fate of Mars, the Celestial Madonna Saga rumbles interminably onwards.

That's a very dramatic cover but I do find it somewhat disappointing that there's no sign of Red Sonja on it, despite it trumpeting her return.

I've definitely read this tale - and in the not too distant past - but can't actually remember what happens in it.

The Crusher is back.

Wasn't he from Cuba or somewhere?

Or am I thinking of someone else?

Or perhaps I'm just imagining things?

I take it, from the advertised presence of the Silver Surfer, that this isn't the one where the FF help the Latverian Underground overthrow Doom and install democracy?

Democracy? Pshaw! They don't want to mess around with that sort of nonsense. We have that sort of thing in this country. It's rubbish. They shut down the local library for the day, so people can vote. How am I supposed to borrow a book if the library's closed?

There you go. Proof positive that Democracy is the enemy of reading skills. Ban it! Ban it now!

And I'm sure Dr Doom would agree with me.

I must confess this isn't one of my favourite Hulk tales from this era. It's alright but I'm not sure I ever longed for Thunderbolt Ross to get his own answer to the Spider-Slayer.

Still, it does have a satellite dish, so at least he'll be able to watch some nice TV shows while he's in it.

I don't believe I've ever read this tale.

I do note that it's tagged Fury In A Far-Off Land. I wonder how many Marvel stories have managed to have that tagline over the years? It must be up there with Lo, There Shall Be An Ending!

How can you not love a cover like that? Though I suppose the fact that we all know that Mysterio's a master of illusion does somewhat lessen its ability to stun the senses. Let's face it, if it had been Betty Brant who was removing her own head, that'd be a whole other matter.

It's another one I have little recollection of. Does this happen sometime around the Orrin/Odin saga of which I have vague memories?

March 1965 - Marvel Comics, Fifty Years Ago Today.

We've all seen that picture of that weasel riding around on that woodpecker and of that dress of endlessly debatable colouration but I've no doubt that even such concerns shrivel into feeble insignificance besides whatever Marvel's heroes were up to exactly fifty years ago this month.

I'm not sure if I've read this one.

Is it the one where the Wasp needs an operation and the only man who can do it is an alien in a rubber mask?

Whatever happened in it; apparently, it's for, "The new breed of reader."

I dread to think what that might be.

The Frightful Four make their dastardly debut.

I am always impressed by the strength of Medusa's follicles. She has to have the strongest scalp on Earth.

I do love how useless the Thing is on this cover, just standing there, watching, while the Frightfuls attack him, and not even making an effort to warn his team-mates.

Hooray! It's the debut of one of my favourite villains; the Absorbing Man. For me, this is where Thor's great era began.

Sadly, this definitely isn't where Spider-Man's great era began, as the Circus of Crime make their return, having, I think, dumped the Ringmaster.

Bearing in mind their early M.O. of arriving in town, putting on a show and then robbing their audience, I do always wonder what actual name the Circus of Crime used to travel under.

I mean, I assume their posters didn't say The Circus of Crime or the The Masters of Menace on them, as they'd never attract an audience if they did. So, what is the official performing name of the Circus of Crime?

By the dread Dormammu! Dr Strange at last becomes the cover star, while the Thing and Torch are relegated to the role of bit-part players.

I, of course, have vivid memories of the origin of Captain America. Sadly, my memories of the Phantom are far fuzzier. Was he a saboteur who kept attacking Tony Stark's factory?

In yet another attempt to make him work as a character, Giant-Man gets one of the worst costumes in the history of super-heroes.

Everyone's favourite jungle lord makes his senses-shattering debut.

Dan Dare - at last, your chance to meet the Mekon.

It's exciting news for all fans of Dan Dare, the pilot of the future.

The other day, I got an email from Sara Teiger of the Atkinson Museum in Southport which now has a permanent exhibition devoted to him and his creator Frank Hampson who I believe was educated in the town.

Amongst the items on display are models of some of the main characters' heads, including a large colour bust of Dan Dare and a metre tall replica of my role model the Mekon.

It seems the models were used by the artists when they were drawing the strip, so they could get the characters right from all angles.

Other items on show include a spaceship and a Mars space station, plus original artwork, alongside 1950s and 60s Dan Dare merchandise.

But wait! What's this? As if that wasn't enough excitement for the keen nostalgist, there's also a display dedicated to Meccano, Dinky Toys and Hornby Trains creator Frank Hornby.

How can two men called Frank both come from the same area, both have a second name beginning with, "H," and both be so vital to the development of human civilisation? It fair boggles the mind.

Or, as I inadvertently said when reading this post out loud to make sure it flowed properly, "It bear foggles the mind."

I don't know what bear foggling is but I demand the government stamp it out right now.

How many bears have to be foggled before someone finally does something about this terrible practice?

March 1st, 1975 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

It may now be March but what of the March of Time? What events were transpiring exactly forty years ago today at Marvel UK Towers?

One thing I've just noticed is that all their mags now cost a walloping eight pence, not just Dracula Lives and Planet of the Apes. I can remember when you could get Marvel comics for five pence. Where will this madness end?

Maybe it's me but I don't recall the Schemer ever managing to be this dynamic in the actual story.

For that matter, I don't remember him having any death-gas either.

I take it the Daredevil story's the one where Matt Murdock dresses as Mike Murdock dressed as Daredevil dressed as Thor in order to tackle the Cobra and Mr Hyde, before then walking around on a tightrope, hundreds of feet up in the air, in order to make it look like he's not blind.

I think we've all had similar experiences in our lives.

 I loved loved loved this tale when I was a kid, especially the Sons of the Tiger segment, which was my first and last and only experience of them.

And let's face it, who wouldn't be drawn in by the tagline, "Fifty fingers of death!"? It's like the world's most kick-ass advert for Twix.

The Cowering Gil Kane Blonde makes what I believe to be her Dracula Lives debut.

What with appearing on all those Conan covers as well, she must be raking it in in overtime payments.

Hold on a minute. That's not the Lawgiver. The Lawgiver's an orangutan and that's clearly a gorilla. What are they trying to do - make a monkey of us all?

For that matter, those gorillas have remarkably hairless arms and legs for apes.