Forty years ago today - June 1980.

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

***

It is time, once more, for us to plunge down the plughole of History and discover what delights may be found in the U-Bend of Nostalgia.

After messing around, doing pretty much nothing for the last two issues, the Avengers finally decide to invade the psychiatric institution that's holding the Wasp, Ant-Man and Yellowjacket captive...

...only to discover they're up against the Taskmaster, a strangely annoying villain who knows how to counter the fighting style of any hero.

I suspect that won't do him much good when Thor hits him over the head with his hammer.

Conan's still in the city of the little people and having trouble with electricity, in his attempts to smash the king in the face.

Needless to say, no level of voltage has been invented that can stop Hyboria's finest.

This story revolves around a set of fake ears.

It's panic-stations-a-go-go, as Captain Barracuda gets his hands on Namor's magnificent trumpet and insists on blowing it, in order to unleash giant sea monsters upon New York.

I believe he does this to create a distraction while he robs the city's banks.

Needless to say, the Sub-Mariner can't allow that kind of misdemeanor to go unpunished and, so, teams up with the Fantastic Four to put a stop to it.

Determined to find a suitable place for Jarella's people to dwell, the Hulk takes on the Gardener who's determined to maintain the exclusivity of the only habitable area left on the whole planet.

The Gardener may have the Power Cosmic - and a soul gem - but even that's not enough to thwart the will of the Hulk.

If I remember right, the Titanium Man's trying to get back in the good books of his former Soviet masters and has, inevitably, decided the best way to do that is to beat up Iron Man.

As always, the titanium terror proves woefully inadequate for the task.

The Black Cat's still being a nuisance and stealing stuff, left, right and centre.

Anyway, it turns out she's a demented Spider-Man fan who's constructed a shrine to him, in her home.

It's the return of the early Spider-Man foe who, possibly, very few people even remembered before he reappeared in this tale.

Despite having retired from his short-lived career of crime, he, I think, responds to the death of his son, by going on a homicidal rampage that only the nation's favourite shield-slinger can stop.

Quite how he stops it, I don't recall.

Do you remember when Stan Lee would leave speech balloons blank on a page and leave it to you The Reader to decide what should be in them?

Well, here's your chance to do something similar because, instead of me saying what happens in this issue, I'm going to invite you to do it.

This, of course, has nothing to do with me not having a clue what's going on in it.

From what I can remember, a man who isn't Thor but is Thor gets into a duel to the death with some bloke or other, over some woman, while Thor and Odin watch. And it's all a flashback.

Or something.

The Hellfire Club's only gone and done it. Its messing about with Jean Grey's mind has unleashed the Dark Phoenix - and now the whole universe is in danger.

I hope they learn their lesson from all this.

I know I have.

Spidey gets dragged into the schemes and intrigues of the Fashion Industry, as the woman known as Belladonna sets out to gain her revenge upon a designer who's in the habit of stealing other designers' ideas.

June 11th, 1980 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

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

***

Personally, I can never get enough LPs whose sleeves feature the singer's face melting.

I was, therefore, excited in this week of 1980 to discover Peter Gabriel's third album had hit the very summit of the UK album chart. That was, of course, the record which featured the singles Games Without Frontiers, No Self-Control and Biko. By claiming the top spot, it restricted Roxy Music's Flesh and Blood to the Number Two slot.

Over on the singles chart, the theme from M*A*S*H* still reigned supreme.

But what of Marvel UK?

Twenty Two. That's how many books the subsidiary had, so far, published which bore a cover date of June 1980.

And we were still only twelve days into the month.

It's summer!

And that can only mean one thing.

Heavy rainfall!

But that's not the only thing it can mean because it can also mean summer specials!

And, this year, Marvel UK has five of them for us!

This is one of them!

From what I can make out, it's basically just made up of reprinted material from the weekly comic, so it's not as thrilling a treat as it could be for the avid Doctor Who fan.

And here's a one-off.

It mostly consists of that Tony DeZuniga drawn tale in which Shanna spends half the proceedings wrestling around on the floor, with her pet python, and the other half being chained to things. I'll give that story credit, once you've read it, you never forget it.

We also get a look at warrior women in the movies, including Caroline Munro, even though I'm not sure when Caroline Munro ever played a warrior woman, unless they mean her role as Stella Star.

We also get The Fury of the Femizons, a tale set on a world in which emotions are outlawed.

And we round it all off with A Woman From Khitai, a tale reprinted from an old issue of Savage Sword of Conan, starring someone called Soosha.

I don't have a clue what's in this one. I'm going to assume it's either reprints of old stories or new material that never got the chance to be used in the recently cancelled Incredible Hulk Weekly.

The Fourth Doctor finds himself up against the Time Witch.

We get more adventures with the Daleks. This time, a Dalek scientist called Zeg challenges the Emperor himself for supremacy.

There's also a tale in which a fugitive hides out in an amusement arcade which then shows him a future he can't avoid.

And we finish off with an Alan Moore tale in which Cybermen land on the planet Goth.

I would spend good money to see the Cybermen's adventures on Planet Goth.

Spider-Lizard's still on the loose and, by the looks of it, the Hulk's on Jarella's homeworld and fighting the assembled hordes of The Gardener.

From that cover, it looks like the Frightful Four are launching their latest attack on the Fantastic Four, the one which involves the Trapster pretending to be Spider-Man to gain access to the Baxter Building.

Back in World War II, everyone's clearing up in the aftermath of Nick Fury's fight with the bloke he rescued from that German P.O.W. camp.

Slim as it is, that's all the information I have about this week's issue of, "Britain's most exciting weekly comic."

It's another bolt from the blue, as we get a summer special packed with tales of the Old West, featuring a highly stylish cover by Frank Bellamy.

Inside, we get adventures for the likes of Matt Slade, the Rawhide Kid, Kid Colt and Wyatt Earp.

Possibly most intriguingly, we also get the reprint of a 1971 tale written by Steve Parkhouse and drawn by Barry Smith.

Hooray, it's a reprint of the first Spider-Man story I ever read; surely Steve Ditko's artistic masterpiece, as our hero takes on the menace of the Sinister Six, a bunch of people who lack the sense to gang up on their foe and insist on uniting in order to tackle him one at a time.

It can only be trouble for our heroes when Darth Vader's on his way to Hoth.

Elsewhere, the Man-Wolf's being mistaken for a god but doesn't care about that. He's too busy pulling a sword out of a tree.

Speaking of trees, we get Part 2 of the tale known as The Forest For the Trees. I still don't have a clue what that's about.

But I do know that, in this week's tale of the Watcher, a Martian travels to Earth, in order to capture a human scientist who's developed a weapon the Martians could use against their foes on Jupiter.

But the Earth scientist turns out to be a Jovian - and it was all a trap!

The Marvel Lucky Bag - June 1980.

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

***

Our cinemas went cowboy crazy in June 1980, as both John Travolta's Urban Cowboy and Clint Eastwood's Bronco Billy hit the box office, almost simultaneously.

Which was the more successful, I've no idea. How much resemblance the two bore to each other, I've also no idea, as I've never seen either.

I think I've always got Urban Cowboy mixed up with Midnight Cowboy and it's come as a shock to discover they're totally different films. That's the wonder of the internet; every day you learn that little bit more.

Also out that month were The Blues Brothers and Herbie Goes Bananas.

Cinematic oddity of the month was a thing called Up the Academy, a Mad magazine movie directed by Robert Downey Senior, starring Wendell Brown, Ralph Macchio, Antonio Fargas and Barbara Bach. It seems to resemble Police Academy, only set in a military school and is so magnificent that it was completely disowned by the staff at Mad.

If only they'd had the sense to put the words, "Carry On," at the beginning of its title, they'd, no doubt, have had a box office hit in Britain, at least.

It would seem Johnny Blaze is challenged, by a hot-shot cyclist, to exit retirement and defend his status as the world's greatest stunt cyclist.

Apparently, this is the issue in which Flagg Fargo makes his debut.

I don't have a clue who Flagg Fargo is.

Nor do I know why Ghostie's fighting a light aircraft on the front cover.

The Shroud!

Who is he?

What is he?

I've no idea. I know he looks a bit like Cloak from Cloak and Dagger but assume he's a totally different character.

By the looks of him, he's probably in the habit of declaiming the most pompous dialogue of all time.

Someone's stealing oil from Roxxon Oil's storage facilities and the She-Hulk's determined to get to the bottom of it. As a result, she finds herself up against a giant mechanical snake.

The Hate-Monger?

The Red Skull?

Arnim Zola?

The Cosmic Cube?

How can the world possibly stand against such power?

Well, bearing in mind this is at least the third time the Skull's got his hands on the Cube and he totally failed to achieve anything on the previous two, I suspect the world can sleep quite safely in its bed.

In fact, my suspicion is it won't be long before the three villains are betraying each other and wrecking all their plans, in the process.

It should be noted that this is the series' final issue.

I can shed no light upon what happens in this one. I just included it because it has a strikingly coloured cover by Howard Chaykin.

It's the big one!

The one that asks what would have happened if Sue Storm had married the Sub-Mariner.

Mostly, she'd have drowned, as he lives underwater.

But she's not the only one, as, tormented by his loss of Sue, Reed Richards goes mad and tries to drown the entire population of Atlantis.

Fortunately, the level head of Namor is on hand to calm things down.

The main thrill of this book is seeing the FF and Spider-Man drawn by Gene Colan.

It's the coming of Caleb Hammer.

For all I know, it may also his going, as I don't have a clue if he ever appeared again.

As far as I can make out, he's basically every Clint Eastwood wild west character you've ever seen, on a mission of revenge for something or other.

Fifty years ago this month - June 1970.

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

***

It was all excitement in the world of football, this month in 1970, as Brazil won the World Cup for the third time, by defeating Italy, 4-1. It was also the third time their star player Pele had won the World Cup. So, well done to him.

Meanwhile, far further north than Brazil, the Beatles notched up their 20th and final US Number One, with The Long and Winding Road, the track that was, ironically, cited, at the time, as the main reason why the band had to be broken up.

For some reason I can't remember, the world's mightiest super-team finds itself having to work for an unscrupulous tycoon.

I'm sure they'll get the upper hand on him, in the end, probably by revealing he's actually the mystery criminal who's been causing nothing but trouble of late.

Or something similar.

Diamondhead's causing trouble in Harlem.

And that can only mean one thing.

The return of the Falcon!

As far as I can remember, Diamondhead turns out to be a Maggia agent who's been stirring up local resentments, in order for that crime outfit to take over the area.

Didn't the Red Skull have a near-identical plan?

Why are all these super-villains so desperate to take over Harlem all of a sudden?

A mysterious villain's murdering the cast of a soap opera Karen Page is starring in.

Doesn't he turn out to be a weedy little sound-man, or something, who's in the habit of putting on an exo-skeleton, in order to make himself seem like a huge man?

Come to think of it, are exo-skeletons a thing that exist in the real world? They turned up all the time in the Marvel comics of my youth but I can't recall hearing about anyone ever developing one in real life.

I think this is the one in which the Torch decides to invade the Great Refuge, in order to bring Crystal back to civilisation, after she's been taken back there by her family.

I'm assuming she agrees to return, as she's in the strip for the next few issues.

I do believe this issue reveals the Abominable Snowman is actually an Inhuman!

Thanks to circumstances I can't recall, the Hulk's travelling across America, via subterranean tunnels.

But, alarmingly, he's in danger of setting-off the San Andreas Fault and destroying California.

Clearly, the Avengers need to be called in to stop him.

But can even they stop the green gallivanter?

It's a very odd tale, as Shellhead finds himself in another dimension and battling the forces of evil, alongside some magic barbarian or other.

The details of this story elude my memory.

I think the Collector may be involved. I'm not sure in what capacity.

At last, we discover the Schemer's shocking secret, even though we've already guessed it.

But that's a fat load of use to Spider-Man who still has to survive being trapped in the Kingpin's house!

I genuinely don't have a clue what happens in this one.

Apparently, Surtur's in it. In what capacity, I've no idea.

Are they sure this comic exists?

It can't do, or I'd remember it.

June 4th, 1980 - Marvel UK, 40 years ago this week.

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

***

Unrelenting dullness claimed the world in this week of forty years ago. I shall, therefore, plough straight on with my look at what our favourite Marvel UK mags were up to within that time-frame.

Clearly, in such uneventful times, we needed their thrills and spills more than ever.

Which is convenient, as there were more of the things than ever before.

My knowledge of this week's contents is sorely lacking.

Clearly, from the cover, the Daleks are involved and it would seem we get a text article about the Tom Baker era story The Creature From the Pit.

Come to think of it, I've no recollection of the events of The Creature From the Pit. I think I always get it mixed up with The Face of Evil.

Other than that, I can say nothing.

Hooray! Spider-Lizard is loose on the streets of New York!

And nothing can stop him!

That is the sum total of my knowledge of this issue.

When it comes to this book, I do know Nick Fury's still fretting that the P.O.W. he's rescued from the Germans is a raving psychopath.

He's fretting to such a degree that the pair come to blows.

And his opponent's willing to cheat!

I'm not really sure who this week's cover star is. Is he meant to be Skull the Slayer?

Because the excitement never stops, we get the latest installment of the box office sensation that's sweeping the world's cinemas. I do believe we're currently on the ice planet Hoth.

Man-Wolf's still on the spaceship that's been captured by aliens.

We get a tale called The Forest For the Trees, reprinted from Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction #1. Frankly, I've no idea what that's about.

In this week's Tales of the Watcher, a communist general's in search of an alien spacecraft that's landed on a mountain...

...unaware the spacecraft is the mountain.

The Avengers accompany the Guardians of the Galaxy to Earth, to confront... ...The Enemy!

"The Enemy?" That's a bit vague. Could they not think of a better name?

However, I'm assuming the seated figure on the cover is Henry Peter Gyrich and not, "The Enemy."

Elsewhere, Cyclops is wanted for murder, as the original X-Men tangle with The Living Pharoah.

And the Champions find themselves battling a villain called Rampage who I vaguely remember to be a not totally unsympathetic villain.

There also seems to be a feature dedicated to the Sub-Mariner.

The Micronauts are in this book.

That is the limit of my knowledge.

Dracula is in this book.

That is the limit of my knowledge.

However, it's pretty clear that things are looking bad for our hero.

I, at least, know what happens in this one.

The Seeker having made his getaway, the FF follow his trail to the Andes where they discover the Hidden Land and have their epic conflict with the Inhumans and Maximus the Mad in a tale that makes no sense at all but is still magnificent.

I do believe I see Stegron on the cover; in which case, this is a tale I've never read.

I am, therefore, going to assume it's reprinted from an issue of Marvel Team-Up.

More mirthful satire comes our way from a comic that could save us 30 pence.

I wouldn't want to be cruel by saying you could save even more by not buying it.

It would appear Conan's up against the hordes of Salome. I could pretend to know just who the hordes of Salome are but I don't.

Anyway, King Kull's up against the snake man of Teyanoga.

Thulsa Doom would appear to be involved in one of these tales but, as I've said a gazillion times before, I can never remember if he's a Conan villain or a Kull villain.

Coverage of The Empire Strikes Back is, inevitably, provided but, also, the works of John Carpenter and David Cronenberg.

I think that, overall, I'd find the John Carpenter feature more appealing.

Does Chewbacca wear that oxygen mask in the film? I've no recollection of it or of where in the movie it would appear.

Bruce Banner finds himself stranded on a crescent-shaped island, with an old man. It would appear to be a veritable paradise.

As it wouldn't be much of a Hulk tale if it was, I shall assume it's not a paradise at all.

Personally, I'd like it to turn out to be the island that had all the giant monsters living on it, from way back in Herb Trimpe's days.

Sadly, I fear it won't be.

Meanwhile, Clea finds herself kidnapped in the park, by some bloke but soon sorts him out by hitting him over the head with his own statuette.

Firelord's looking for a scrap with Phoenix, for reasons I can't recall.

Instead, we get a protracted flashback to a fight between the new X-Men and the original X-Men, which I think is down to Professor X's dark subconscious taking over, or something.

The Marvel Lucky Bag - June 1970.

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

***

Grab your bucket and spade because it's officially summer!

How do I know that?

Because the Number One spot on the UK singles chart for the whole of this month in 1970 was held by Mungo Jerry's In the Summertime, the track that cheerfully told us all to go drink-driving.

Over on the album chart, more sober things were afoot, as Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled War dominated that summit for the entirety of June.

Meanwhile, the cinemas of the world were being exposed, for the first time, to Two Mules for Sister Sara, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls and Kelly's Heroes.

Obscure movie release of the month was The Strawberry Statement which was, it seems, a film about the Student Revolt, inspired by James Simon Kunen's book covering the Columbia University protests of 1968.

If I remember correctly, Rick Jones decides the best man to help he and Marvy finally escape each other's company is Bruce Banner.

How he concludes that a man whose specialty is building bombs is the best-qualified man to free the pair of them from the Negative Zone, I've no idea. I'd have thought Reed Richards might be better suited for that.

But it does, inevitably, mean we'll have the chance to see Mar-Vell fight the Hulk, thanks to Banner's famously calm temperament.

But, before he can do that, the hero has to deal with a bunch of thieving criminals.

In this month's thrilling issue, a pilot, who survived his plane crashing, comes to realise the incident has left him inconveniently dead, we get an adaptation of HP Lovecraft's The Music of Erich Zann, and a Denny O'Neil tale called The Beast From the Bog.

Maybe it's just me but it always feels strange to see a Denny O'Neil credited tale in a Marvel comic.

"There's NO other choice! It's SHIELD -- or ME!"

Somehow, that doesn't seem a very Silver Surfer kind of thing to declare.

Regardless, inside the comic, under orders from Mephisto, our hero attacks SHIELD's HQ, not realising the villain has landed Shalla-Bal a typing job there.

Subby decides to revive Red Raven, who's been found lying dormant in a tube.

Unfortunately, it turns out the winged wonder's gone completely mad and wants to destroy humanity.

Needless to say, the Atlantean Prince has something to say about that.

I've always had a soft spot for Red Raven, as he was one of the first Marvel characters I ever encountered. It saddens me to see him suffering such a fate.

It's the chance to sob our hearts out, once more, to pillow-drenching tales of love and romance; this time, inflicted upon us by Allan Stone, amongst other knee-trembling heartthrobs.