Forty years ago today - February 1981.

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

***

It is time to smash, face first, into 1981 and the comics which bore the cover date of February for that year.

The Avengers get called to a mysterious island, by an SOS, only to discover, upon arrival, that the sender's one of the Yellow Claw's fiancées and that he's not overly bothered over whether she stays or leaves, because he's got plenty more where she came from.

Not for the first time, the brawling barbarian finds himself battling the illusion-creating power of a sorcerer.

Possibly, for the first time, he finds himself up against a homicidal rug.

I do believe Yag-kosha, the pachydermal humanoid from Tower of the Elephant, puts in a guest appearance, if only in illusory form.

Cap's still in England and still trying to thwart Baron Blood's latest scheme.

Fortunately, he has the new Union Jack to help him - plus a new-found willingness to chop people's heads off.

A group of space parasites is, somehow, unleashed upon the Earth and starts transforming people and animals, in all sorts of strange ways.

Fortunately, the Fantastic Four are there to deal with them.

Or are they? One can't help but notice Sue's acting very oddly, all of a sudden...

The Hulk finds himself in Israel and up against that nation's greatest super-heroine when she decides he must be in league with terrorists.

I can't help feeling I've said this all before. I can't imagine where...

Iron Man's out to explore Roxxon's mystery satellite and, there, encounters the not-at-all-duffly named Sunturion who's determined to protect and defend the satellite at all costs.

This newcomer isn't actively malevolent but is, clearly, going to get a load of people killed if he doesn't sort himself out.

Peter Parker meets the new girl across the hallway who he instantly decides he likes way better than Debbie Whitman.

Needless to say, that doesn't stop him still dating Debbie while wishing, all the time, that he was with the other girl.

You can start to see why the other kids in high school didn't like him.

Meanwhile, the Wizard's out to get Spidey, for reasons I can't remember.

But who is his mysterious accomplice?

And why, at no point, are we allowed to see his face?

It's Spides to the rescue when Peter Parker and Debbie Whitman are kidnapped by Mysterio and his phony aliens who're eager to get their mitts on the vast fortune they think is hidden within Aunt May's old house.

Yet again, I can't help feeling I've said this all before...

If I remember right, the Wrecker breaks the rest of the Wrecking Crew out of jail, so they can help him in his plot to gain vengeance upon Thor.

That's the plan, anyway.

What really happens is Thor shows up and flattens the lot of them.

Kitty Pryde's travelled to the past to prevent the future in which the Sentinels have taken over America and killed all its super-beings - even the ones whose comics sell well.

This leads to a clash with the New Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, led by Mystique.

But has Kitty done enough to prevent that future from happening?

And where does this all leave John Connor?

February 11th, 1981 - 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. 

 ***

Little that happened in this week in 1981 inherently warrants mention within the pages of this blog. I shall, therefore, launch straight into my look at what Marvel UK's weekly offerings were up to at the time.

Spider-Man's battling against Mysterio and his phony aliens who've kidnapped Debra Whitman in an attempt to locate the treasure hidden in May Parker's old house.

And our hero's using the master of illusion's own devices against him!

The Hulk arrives in Israel and quickly finds himself enmeshed in that land's political turmoil when Sabra, Israel's greatest super-heroine, decides he's a terrorist.

Needless to say, after a suitable punch-up, the Hulk gives her a good lecture about what's right and wrong.

Meanwhile, I do believe Daredevil's telling that reporter all about his backstory.

And She-Hulk appears to still be getting mixed-up in the Man-Wolf's adventures.

This issue, the Watcher asks what would have happened if Sue Storm had married the Sub-Mariner.

It would have ended in tragedy. I've no doubt about it.

Spider-Man teams up with Power-Man, of the Luke Cage variety.

But, first, he has to escape a burning building.

It would appear we also get action from Captain Universe, though the arrangement of the cover's blurbs does manage to make it look like Sue marries both Namor and Captain Universe at the same time.

I can't help feeling that really would end in trouble.

Yegads! The haunted house Captain Kirk and his crew encountered, last week, has turned out to be nothing but a ruse by the Klingons to capture the Enterprise and study its fancy new engines. Is there no underhand - and highly unlikely - trick the Klingons won't stoop to?

No, there isn't.

In other news, ROM and his friends are flying around in space, having to deal with a killer plague spread by the Dire Wraiths.

While, on Earth, the Micronauts may be about to encounter SHIELD.

And, on Counter-Earth, Warlock finds himself meeting the submersible power of Apollo and his tentacles of doom.

Conan spends his night in a haunted temple.

So do a bunch of other people.

Conan leaves them to get slaughtered.

He's no mug.

Thor's still battling Ulik, as they struggle to get their hands on something or other that'll, somehow, help our hero find the missing Odin.

When one of Kyle Richmond's employees is murdered in a locked room that he's alone in, Kyle puts on his Nighthawk gear and recruits Dr Strange to investigate.

From that cover, I'm assuming the culprit's Death-Stalker and not the demons we're initially led to expect.

Warriors of the Shadow Realm is giving us yet more elf adventure.

And Devil Dinosaur's still fighting to rid his prehistoric world of the aliens who've showed up with nothing but trouble in mind.

The Marvel Lucky Bag - February 1981.

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

***

February 1981 was something of a desert for movie releases but it did, at least, see the release of Fort Apache, the Bronx which is a film I don't think I've ever seen, despite its fame.

However, Wikipedia informs me it was the inspiration for Hill Street Blues, which is clearly a good thing.

The other movie notable, that month, was Sphinx.

Sadly, that seems to have been notable for all the wrong reasons, with critics having derided the Lesley-Anne Down, Frank Langella and John Gielgud packed archaeology thriller.

Moon Knight's up against The Committee who might sound like they should be running a northern working men's club but are serious wrong-doers, as proven by the fact they first showed up in Werewolf by Night.

And, indeed, that werewolf who is by night makes a cameo appearance here, by virtue of a flashback.

I don't really know much, when it comes to this issue's contents but it features Nick Fury, SHIELD, Hydra and the return of Baron Karza. So, who would dare ignore it?

Not me. That's why it's included here.

Plus, Daredevil takes on Johnny Punk in this month's Hostess fruit pie ad!

Here's a cover which makes appealing use of white space.

And, speaking of space, the Defenders aren't going there.

Instead, they must scour the globe, in order to find three missing pieces of Eternity.

How convenient it is that they're all on Earth, meaning the gang don't have to travel very far.

Odin bans Thor from marrying Jane Foster - again. So, Thor does the reasonable thing, rounds up the Avengers and sets out to invade Asgard.

This leads to Odin putting Loki in charge of the realm's military and, once all the fighting's done, Thor and Odin spend the rest of their lives feeling miserable.

I've no news of Loki's emotional state.

Meanwhile, in the back-up strip, the Watcher reveals the origin of the Eternals and their legendary Uni-Mind.

Still aiming to wow the American comic-reading masses, the Doctor confronts the menace of the Iron Legion, while the back-up strip discovers K-9 engaged in thrilling solo action.

By the looks of it, the Hulk's off to the circus. And, for once, it doesn't seem to be the Circus of Crime.

Dominic Fortune also has a story in this issue. It's called Slay Bells. Whether that indicates it's a Christmas story, I could not say.

Fifty years ago this month - February 1971.

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

*** 

Who mourns for Adonais? Forget that. Who mourns for Tommy Steele? For, February 1971 was a terrible month for the toothsome tune dispenser.

It was the moment at which his movie Half a Sixpence, merely four years old, no longer made any sense.

That's because it was the month in which the UK and Ireland switched to decimal currency, leading to howls of protest from pensioners, across both realms, that they couldn't understand a new monetary system which required the ability to divide by ten rather than twelve.

Speaking personally, I've never got over it and still insist on buying all my goods by the groatload.

And, up in space, things were just as fancy and modern, thanks to it being the month in which Apollo 14 landed on the moon.

Also flying high was Evel Knievel who managed to set a world record by jumping over 19 cars in Ontario, California.

Flying noticeably lower was legendary icon of Britishness Rolls Royce which went bankrupt and was promptly nationalised.

Stone-Face makes his dynamic debut, as Cap and the Falcon decide to take him down for whatever it is he's been up to.

Come to think of it, I'm not sure just what it is he has been up to.

Probably trying to start a race war and take over Harlem. That's my guess.

"He's back! More dangerous than ever!" declares the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #93 but the genius of Stan Lee and John Romita is that, once inside the mag, they make no attempt to convince us the Prowler's at all dangerous.

The tooled-up window cleaner's merely an annoyance, slowing Spidey down as he tries to reach Gwen before she leaves the country.

So outclassed is the Prowler that, in the end, Spider-Man doesn't get to her in time purely because he must rush his opponent to hospital after almost accidentally killing him.

After escaping the world of Arkon, a group of Avengers find themselves in an alternate world where they have to help the Squadron Supreme defeat an evil child genius with a huge head.

The early days of Barry Smith's Conan continue as he confronts the Grim Grey God.

It's intriguing see, "grey," being spelt British style but I must confess to recalling nothing of the story itself.

I must have read this in the Mighty World of Marvel but, if I did, I don't remember when.

Nor do I recall anything that happens in it.

Sadly, John Romita's stint on the strip's now ended.

Happily, John Buscema's has started!

This is a good thing, as I always dug the way he drew the Thing's pebbles.

But, forget pebbles. It's Ben's marbles Reed needs to worry about, as it's quickly becoming clear his attempt to cure the Thing has turned the man evil.

Again.

Upon Bruce Banner's return to New York, the Hulk must overcome both Xeron and the space beast Klaatu, a monster as big as the Empire State Building!

Not only that but the Abomination's back!

This one's not ringing any bells for me.

But, clearly, the Spymaster's involved.

Hold onto your hats, Asgardophiles, because Thor finds himself facing an evil version of Odin.

It has to be said, given the trouble Odin causes at the best of times, I'm not sure an evil version of him's any bigger a threat to the universe than the normal one is.

The X-Men invade the Sentinels' underground lair and promptly get themselves captured.

This leads the Sentinels' leader Master Mold to decide it's time for his giant robots to conquer the world!

"Well, that was all lovely for Marvel," I hear you cry, "but what was DC up to?"

Because you the Reader demanded it, here's a quick look at some of the more intriguing stuff the company was unleashing at the same time.

That's a dramatic cover by Neal Adams.

Sadly, I can't say whether the interior's as dramatic but I do know Batman's up against the Asylum of the Futurians.

Although, to be frank, I don't have a clue who the Futurians are or why they need an asylum.

And it's another dramatic Adams cover, as Robin appears to have met his maker.

Not only that but the interior art's by Nefarious Neal as well.

I suspect that, this time out, the caped crusader's up against a haunted house - and he doesn't even have the Scooby-Doo Gang to help him!

Also inside, Batgirl tangles with a phantom bullfighter.

I don't know if the comic's any good but that's one magnificent cover for a title I've never heard of.

It would appear to be the handiwork of Tony DeZuniga who also inked the lead story, a Ric Estrada pencilled tale of a woman who gives up her feminist beliefs, to aid the career development of her boyfriend.

I have no doubt at all that she'll live to regret such reckless foolishness.

February 4th, 1981 - 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.

***

A wise man once told us to keep watching the skies.

And he was right because, on this night in 1981, the people of the Pacific suddenly discovered they had plenty to see up there.

That's because the area was experiencing an annular solar eclipse.

Wikipedia informs me it was the 27th solar eclipse of Solar Saros 140.

I don't have a clue what that means.

But then, people from the Pacific regions probably don't have a clue what the following paragraph means.

Those folks may have had something magnificent to gaze at but, over in Britain, the public had something almost as dazzling to behold as, that evening, BBC One was broadcasting Captain Beaky's World of Words and Music featuring such entertainment luminaries as Noel Edmonds, Keith Michell, Penelope Keith and Peter Skellern.

That may have been a musical extravaganza unparalleled in the history of humanity but it was making no impact on the UK singles chart which was currently topped by John Lennon's Woman.

And the ex-Beatle was having equal success on the album chart, thanks to his final LP Double Fantasy topping that listing. 

After just one week, Forces in Combat disappears without trace from the front of Marvel UK's latest merged mag.

Not that the crew of the Enterprise care about that.

They're too busy worrying about their ship being overrun with inhuman menaces, including Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster and even an entity that looks suspiciously like the Man-Thing. What's going on and how can it be related to the prison planet they're headed for?

Elsewhere in space, ROM's beloved Ray-Na dies at the hands of the Dire Wraiths.

Back on Earth, the Micronauts are still battling a computer that can take control of other computers.

To finish off with, Adam Warlock sees through the Man-Beast's attempts to convert him to the cause of evil and, after chasing-off the villain, has a heartwarming reunion with his disciples friends.

I really don't know what's going on with this week's issue but it certainly looks jam-packed.

By some magic I'm unaware of, it appears we get a team-up of She-Hulk, Hellcat, Valkyrie and Man-Wolf, seemingly in battle with the Stranger.

How this turn of events comes about, I've no idea.

On top of that, we get to see Daredevil's true identity exposed.

All of it means that, for the first time I can think of, neither the Hulk nor Spider-Man make the front cover of their own book. What is this new and strange madness?

Spider-Man and the Beast have to team-up when the Modular Man and Killer Shrike steal a microwave condensor from Peter Parker's university. I can only assume the dastardly duo are unusually desperate for pot noodles.

Meanwhile, the Fantastic Four are still struggling to sort out those pesky space Vikings at the North Pole.

Until, that is, Thor randomly turns up and sorts it all out for them.

Elsewhere, it seems, a brand new super-hero takes to the air. I don't have even one inkling who that might be though the fact that he can fly is, no doubt, a clue.

Thor's having a punch-up with Ulik, in his quest to discover what's happened to the missing Odin.

And the fight isn't going the thunder god's way.

Elsewhere, the Bamula have decided to kick Conan out of their village, having finally noticed he brings them nothing but bad luck.

Speaking of bad luck, no sooner has he left the village than he has a pride of lions chasing after him.

And then he finds himself in a creepy old castle that no one with any sense would choose to spend a night in.

He, of course, decides to spend a night in it...

Devil Dinosaur's in the process of outwitting a group of giant space aliens.

Dr Strange finally manages to rescue Wong from the clutches of another dimension's sorcerer supreme.

Needless to say, Warriors of the Shadow Realm is still giving us thrilling elf action of a kind that doesn't thrill me.

Unless I miss my guess, that's a Neal Adams cover for Man-Thing, while, inside we're told the mind-numbing origin of the muck monster, as drawn by Gray Morrow.

Night-Raven has a text tale called The Chessmaster.

Moon-Knight's about to come up against Lupinar the wolf.

It could be worse. He could be up against Wolfinar the lupin.

Dominic Fortune goes to the circus. But that doesn't stop him from getting into trouble when he gets there.

And, as if all that wasn't enough, the back cover gives us the chance to buy a Star Wars wristwatch, for just £8.95.

For those of us who love to delve deeply into the past, we get a feature dedicated to the William Hartnell adventure The Massacre.

For those of us with an inordinate love of sink plungers, we get a photo gallery dedicated to the Daleks.

There's also a ten-page look at the Doctor's various companions, and a brand new picture strip called The Life Bringer in which the Doctor and K-9 encounter the Greek gods.

No doubt, there'll be plenty of mourning going on for Adonais.

We will not, however, be mourning the Jon Pertwee era villains the Daemons.

After all, we don't need to, as they're alive and well and currently have their own story based around them. A fact which sounds intriguing.

Just in case we didn't feel spoiled enough, there's also a star profile of Elisabeth Sladen.

Information about this issue's hard to attain but it seems we get to experience the Hyborian hunk walking the Earth today. Whether this is one of the What If tales which featured that very situation, I couldn't say.

Elsewhere, King Kull enters the Realm of the Dead, which, given his track record of being menaced by the supernatural, doesn't seem a sensible thing to do.

Perhaps most significantly of all, the editors of the magazine get to deliver an important message to us.

And, for once, it's not that a book's been cancelled!

Just what it actually is, I don't know.

The main strip trundles along and features the saga's first-ever appearance of Sk'ar and Keral Longknife.

I don't have a clue who those people are.

But it's written by Chris Claremont, so there's probably an airport gets destroyed, along the way.

Killraven's up against the Sirens of 7th Avenue in what I think is only his second story.

It's taken Marvel UK a long time to get round to his second adventure, considering it managed to get through most of his first, back in the days when this was still a weekly comic.

And we finish off with yet more of Marvel's adaptation of the first Star Wars movie.

Frantic is still going and, no doubt, doing what it does.

From what I can recall, the battle with Magneto has separated the X-Men into two groups, both of whom believe the other to be dead.

Happily, they're not. One group's back in New York and the other's in the Savage Land, uncovering a dastardly plot by Zaladane.

Luke Cage investigates a bank robbery, only to be drawn into the plans of a character the book describes as an "awesome" super-villain.

The cover claims he's Mr Death, who's not a character I could claim to have encountered.

Finally, I do believe the Thing and Thor are still battling the sinister Seth.

This month, we get a look at the cinematic triumph that is Hawk the Slayer, a film I always get mixed up with Beastmaster and Krull. Therefore, thanks to such ignorance, I shall say nothing of its merits or lack thereof.

But who cares about that? I don't. Not when we can read this issue's article about the special effects of Blake's 7.

As Blake's 7 was celebrated, the world over, for having the greatest special effects poverty could buy, that is, no doubt, a magnificent treat to read.

We also get a look at The Namos Chronicles.

I don't know what The Namos Chronicles is.

I shall consult Wikipedia.

I've now consulted Wikipedia.

Wikipedia doesn't know what it is either.

Thanks to last month's arrival of the X-Men having breathed new life into the book, this is the last-ever issue of Star Heroes.

But only because next month sees it retitled The X-Men!

Can nothing stop the rise of Marvel's mightiest mutants?

Perhaps the Vanisher can because that's who they're up against. 

I must confess he's a villain I know little of.

I remember him appearing in that Factor Three  storyline, the one with the giant space octopus claiming to be the, "Mutant Master," but that's the full extent of my knowledge.

I would, though, assume, from his name, that he has the power of teleportation.

But fear not, those not satisfied with just reading about mutations, for we also get Walt Simonson drawn adventure in Battlestar Galactica.

I've no idea what goes on in this one. I shall, however, venture to surmise the Hulk's probably in it.

Gil Kane gets a cover and Conan finds himself become a rogue in the house, as he helps an untrustworthy pair of allies dispose of a giant ape that's got ideas above its station.

Speaking of Conan, a man who's not Conan but is clearly stealing his style, comes up against the horror of the Man-Thing. As does the obligatory cowering female he probably brings along with him for such eventualities.

I do believe this to be the story that first introduced Howard the Duck to the world.

The Fantastic Four are about to have their first-ever encounter with the man the world will one day come to know as Adam Warlock but will, for now, have to settle for knowing purely as, "Him."

Not only does Spider-Man get to have his first-ever encounter with the menacing master of illusion that is Mysterio but he also has his first-ever meeting with the Green Goblin.

And the Hulk.

And possibly the Enforcers.

He certainly is busy this month.

I've no specific info about this month's issue but I'm sure it's as tear-filled as ever.

Judging by that cover, I'd assume Iron Man's about to meet Mr Doll for the first (and possibly last) time, while Captain America's approaching the climax of the tale in which the Red Skull has revealed his origin to us all.

The Champions battle the Stranger but quickly realise they're going to have to ally themselves with him, thanks to him having accidentally set off a bomb that threatens to expand and swallow the entire solar system before contracting and destroying it.

That's if you believe the cover image.

If you believe the cover blurb, they're up against the Shadow-Creatures of the Warlord Kaa.

The Avengers, meanwhile, get to discover the cosmic secret of Michael and, also, find out who killed the Collector.

I'm guessing it was Michael.

I'm also guessing he's not permanently dead.

Elsewhere, the original X-Men continue to fight the flying menace of Sauron.

The Marvel Lucky Bag - February 1971.

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

***

February 1971 wasn't what could be called a classic month for movies but it did see the release of two films of note, in Carry On Henry and Countess Dracula. The first of which I remember seeing at the Classic Cinema in Fitzalan Square. The second of which I remember seeing on television in my living room.

Indisputably, both films told vitally interesting stories but, on the UK album chart, there was only one story in town.

And that was All Things Must Pass by George Harrison which hogged the Number One slot for the whole of February and confounded all who'd expected Lennon or McCartney to be the first out of the commercial blocks, post-Beatles.

Not only that but George was dominating the British singles chart as well, thanks to My Sweet Lord which held the top spot for the first three-quarters of the month until being deposed, at the death, by Mungo Jerry's Baby Jump.

I must confess, despite the latter track having been a chart-topper by a well-remembered band, I've no recollection of ever having heard it in my entire life.

But what of Marvel and its less-popular comics that proudly bore the name of that month upon their covers?

I can only assume something must have been going wrong because, this time out, the company only published two-thirds the number of books it had the previous month. What lay behind this curious thinning of the pack?

I couldn't say but I will say that, of its reduced output of secondary titles, the below are the ones which seem, to me, the most attention-worthy.

The Petrified Man's now adopted the title of, "Garokk the Sun God," as his priestess Zaladane continues to cause chaos in the Savage Land.

Seemingly in a mood for a holiday after seeing-off the recent attempt to overthrow him, Dr Doom goes for a trip to the Riviera, unaware the Red Skull's about to take advantage of his absence and seize control of Latveria.

We travel back to 1965 when Foggy Nelson decides to run for District Attorney, gets himself a love interest and finds himself ensnared in the schemes of the Organizer and his lackeys the Ani-Men.

But whom can the Organizer be?

Whom?

It's almost an early Defenders outing, as the Hulk, Namor and Surfer team up to prevent a South American dictator from doing something or other that'd damage the environment.

In the process, they also help overthrow him and introduce democracy to his land.

Hooray!

Needless to say, before they manage that, all three of them come to blows until they finally agree to fight on the same side.

Stan Lee did like to give monsters names that sounded like, "Gorilla." And here's another one, as Gorgilla goes on the rampage.

I do believe he may, at one point, defend our heroes from a dinosaur, so perhaps he's not as bad as he looks.

In our second tale, an archaeologist plans to rob an Egyptian tomb but ends up, instead, trapped within it. A fate that, thanks to comics, I know befalls all who seek to rob Egyptian tombs.

Meanwhile, in our final tale, Kraggoom the gaseous alien seeks to possess an astronaut, so it can invade the Earth!