Forty years ago today - October 1981.

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

***

Look out, Past! Ready or not, here I come!

The good news for Cap is he doesn't have to worry about the fake Nomad anymore.

Because the giant Ameridroid has killed him.

The bad news is Cap's captured by that self-same Ameridroid and is now going to be forced to star in a movie about his own death, as produced by that most temperamental of Hollywood moguls the Red Skull.

This cover seems strangely familiar...

As mentioned the other day, a villain called the Corruptor gets a character called the Night Flyer to attack the Hulk, so the Hulk'll get angry.

This is because the Corruptor can seize mental control over those who are furious.

But what's this? The Hulk's not the only one there? Rick Jones, Betty Ross and the all-new, all-younger Teen Brigade are also present?

It all sounds like a recipe for disaster.

And this is a very odd one.

Iron Man's barely to be seen in this tale, as brand new Ant-Man Scott Lang gets trapped in a building, with Tony Stark's automated, homicidal security system and has to use all his resources to survive.

I'm assuming Marvel's testing the waters for a potential Scott Lang solo series, with this one.

It feels like a long time since we last had a Marvel story titled Crisis on Campus!

In it, Ramrod, the poor man's Hammerhead, decides to launch a poison attack on a bar at which Lonesome Pincus is performing and - by means I don't recall - Lonesome's terrible singing, somehow, saves everyone there.

And it's another familiar cover, for us all.

Now working in television, Martin Blank promises his bosses he can help them get footage of Spider-Man.

And, of course, it all leads to a clash between his alter-ego the Gibbon and Spidey.

But that's not all.

You see, the Beetle's got a new costume - and he can't wait to test it out on Spidey!

This is a great issue to read if you want to know how not to conduct a love life.

The Norse god of war Tyr decides it's about time Sif had a new boyfriend - himself - and he doesn't care if she wants one or not.

However, there is one snag. She's already got a boyfriend; Thor.

Thus it is that Tyr travels to Earth, in order to slay his rival.

The Kingpin's hired martial arts goons are still out to kill Daredevil who's lost his radar sense.

Fortunately, he has Elektra on his side.

Sort of.

You know what it's like. It's like, "You're the only man I shall ever love but I must randomly stab you in the face, from time to time because... ...whatever."

The X-Men have all managed to find themselves on Magneto's secret island - and his computer's robbed them of their powers.

The main thing that stands out about this one is the villain's had a baffling personality transplant and is suddenly an honourable man who wants nothing but to protect mutantkind, thanks to his memories of childhood oppression and genocide.

I'm pretty sure none of this has ever been mentioned before.

For reasons I can't remember, the Fantastic Four have landed on Ego the living planet and must overcome his defences, in order to sabotage the engine he's using to propel himself through space, so they can get him well away from the Earth.

Conan rescues a girl from a polar bear, then rescues her from her fellow townsfolk, only for her to melt at the end of the tale because it turns out she's made of ice.

This is a very strange adventure in which a sorceress and her barbarian boyfriend decide to leave their home in the hills and visit the big city where his anger-management issues quickly get him killed.

At which point, she goes on a grief-fuelled rampage and the Avengers have to show up to stop her.

October 7th 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. 

***

Steve Austin may have been worth six million dollars but, this week in 1981, Bryan Robson was worth one and a half million pounds.

Granted, that's less than six million dollars but it was still a British record fee for a footballer when it was paid by Manchester United to West Bromwich Albion for the 24-year-old.

 

For comparison, the current British transfer record is the £100 million Manchester City paid to sign Jack Grealish from Aston Villa, earlier this year.

Those are, clearly, some very valuable people but of, no doubt, equal value to their record companies are the music superstars of the world.

And leading that particular pack, that week, were the Police who smashed their way onto the UK album chart at Number One, thanks to their latest platter Ghost in the Machine.

Over on the singles chart, Adam & the Ants were still ruling the roost, with Prince Charming.

Judging by that cover, it's the one in which Cap agrees to be locked in a prison, in order to test its security, and then has to decide whether to aid a prisoner breakout.

All while trying to reform a young offender.

Apparently, the Dazzler defeats the Enforcers, and Tony Stark's in England.

What he's doing there, I couldn't say.

It's the return we all demanded, as the Gibbon makes his tree-swinging comeback!

That's because his alter-ego Martin Blank's working in television and has promised his bosses he can help them get footage of Spider-Man. 

And that can only mean one thing.

A new clash between the two super-doers.

However, it's even worse than that because the Beetle's back!

And in his brand new costume!

As for the Hulk's strip, our emerald anti-hero's still under the mental control of the Corruptor and it seems nothing can stop him.

Or can it?

After all, he still has to contend with the awesome might of the new Teen Brigade and a quartet of Western-themed do-gooders, including Red Wolf.

Hooray! Daredevil's back in New York, following his time stalking Karen Page in Hollywood!

And, from the looks of it, he's going to have to follow his father's footsteps by climbing into the boxing ring.

But, first, he'll need to deal with someone called Kragg.

Kragg would appear to be a mobster, with plenty of henchmen.

I can share no info about what the Black Panther's up to.

This month's issue presents us with three awesome tales.

In the first, as the cover reveals, the Absorbing Man's back.

I'm assuming this is the one where he's trying to flee the country but the Avengers won't let him and he commits suicide by jumping in the sea and dissipating.

In our second, it's a blast from the past, as we receive a reprint of the 1960s Thomas and Buscema yarn in which Diablo uses Dragon Man to take Goliath and the Wasp captive.

But there's all-new fare from Captain Britain when he and Jackdaw find themselves pursued by police because superheroes have been outlawed. And, meanwhile, a nearby rubbish tip produces a monster made of rubbish.

This time out, we have a look at the Jon Pertwee serial The Daemons, are given an episode guide that spans Evil of the Daleks through to Enemy of the World, receive a Monster Gallery Special and are granted an interview with the show's former monster designer John Friedlander.

As if that wasn't enough, we also get the two comic strips the world knows as Black Sun Rising and The Freefall Warriors.

A, no doubt, packed edition delivers reprints of Moon Knight issues #1 and #2 in which our hero goes looking for Bushman then sets off to capture the Skid-Row Slasher.

Just to make us feel spoiled, there's also a four-part Night Raven yarn and an interview with artist David Lloyd.

It's yet more hero-based hilarity from the company that knows how to mock itself. This time, drawn from the pages of 1967's Not Brand Echh #5.

Marvel UK's most successful sci-fi book hits its 150th issue, with an untold story starring Han Solo.

And it's going to introduce us to the full horror of the Hellhoop!

Somehow, I can't bring myself to view the word "Hellhoop" as being in any way, shape or form threatening.

Far more threatening is what's facing Mars' deadliest foe.

That's right. Killraven's still in his Herb Trimpe phase and is battling a bunch of tentacles - in the far-flung future of 2018!

Gasp as Marvel's silentest hero takes on the menacing master of electricity.

Can it be? Has Electro finally encountered a foe he can defeat?

Elsewhere, Iron Fist would appear to be up against a bunch of talking plants, thanks to Chris Claremont and John Byrne.

Meanwhile, Shatterstar's captured Marvel's 2nd-most silentest hero Black Bolt and has opted to leave him hanging over Attilan's main public square until he dies.

This is it! A brand new magazine hits our newsagents!

And it's dedicated to Blake's 7!

Marvel UK's already had great success with its book dedicated to the BBC's other great sci-fi franchise Doctor Who. So, how can it possibly fail with this one?

Quite easily, as it turns out. While Doctor Who Magazine may still be going strong in 2021, this title will only survive for 23 issues.

Still, I'm sure they're great issues.

In this one, we get 40 star-packed pages and a colour pin-up. Not to mention The Facts Behind the Smash Hit TV Series, a picture strip called Mission of Mercy, Vila's Gags, reviews of Outland and Condorman, a text story called Prisoners of Carpaxia, a text story called Credit Transfer and a four-page profile of Avon actor Paul Darrow.

We even have the chance to win Space Shuttle model kits!

Good God above, it has to be worth 45 pence of anyone's money.

And it's not just Blake's 7 that's getting its own mag, this month.

ITV's smash Worzel Gummidge has one too!

Given the show's popularity - and that it stars former Doctor Who Jon Pertwee, how can this one fail?

With effortless aplomb.

It either lasts for just 12 issues or 15, depending on which source you look at.

Regardless, this edition gives us various things, including the chance to win a Worzel Gummidge T-shirt.

I think we'd all love to be seen around town, wearing that one.

It would appear we also get a free record, which seems a bit above the freebies which usually turn up in Marvel UK's comics, although I suspect it's going to be one of those flexi discs that don't even have a B-side.

The Micronauts find themselves in the sub-atomic world of Oceania.

The writers do know there's a real place called Oceania?

It's just dawned on me. Isn't that thing in the giant hand the weapon Scorpio used to use?

Captain Marvel and Star Trek are also in this issue.

It would seem Rick Jones and Marv are chilling on Titan when the perennial sidekick decides he's got to return to Earth to fulfill his duties as a singer.

I can hear the music lovers of Earth all celebrating that decision.

Elsewhere, the Enterprise crew find themselves assisted, in their latest mission, by a bunch of living garden gnomes.

Seriously.

Our brawling barbarian's still having trouble with those pesky swords across the Alimane in a tale adapted from L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter's Conan the Liberator.

That's a striking cover by someone or other, although the design and colour scheme do make it difficult to read the blurbs.

I do know the X-Men and Thing have tales in this issue but can make no claims to know what those tales involve.

And there's yet more Blake's 7 goodness from the company, as Starburst gives us an interview with the show's newest cast member.

My razor-sharp senses tell me that new cast member is future Dempsey and Makepiece star Glynis Barber.

We also get a review of Escape From New York.

Plus, there's a look back at The Stepford Wives and a look forward to the BBC's Day of the Triffids, as well as news of the latest movie to star Starburst cover favourite Caroline Munro.

I suspect that movie may be The Last Horror Film but cannot officially confirm that.

I can confirm, though, that, despite its title, other horror films have since been made.

This is it! The big one!

Thanks to Loki, the Hulk finds himself in Asgard and battling a whole host of Norse gods.

Sadly, none of them are Thor, as he's off somewhere else while all this is going on. So, Hulkie has to settle for fighting the Warriors Three, instead.

And that's not all we get because we also get the Hulk's epic battle with the Sub-Mariner in Miami, as arranged by the Puppet Master and Marie Severin.

I don't know much about this one but I know we get a pair of tales, one called The Blood of Bel-Hissar and the other called Moon of Zembabwei.

We also get our first encounter with Khitai which I think is Robert E Howardese for, "China."

Yet another new book launches, as Marvel Classics Comics gives us the company's adaptation of War of the Worlds.

And not a Killraven in sight.

In a shock development, Maximus has deposed Black Bolt and seized the throne of Attilan!

Again.

Happily, the Fantastic Four have turned up to help out.

And they'd better do it quick, as the inhumane Inhuman has taken Crystal captive!

Oh dear. Johnny'll have a meltdown.

Unless I miss my guess, this is the one in which JJ offers a thousand-dollar reward for the capture of notorious burglar the Cat. A reward Spider-Man intends to collect.

Meanwhile, Betty tells Peter that Ned Leeds has asked her to marry him.

And even more meanwhile, the Master Planner's lurking in the background.

But who can he be?

Who?

What's this?

Iceman has to fight Magneto?

On his own?

I don't fancy his chances.

I do believe this is the one in which half the tale's drawn by Gene Colan and the other by Jack Kirby, which is not at all a clash of styles.

Unless I misremember, Warlord Krang is, in some way to blame for the conflict between the two heroes and is, possibly, holding Dorma captive because that's the kind of thing he likes to do.

The Man-Thing would appear to be up against Medusa who's firing things at him, in some sort of way.

Frankly, I don't have a clue how this has all come about.

It's yet another edition of Young Romance pocket book whose cover cannot be found online and whose contents are similarly opaque.

The good news is that, as far as I can make out, the next issue's the final one and nevermore will we encounter this problem.

The Marvel Lucky Bag - October 1971.

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

***

The cinemas of the world felt like very grown-up places in October 1971, with the release of such classics as The French Connection, Play Misty for Me and The Last Picture Show.

It was also the month that saw the release of a film called Duck, You Sucker! which sounds like it's going to be the least subtle blaxploitation movie of all time, until you discover it's just an alternative title for Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dynamite.

I've seen three of those films but don't believe I've ever seen The Last Picture Show. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure what it's about.

I have, however, heard Rod Stewart's Maggie May/Reason to Believe, which is hardly shocking, bearing in mind it spent the whole of that month at Number One on the UK singles chart. Clearly, there was no power in the world that could stop Rod.

Or was there?

Because, over on the British album chart, Rod also looked unassailable, with his LP Every Picture Tells a Story spending the first half of the month at the pinnacle. But, finally, even Rod had to make way for John Lennon's Imagine which smashed straight in at Number One to dominate the month's second half.

But here's a strange turn of events. I mentioned in my last post that several of Marvel's key titles had failed to appear with an October cover date.

And it wasn't just them. Right across the line, the number of Marvel mags published that month was down dramatically, to such an extent the company which was soon to become the United States' largest publisher of comics only brought out fifteen books - the same total as Charlton, and fewer than Archie, Gold Key and Harvey. Truly the readers must have thought the outfit was doomed!

It does, though, mean this post and the previous one, between them, include every Marvel book published in the space of one calendar month. I'm fairly certain this has never happened before in this feature and it almost certainly never will again.

It's that classic tale in which a bunch of German and British sailors, trapped in the Savage Land, are still fighting, unaware WWII ended decades ago.

Needless to say, it's one of my favourite Ka-Zar tales, even though it's clearly a rip-off of The Land that Time Forgot.

In a shocking twist, sandwiched between this book's usual features, we get a tale that introduces the Link Brothers, a pair of siblings I can claim to know nothing of.

And we finish off with a legendary adventure that sees Dr Doom fight a creature of Satan's choice, to win back the soul of his mother.

Will Doomsie triumph?

Who can know?

Such are Marvel's reduced circumstances, this month, that I'm forced to include Western comics to make up the numbers.

And, in this one, we get eight tales from the likes of Stan Lee, Reed Crandall and Doug Wildey.

Tragically, I can shed no light upon what transpires within those tales, although I'm sure much shooting's involved.

And now I'm even being forced to include a Sgt Fury issue.

We get two thrillers, one called Some Die Slowly! and the other called Into the Jaws of... Death!

The former is from Al Kurzrok and Herb Trimpe, while the latter's delivered by Roy Thomas and Dick Ayers.

Not to be outdone by the Outlaw Kid, the Rawhide Kid has a string of adventures too, varying, in length, between 5 and 7 pages.

This is more like it, a comic I'm actually interested in.

Five tales of horror assail our senses.

They are:

The Sandman Cometh which has nothing to do with the Spider-Man villain but deals with a sand-based alien who seems unstoppable until a child dissolves him in water and traps him in a bucket.

I Dared Enter the Haunted Forest! in which a bigoted billionaire buys cursed woodland but its keeper takes him to another dimension, revealing he's been seeking a man no one would miss, to display in his alien zoo.

It Fell From the Flying Saucer! in which an artist finds an alien pencil that makes whatever he draws become real, until his selfish use of it prompts the aliens to reclaim it.

The Thing From the Hidden Swamp in which a plain girl helps a stranded alien who then makes her beautiful, as a reward.

And In the Shadow of Tragg -- He Who Walks Beneath the Earth! in which a reporter investigates the closure of a New York subway line and encounters a monster that kills every human it meets.

It's true! Millie the Model's still going, thanks to a whole heap of 1960s reprints! Can nothing stop the gal?

Our Love Story's still going, as well.

Admittedly, it's only been around for thirteen issues, so it's got a bit of a way to go to catch up with Millie in the success stakes.

I shall pass no comment upon the stories, as I've never read them, but they possess such breathless titles as I Can't Forget You! So Much in Love! Wallflower! Too Many Kisses! Third Finger, Left Hand! and I Dream of Romance!

Once again, they're all reprints.

And back to the new stuff, although not necessarily the good stuff, as Namor's confusing and annoying battle with Aunt Serr continues when he meets the inhabitants of Starkburg who she's transformed into monsters.

Thankfully, Namor and her victims put an end to the madwoman’s plans.

But what's this? This tale's randomly part of the Mr Kline saga, as seen in Daredevil, which means two seeming aliens appear, for no noticeable reason, halfway through the issue, spout some baffling dialogue and then vanish.

On the upside, the book still only costs one shilling.

But for how long?

Fifty years ago today - October 1971.

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

***

Here's a turn-up for the books. Often, when I do these posts, I struggle to unearth anything interesting that was happening within the time frame being covered.

However, October 1971 was so jam-packed with incident, I'm having to leave things out!

Among that month's events were the opening of Walt Disney World in Florida, Pink Floyd recording the film Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii, and the foundation of  Greenpeace, in Vancouver.

On top of that, the UK's House of Commons voted, 356–244, to join the European Economic Community, while the country also became the sixth nation to successfully launch a satellite into orbit, thanks to its Black Arrow rocket blasting-off from Woomera, Australia.

How appropriate, then, that, exactly 50 years later, space visionary Boris Johnson has promised to launch space rockets from the coastal extremities of Britain and make the country go, "Galactic," although, at the moment, it seems to be going more ballistic.

On a far more sombre note, it was also the month in which a bomb exploded at the top of London's Post Office Tower, thanks to the Angry Brigade.

I do wonder if that incident was the inspiration for that Iron Fist tale in which Radion blows up the upper floors of the same building?

That's a question which brings me to the world of Marvel comics and what they were up to while all this real-world drama was unfolding.

In truth, some of them weren't doing anything.

That's because there was a shock in store for comic fans when they went to their local stores, on the hunt for books with an October cover date.

Whisper it quietly - and with dread - but several of our favourite Marvel titles had failed to appear. Thor, The Avengers and Daredevil were the culprits and I can only assume it was down to Marvel switching its titles to a greater page count, meaning some creators couldn't meet the deadline.

There are those who hate the six-armed Spider-Man storyline. There are those who love it.

Me? I'm in the, "love it," camp. As far as I'm concerned, a man can never have too many arms - especially if he's coming up against the first-ever appearance of Morbius the living vampire.

Throw in an appearance by the loathsome Lizard, a stunning framistat, and a great Gil Kane cover and what more could you demand of a comic?

Our heroes are still battling the Grey Gargoyle in a tale that seems to have been running for years.

Fortunately, this issue sees the do-gooders triumph, at last, over the rocky rapscallion, although, unless this is the one in which he ends up being launched into space, I'm not sure just how they do it.

Cities crumble when Conan takes on a real-life Bull God!

Is this the story that ends with Conan's friend being hanged? If it is, you've got to hand it to Roy and Barry. That's potent stuff for a 1970s comic book.

The Over-Mind's still causing nothing but trouble wherever he goes.

But can it be? Has Mr Fantastic turned against his teammates?

I suppose it makes a nice change from the Thing turning against them.

Dr Doom has a great plan. He's going to capture the Hulk and strap a nuclear weapon to him, so Latveria can destroy a neighbouring state.

I can't see this one ending well for the tin-plated tyrant.

I've no idea what happens in this one but it looks like another forgettable foe for the armoured Avenger.

The X-Men must tackle the might of Dominus!

I assume he's called that because he likes to dominate people, not because he likes to play dominoes.

I really don't have a clue what happens in this one either. I take it the villain makes such an impact that they never invite him back?

That's what we're getting from the reduced ranks of Marvel but what of DC? Are they taking the chance to strike back?

Not half they are.

In fact, they have a whole bunch of brand new titles that bear an October cover date.

And, appropriately for the month of Halloween, there's a fair bit of the supernaturals going on.

The Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love gets its debut issue with a striking cover by George Ziel who's not an artist I know much about.

We might expect the book to contain three or four tales, in accordance with DC's horror/mystery norm. However, the book contains just one, The Mystery of the Missing Bride, brought to us by Dorothy Woolfolk, Ethan C. Mordden and Tony DeZuniga .

Laura Chandler visits Langfrey House, for the funeral of a friend then accepts an offer to live there, so she can investigate how that friend died.

However, she may meet her own demise before she can uncover the truth!

And Weird War Tales also makes its spine-tingling debut!

Which is good news, as it's the only war comic I've ever liked.

Multiple tales assault our sanity, from the likes of Joe Kubert, Robert Kanigher, Russ Heath, Bob Haney, Ed Heron and Irv Novick.

But all that really matters to me is it has a skeleton on the cover - and that's enough to make me buy any comic.

From monsters to gangsters, as In the Days of the Mob #1 shoots its way onto our spinner racks.

It's wall-to-wall Jack Kirby as, over the course of 60 pages, the man who actually lived through that era brings us more gangster action than we can shake a Tommy gun at.

And we also get a pull-out poster, to boot!

But In the Days of the Mob's not the only new book in that format, because we also get the arrival of Spirit World #1.

It's wall-to-wall Kirby again. This time, giving us 60 pages of supernatural escapades. Does the man never sleep?

Kirby might sleep, after all, but I'm not sure the rest of us will, because DC are giving us the launch of yet another horror title.

This time, it's Ghosts, the book that's trebly terrifying because, as the cover boasts, all the stories in it are true!

And those true tales are made up related to us by Leo Dorfman, Jim Aparo, Sam Glanzman, John Broome, Carmine Infantino and Tony DeZuniga who give us enough horror to ruin any reader's evening.