The Marvel Lucky Bag - November 1981.

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

***

Big budget blockbusters were not abundant in the cinemas of November 1971 but there were a few films of note.

In my opinion, they were Time Bandits, Porky's and, eerily and topically, The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper, a film about the infamous mystery hijacker who leapt from a plane, with $200,000 in ransom money, over Washington State in November 1971 and was never seen again.

This website seems to have become the D. B. Cooper Memorial Site, lately, judging by the number of times he's been mentioned on it. 

The film starred Robert Duvall and Treat Williams and, given that Cooper's true identity remains unknown, as does his fate, it was, by all accounts, a highly fictionalised retelling of events.

I do have to say Alan Weiss' cover for this annual isn't the greatest thing I've ever seen.

Regardless, as we might guess, the main tale sees the return of Man-Wolf - although I can shed no light upon just what he does once he's returned.

Following that, we get something called Aunt May's Photo Album. The mind boggles at the thought of what that might contain.

And we finish off the book with a string of pin-ups dedicated to Spidey's many friends and foes.

It's an exciting day for all fans of the American Dennis the Menace, as he gets a Marvel comic of his very own.

In it, Dennis has to stay with the Wilsons while his dad's at work and, later, convinces his family to put up Christmas decorations, even though it's scorching hot outside.

I don't have any great knowledge of what occurs in this one but, judging by that cover, it seems to be completely incident-packed, with Captain America totally defeated, Iron Man lying around on the floor, Spider-Woman doing a daring midnight rescue, the new Brotherhood of Evil Mutants on the loose, a shocking mystery guest, and a cameo appearance by the X-Men.

Blimey.

As Jarvis would, no doubt, say if he were here to say anything.

It's all kicking off in this one too, as the X-Men and Sue Richards travel to Arkon's world, in order to rescue the rest of the FF and liberate Arkon's people from a Badoon invasion.

And, last but not least, Thor gets his own annual, as well, in which Odin and Dormammu play chess for the fate of the universe.

This leads to Thor travelling to Dormammu's dimension to try and put a stop to it.

But, hold on. Odin's playing chess?

The man's a blithering imbecile. How's he ever going to be able to win a game of chess?

Also, since when does Odin get to hold the fate of the universe in his hands? Won't the Celestials, Galactus, Eternity and a whole bunch of other entities have something to say about all this?

Fifty years ago today - November 1971.

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

***

November 1971 proved to be a month of mystery when, during a severe storm above Washington State, a man calling himself D.B. Cooper parachuted from the plane he'd hijacked - along with $200,000 in ransom money - and was never seen again.

Who was D. B. Cooper?

Where had he come from and what became of him?

Nobody knows, as, according to Wikipedia, the case remains the only unsolved skyjacking in history.

One place he definitely didn't land on was Mars.

We know that because it was also the month in which Mariner 9 became the first spacecraft to successfully enter that planet's orbit - and it saw no sign of him.

Elsewhere, computer science took a mighty leap forward with the release of Earth's first microprocessor, the Intel 4004.

And this month's British Empire Dismantlement Story was that Oman gained its independence.

But at the very heart of what remained of that empire, motorists were about to gain a little freedom of their own when the 10-route motorway interchange known as Spaghetti Junction opened, north of Birmingham city centre.

So keen on traffic was that interchange that 10 routes proved not enough to satisfy it and, thus, by the end of the following year, that total had expanded to a mahoosive 12 routes.

Following his unfortunate mishap, whilst trying to rid himself of his super-powers, Spider-Man finds himself having to deal with both the Lizard and Morbius.

Still, at least he's turned up well-armed.

It's the Avengers vs a herd of cows, and Ant-Man vs the Vision's tonsils, as Neal Adams arrives and the Kree/Skrull War steps up a gear, thanks to a memorable reenactment of Fantastic Voyage.

For the first time in living memory, a Captain America cover doesn't feature the Grey Gargoyle.

Instead, it features a mystery villain who tricks the People's Militia into trying to burn down Harlem.

Could it be the Red Skull?

Could it be Baron Zemo?

Could it be Irving Forbush?

It's the Red Skull.

Obviously, it's the Red Skull. The mystery villain's always the Red Skull.

And, somehow, Cap'll still be shocked.

In other news, I notice this issue has a brand new logo as its masthead.

This is it! Barry Smith and Roy Thomas give us their adaptation of Robert E Howard's Rogues in the House, as Conan gets released from prison to help a thief and ends up helping a priest tackle a giant ape that has ideas above its station.

My strongest memory of this one is the priest Nabonidus has a living room that's completely lined with mirrors.

If only I had a living room that's completely lined with mirrors, so I could look at myself, all day long, and appreciate my beauty, as others can.

It's the big one, as the Black Widow saves Daredevil from drowning and then the pair of them finish off the Owl.

However, that's not the main event.

What really matters is the mysterious Mr Kline's revealed to be the robot MK-9 who now takes to referring to himself by the name Assassin.

That's a villain with far too many names for one robot.

Hooray! Dr Doom takes over leadership of the FF, as they look to take on the meganormous threat of the Over-Mind.

But can even the epic leadership skillz of Doomsie triumph where those of Reed Richards failed?

Erich von Däniken's dreams all come true at once, as the incredible Hulk takes on a giant statue and a bunch of Ancient Egyptian gods from space!

Needless to say, those puny gods have no chance against the Hulk!

And neither does the statue.

Iron Man tangles with someone called Mikas.

Frankly, I know nothing about Mikas, nor about this story.

I do, though, know this issue features a reprinted back-up strip in which Giant-Man must thwart the first appearance of the villainous Black Knight and his flying horsie.

It's Thor and the Silver Surfer vs Durok the Demolisher.

Although, in truth, it's mostly the Silver Surfer vs Durok, as Thor quickly abandons the fight and flies back home to Asgard.

Happily, the Surfer's time-travelling powers prove more than adequate to defeat the rampaging monster.

Now that Marvel's been dealt with, it's time for me to whip out my randomiser and, for purposes of comparison, see what DC was offering with a November cover date.

It seems that, these days, there's no escape from the Phantom Stranger on this site. And here he is again. This time, teaming up with Batman, although just how he teams up with the dark night detective, I've no idea.

I've also no idea why he'd even need to team up with him.

I do believe this issue also features a Challengers of the Unknown reprint from way back in 1963.

I've included this one purely because it has a striking Bernie Wrightson cover.

No sign of Bernie inside, though.

Instead, we get four tales of the strange and supernatural with such titles as The Man with My Face, The Day Nobody Died, Track of the Invisible Beast, Hyde -- and Go Seek! and A Bottle of Incense.. A Whiff of the Past!

Three tales fill this comic.

In the first, someone called Desaad kidnaps Lois Lane and Dave Stevens, in order to lure Superman to an amusement park where he uses the science of Apokolips against our hero.

Then there's an adventure for someone called Dr Pat in which her career leaves her with no time for men.

I don't know whether her problem's resolved by the end of the tale. Nor do I know if the tale's any good but I do know it first saw print in 1949.

And, finally, it's trouble for the Thorn when K.A.R.L.  the super-computer comes up with a plan to destroy the somnambulist super-doer, on behalf of Poison Ivy.

We get a DC-sized dose of romance when five stories help us prepare for the world of Love.

In the first, Heidi studies piano with reclusive maestro Damon Crewell and soon falls for him, despite his harsh temper. Harsh temper? I'd dump him, if I were her.

Next, Michelle's boss encourages her to date his son Dean. But then she learns Dean's already secretly married!

Next, Jill likes John but she's far too lively for him. So, she tries to restrain herself. I can offer no information as to by what means she restrains herself.

Next, shy Linda's wrongly branded a snob, but she comes out of her shell when Tom starts to date her. But, horror of horrors, she finds out he only did it to win a bet! She should demand at least half his winnings. She could make a fortune this way.

And, finally, Nancy's dying sister fixes up Nancy with her boyfriend, so Nancy and he can be happy together after she's gone. Well, that's just plain creepy.

But forget all that. Just look at that cover. Have you ever seen one that's more crying out for Roy Lichtenstein to swipe?

November 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. 

***

How many times can a caveman say the word, "Fire," in the space of twenty-five minutes?

On this night in 1981, we were about to find out because BBC Two was repeating the very first Doctor Who serial, from way back in 1963, in which our prehistoric ancestors squabbled endlessly over the tribal politics of fire-starting.

Thank God the Daleks came along in the next story. You didn't see Daleks arguing about whose turn it was to light the fire.

Half an hour after that was over, the same channel repeated Part One of Life on Earth, as David Attenborough taught us all about Charles Darwin and his theory of Natural Selection.

However, the cost of watching such things was about to rise dramatically, as it was the week in which the TV licence jumped from £34 to £46 for colour viewing, and from £12 to £15 for black and white.

Seismic disruption to our wallets, no doubt, ensued.

But on the UK album chart, a whole lot of seismic was going on too. Or, at least, shaking  - because Shaky by Shakin' Stevens hit the top spot, holding off Queen's Greatest Hits to do so.

Over on the British singles chart, Dave Stewart and Barbara Gaskin's It's My Party held on to the Number One slot by beating off the challenge of Altered Images' Happy Birthday.

And, very very far away from these shores, it was the week in which Antigua and Barbuda gained independence from the United Kingdom.

I do believe it's that one in which Sandman and Hydroman become mixed up with each other, to create a mindless monster that then performs an exact reenactment of the King Kong story.

And, just to excite us even further, eight pages of it are in living colour!

Not to be overshadowed by even that, I'm sure, is Jet Lagg who has his very latest adventure.

In a shocking blow to its fans, Marvel Super Adventure is no more.

But that's OK because it's merged with Captain America weekly.

And just look how happy the titular shield-flinger looks about it!

Thus it is that we get not just Cap but, also, thrilling action from Thor and Daredevil

Plus, a free Captain America mask!

And eight pages of colour!

As for the man himself, he's still in California, trying to promote the movie based on him. And the Nihilist Order are still trying to bump him off. And the new Nomad is still trying to steal all his glory. How he can still smile with all that going on is anybody's guess.

Elsewhere, a film crew's arrived on Asgard, just in time to catch Thor's latest scrap with Loki.

And Daredevil wraps up his epic encounter with the Tribune.

That's the villain, not the newspaper.

It's all kicking off for our heroes.

Captain Britain battles a monster made of rubbish. After the monster's incapacitated, Cap heads for the nearest junkyard, seeking out the source of its power, travels down a big pipe and encounters a talking rodent.

I know. We've all been there.

Meanwhile, the Avengers are still battling the Absorbing Man who's still, presumably, trying to flee the country.

And, in a thriller reprinted from the 1960s, Diablo's battling that self-same team, with the help of Dragon Man.

It's aviation anarchy when brand-new villain the Ravager decides to destroy a busy London airport.

Luckily, Iron Fist's there to tackle him - only to discover the villain's none other than Radion in disguise.

And, also, to discover Misty Knight has a bionic arm.

From what I can make out, in the Inhumans' strip, Black Bolt goes on the rampage and gives the hidden city of Attilan a good trashing.

Elsewhere, Omega's still battling Electro.

It's a big day for everyone, as Mike McMahon of Judge Dredd fame arrives in Doctor Who magazine, for the first time, thanks to a strip drawn by him which goes by the title Junkyard Demon.

There's also a look back at The Krotons, The Carnival of Monsters, Logopolis, An Unearthly Child and The Three Doctors.

Not content with all that, this issue also gives us another picture strip, called Skywatch, featuring those pesky shape-shifting Zygons, which is set to conclude in the magazine's winter special.

Two tales assail our senses, this time. Each of them, indubitably, packed with dinosaurs.

One is To Forgive Dephine! while the other is When the Sea Gives Up Its Dead!

Tragically, I cannot say what either of these tales involves.

But I do know we also get a Paul Neary interview in which he talks about the Timesmasher series that's being produced for Marvel UK.

Granted, off the top of my head, I couldn't tell you just what the Timeshmasher series involves.

It really is a case of, "Unlucky for some," as issue #13 proves to be the last ever for the Hulk's digest-sized adventures.

Still, at least the title goes out with some style, as the green goliath must defeat the alien menace of the Space Parasite who's scoured the universe, looking for people to fight and has finally stumbled upon the Hulk.

I must confess that, for a long time, in my youth, I got the Space Parasite mixed up with the Space Phantom and couldn't understand why he'd changed appearance so dramatically between his debut in the Hulk's strip and his, "return," in the Avengers'.

It's yet more fun for Conan as he gets to take on the Devil-Beasts of Nergal. How he's not got PTSD by now is anyone's guess.

Whether those devil beasts are any relation to the Hands of Nergal, I cannot say.

Apparently, what happens in this tale is Conan fights for the Turanian army, against the forces of Munthassem Khan and then rides off with someone called Hildico.

But it turns out there's one foe even Conan can't defeat.

And that's cancellation, because this, as far as I can make out, is the book's last-ever appearance.

And, like the Hulk's pocket book, it bows out after 13 issues.

Or does it?

The attentive observer will have noticed that issue #7 of this book would appear to have never have been published, as we went straight from issue #6 to #8 with nothing in between. Meaning this is, in fact, the 12th issue, despite its claim to be the 13th.

How very curious.

No cancellation worries for this one, just yet.

Instead, it's a hundred pages of FF goodness when the team finds itself in a Latverian copy of The Prisoner and it all ends with an anti-climax, as Dr Doom decides he doesn't want his lovely art collection damaged in a punch-up.

And it's 100 pages of action from Spider-Man, as well.

This time, we get his epic clash with Doctor Octopus, AKA the Master-Planner, which famously climaxes with our hero lifting a huge heap of machinery from himself, driven on by thoughts of Aunt May.

Marvel UK's Blake's 7 mag hits its mighty second issue, although I do have to say its title doesn't exactly leap out at you on that cover. I'm no expert but I'm fairly sure that's not the world's greatest marketing.

Regardless, it seems that, besides various articles and features, we get a colour pin-up and the chance to win a plane transporter.

I'm guessing that's a toy one and not a real one, as a real one would likely be of little use to most readers.

We also get a comic strip called Autona... Planet of Lies! but I don't know what that involves, other than a planet of lies.

It's Star Trek! It's the Inhumans! It's the Micronauts!

I know nothing of what happens in the Star Trek strip but it looks like the Micronauts are fighting a glowing polar bear with a mysterious symbol on its chest.

It would seem, also, that we're being treated to the origin of the Inhumans. Whether it's the story Jack Kirby drew, or another one, I cannot say.

Well, judging by that picture, it looks like Conan's got himself into a spot of bother.

Or has he? The cover's reprinted from the US  Savage Sword of Conan #6 but the story within is taken from the US Savage Sword of Conan #51.

That tale's called Satyr's Blood and I'm unfamiliar with it, though I do know it's adapted from L. Sprague de Camp and Lin Carter's Conan the Liberator.

More merry Marvel mirth hits our eyeballs.

This time, drawn from the pages of 1968's Not Brand Echh #6.

When it comes to the book's main strip, we get a tale called The Pandora Effect. Exactly what it involves, I'd struggle to say but it features characters with names like Vor Childermoss, Leelu, Wutzek, Mavin, Suzal, Chell and Chokla. So, it must be good.

Elsewhere, Kilraven's having a battle with Skar's tripod.

And it's not going very well.

It's another 100 page spectacular, as the Mimic makes his doppelgänging debut in a tale called Lo! Now Shall Appear the Mimic which I, of course, inevitably misread as Lol. Now Shall Appear the Mimic!

But that's not all, as the mighty mutants also come up against the Blob and Unus the Untouchable who've taken to robbing banks while dressed up as our heroes.

The X-Men think they've got problems in their pocket book but that's nothing besides the challenge facing them in their monthly mag.

That's because they have to survive the annoying menace of Arcade and his daft games of death.

Can even the help of Spider-Man save them from pinball horror?

It's quite a rarity for Dracula to make the cover of the book, these days. That honour's usually reserved for the (seemingly) more commercial Man-Thing.

All I know is we get 100 pages of action, and the count of cunning's hiding out in the village of Littlepool.

Where is Littlepool?

Is it anything like Liverpool?

Or Littlehampton?

Why he's there?

Who can possibly say?

Worzel Gummidge #2 smashes its way into our lives. And no crow is safe.

Apparently, we get 40 pages of fun, games and the chance to win an album featuring Worzel Gummidge singing.

I think we've all always dreamt of such a thing.

And, as if that wasn't enough, we could even win an Aunt Sally doll!

Stay out of your garden, kids, because the Triffids are on the loose!

At least, that's what the BBC wants us to think, thanks to its brand, spanking new adaptation of the legendary book.

And Starburst is right on hand to give us all the hot goss on it.

There's also an interview with the special effects genius behind Blake's 7 and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, as well as features on monster movie posters, Disney's Sleeping Beauty and The Thief of Baghdad.

Tragedy hits Steve Does Comics as the most obscure book Marvel UK's ever created hits its final issue, with #13.

As so often, I've been totally incapable of finding any copies of this month's cover online nor any information about its contents but, as always, I'm willing to go out on a limb and wager that copious tears are shed within it.

Goodbye, Young Romance pocket book, we barely knew ye.

Literally.

The Marvel Lucky Bag - November 1971.

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

***

Various were the things of interest which lurked within our cinemas in November 1971.

For instance, if we handed over our money, we could watch the likes of I, Monster, Fiddler on the Roof or even Black Beauty.

Oddity of the month had to be Who Killed Mary What's 'Er Name? which, Wikipedia informs me, is a Red Buttons movie concerning the murder of a prostitute. Dismayed by police indifference, a local resident decides to conduct his own investigation.

However, the big film news for some of us is the month saw the release of Steven Spielberg's Duel, a drama that so impressed TV bosses they gave it a cinematic release and it later had the honour of forming the backbone of an entire episode of The Incredible Hulk.

Who can forget Dennis Weaver's epic battle with a homicidal juggernaut?

I can't.

And I haven't.

Over on the UK singles chart, while all that was going on, an equally historic event was transpiring, as Slade scored the first of their six Number Ones, thanks to the violin-heavy foot-stomper the world knows as Coz I Luv You.

I must confess that if there's one single in all existence I'd choose to be stranded on a desert island with it'd be Coz I Luv You with its mixture of the menacing and the naive, and a mood that somehow feels like a thing from before the dawn of history but also like the heralding of an imminent new age.

So mighty was that single that it held the Number One slot for the whole month. Things were far more volatile on the British album chart, however, with three different LPs claiming the top spot, that November.

First up was Rod Stewart's Every Picture Tells a Story, followed by Top of The Pops Volume 20, and, finally, Four Symbols by Led Zeppelin, an album of which I cannot claim to have ever heard.

I have, at least, heard of all the comics below.

Can anything stop the threat of Gorilla-Man?

The scientist responsible certainly hopes not, for he plans to swap his brain with that of a great ape so he can use its strength to conduct a crime spree.

In our second tale, a man survives a meeting with Medusa, thanks to being blind.

Next, an ageing space pilot's mocked for his slow ship but, when an alien armada approaches our world, he's the only one not moving too fast to see it.

After that one, a married couple receive a free TV from Plutonian invaders out to hypnotise us all. Happily, the plot's foiled when a grumpy landlord removes the aerial.

Next, Martians visit Earth to find out whether humans are a threat to them. They question a man and discover he's devoid of greed, hatred and deceit. Thus, the aliens leave, a happy bunch - completely unaware they've been talking to a psychiatric patient.

But wait. What's this? We finish the issue with the return of the fiend who started it all, as Gorilla-Man makes his senses-shattering comeback?

Iron Man gets only his second-ever annual - and a fight with the Crusher who I remember being some sort of Cuban wrestler and tyrant of ever-increasing mass.

Then again, I could be remembering totally wrongly.

Marvel Spotlight makes its first appearance, and Red Wolf makes his reappearance.

Or does he?

It seems that, despite looking identical to him and also having a lupine sidekick, this is not the Red Wolf who'd previously turned up in the Avengers' comic.

Iron Man may have had just two annuals, so far but Nick Fury's managed to clock up seven!

This one reprints issues #29 and #30 of his regular mag, in which Baron Strucker's out to destroy the town of Cherbeaux.

Fury fights Strucker to a stalemate and the Nazi agrees to spare the town but then, because he's evil, goes on to destroy it, regardless.

And the X-Men get their second annual.

In it, the team defeat Colosso in a training exercise but Scott's jealous of Warren's relationship with Jean, while Professor X frets over his inability to walk.

And, as if that wasn't enough to worry about, Count Nefaria then captures our heroes and places a crystalline dome over Washington!

But I know what everyone's really asking.

And that's, "What's mmmMillie the Model up to?"

Well, she's having her tenth annual. Take that, Nick Fury.

And she's doing it via a whole string of reprints from the 1960s.

But hold on a minute!

So popular is mmmMillie that she actually has two annuals out at the same time!

Is there no stopping the wwwoman?

I must confess I'm only including this one because it mentions Woodstock on the cover.

As well as It Happened at Woodstock! we get Jilted! With a Boy's Arms Around Me! I Stand in Sally's Shadow! and A Teen-Ager Can Also Hate! from the likes of Gary Friedrich, Gray Morrow, Stan Lee, Don Heck, Al Hartley, Jack Kirby and Suzan.

I suspect Suzan may be Stan Lee but cannot officially confirm it.

Eagle-eyed readers will notice something new.

Yes, this comic's priced at eight pence and not the usual one shilling. Truly, the Marvel Age of Decimalisation has arrived.

This isn't an annual but it does feature a massive 52 pages, meaning it takes a whole heap of story-telling to fill it.

And it gets that heap.

Subby's searching for his father but stumbles across a ship dumping radioactive waste near a lighthouse. With a tip-off from the lighthouse keeper, the avenging son shows up in Boston seeking out Stephen Tuval of the Black Sea People's royal family. Tuval then ambushes some flower children Namor's befriended, and drains them of their youth, before Subby puts a stop to his antics.

Meanwhile, Llyra's decided to ally herself with Tiger Shark.