With the success of Star Wars came a science fiction craze, and suddenly the onus was on DC Thompson's writers to come up with tales that combined the best aspects of otherworldly fantasy with those of footballing glory.

And so, with a nostalgic eye on days gone by, DangerHere is proud to bring you the top five outlandish DC Thompson FA Cup stories that either were told or should have been told.

There's a spotter's badge going to any reader who can successfully identify the two stories that really did appear in these comics.

1. Getty's Glory

Richard Getty is a brickie from Oop North who plays part-time for Fourth Division Seldale Utd. He has a fat friend who's into astronomy, and who sees mysterious lights in the sky above Seldale that he reports to the RAF. However, he's done so at exactly the wrong time, because the RAF duly come to the town and put everyone into isolation the day before the FA Cup Final, which Seldale have reached thanks to Richard's skill. Richard leads a breakout from the isolation labs, along with the other players and many supporters.

Just as it looks as though they're going to be recaptured, they're saved by aliens who, as it turns out, are responsible for the lights in the sky above Seldale. The aliens explain that they have come to earth to study the FA Cup final so that they can return to their planet with knowledge of how to reinvigourate their tired civilisation, which has run out of things to achieve. They lower the Seldale players onto the pitch at Wembley just before kick-off, and Seldale go on the win the Cup with a last minute goal scored by Richard.

2. The Man in Black

Don Kellett is a man with no past. He finds himself penniless and with no memory. His thoughts are dominated by a driving compulsion to sign up for struggling Second Division side Bradfield Town. This he does by turning up at the training ground unannounced and impressing the manager with his considerable skill. He leads Bradfield steadily through round after round of the FA Cup.

However, he's being stalked by the Man in Black, a mysterious stranger dressed in a skintight black costume with utility belt. Then another mysterious geezer, the Man in Grey, turns up, and tries to bump off Don. It turns out that the Man in Black is Don's bodyguard, and the Man in Grey is out to kill him. Don himself is a time-traveller from the 23rd Century who's come back in time to win the FA Cup as a kind of rite of passage.

3. Arena

Tommy Timmons is centre forward with Second Division Hannsworth City, who have made it to the FA Cup Final thanks to Tommy's clinical finishing. In the hotel the night before the final, however, the entire team is abducted by aliens who fly them away to a distant planet, home of the Galaxy's greatest sporting event, the Arena.

Here, the lads are expected to represent their alien captors in gladiatorial combat against the most fearsome alien warriors in known space. The goalie, Charlie Bixton, is killed in the first contest, alerting the lads to the seriousness of their plight. However, in the end they manage to gain the help of benign aliens who abhor the savagery of the Arena, and admire the peaceful principles of Association Football.

The aliens take them back to Earth, restore goalie Bixton to life, and use a time-warp effect to return them to the exact moment when they were originally abducted. None of them remembers their adventure, but Tommy sees their spaceship in the sky as he lifts the FA Cup in victory, and it all comes back to him. He decides not to say anything to the other lads because they'll think he's "barmy".

4. Ryal the Magnificent

Ryal is a teenager who lives with adoptive parents somewhere in the south of England. He shows uncommon footballing skill and signs up for lowly Canbury Rovers, where he quickly establishes himself as a key player. However, Jake Bailey, a dogged reporter, is suspicious about Ryal. He tries to discover Ryal's true identity, and causes the young lad no end of botherment.

It turns out that Ryal is an alien lizard who has taken human form to come to Earth to win the FA Cup as a kind of rite of passage. This he duly does, then reassumes lizard form, and is picked up by his true parents, who turn out to be the Royal Family of their homeworld. Ryal had to win the Cup to prove himself worthy of becoming ruler of their world.

5. The Terror Twins

Ray and Davy Hanwick are twin brothers who play for lower-division side Fenmouth Utd. Early in the season, the cockier of the two, Davy, is signed up for big money by top side Milworth, renowned for their dirty play. Ray is pleased for his brother, but has a bad feeling about the deal. Both brothers progress through the FA Cup with their teams until, both teams in the final, Ray receives a scribbled note from his brother pleading for help. Davy is after discovering the terrible secret at the heart of the Milworth side.

Ray drives down to Milworth and breaks into the club after dark where he finds Davy being held captive in an equipment closet. They try to get out, but are discovered by two Milworth defenders in matching tracksuits. In the ensuing fight, Ray strikes one of the Milworth defenders, and a control panel in his chest opens - the big secret is that the Milworth side are all robots. That's why they're able to tackle so heavily.

The twins are subdued and brought to a secret underground lair beneath Milworth's pitch where hundreds of replacement robots for each player are stacked awaiting use. These have all been constructed by Dr. von Kirst, an evil genius bent on dominating English soccer. The lads eventually contrive to escape, having caused enough damage to render the robots vulnerable in the final. Ray leads Femouth to a resounding victory against the robots, and then Davy decides to rejoin Fenmouth for next season.