It was forty years ago today.

Soothsayers might say beware the Ides of March but I say behold the 1st. That makes it a brand new month and that means the return of the feature where I attempt to look at what our favourite Marvel heroes were up to exactly forty years ago.

It's like a lesson in how not to put together a comic book as we get the story of Janus the Nega-Man, a tale cobbled together from a rejected Jack Kirby story that was left lying around, as John Buscema adds a load of new panels in an effort to make it work. I think it'd be fair to say it wasn't an experiment that succeeded.

Gwen Stacy's gone, and Aunt May manages to get herself kidnapped by the Beetle who's ultimately defeated by a swimming pool. We also get a retelling of Spider-Man's origin. There were a lot of great Spidey stories published around this time but, for me, this has never been one of them.

Still stuck in an alternate world, the Avengers team-up with the not-altogether competent Squadron Supreme to take on Brain-Child, the world's most evil ankle-biter.

In one of the very first American comics I ever owned, Captain America and the Falcon tangle with a human gorilla. I remember being entranced by Cap's costume which, to my eight year old self, seemed positively mind-blowing.

From the cover, I'm assuming everyone's gone blind. Was this an Angar the Screamer appearance?

How great is this tale? The Hulk on a spaceship, in pursuit of the Moby Dick of space while having to deal with the threat of the Abomination. Frankly, if you don't like stories like this, you don't like stories.

Another of those Iron Man tales I have no memory of. It clearly features Nick Fury and Zodiac. It's not fair; with Nick Fury and Zodiac involved, how was I ever going to stand a chance of remembering it?

I don't recall the exact details of what happens this issue but it's the John Buscema era and it's got Hela and she's after Thor, so I have no doubt it was all rather fab and groovy.