Fifty years ago today - March 1963.

A wise man once declared, "Beware the Ides of March!"

But it's the ideas of March we're interested in right now, as it's time to look back at what our favourite Marvel heroes were up to exactly fifty years ago.

And, as we'll see, it turned out to be a significant month indeed for our ever-expanding company.

Spider-Man finally gets his own comic and celebrates by giving the Fantastic Four a punch in the bracket.

Just as Spider-Man's comic makes its debut, so the Incredible Hulk's bows out, as we see the last issue of that title until the late 1960s.

It's even more bad news for the Hulk. Not only is his comic about to be cancelled but now he's got the Fantastic Four after him.

What with facing Spider-Man and the Hulk, it was clearly a packed month for our heroes.

And it's about to get even busier - because now they find themselves up against the unstoppable menace of the Acrobat.

But, I mean, seriously, how on Earth can a man who can fly and has his own built-in flame-thrower possibly hope to prevail against a man who can do forward rolls?

Poor old Ant-Man. Every month seems to heap a fresh new indignity upon a man who now finds himself helpless in the face of a spent matchstick and a cricket.

Why do I get the feeling that next month's cover'll see him menaced by a blob of chewing gum?

Spidey isn't the only one making his debut this month - because March 1963 also sees the arrival of Iron Man.

And, miraculously, he manages to get through the entire issue without once fighting the Fantastic Four.

Can even Thor prevail against the Carbon Copy Man?

More to the point, looking at him, who exactly is he supposed to be a carbon copy of?