May 1975 - Marvel Comics, Forty Years Ago Today.

Well what an exciting election that was. But can Marvel Comics' output of exactly forty years ago match it for thrills, spills, outrage, bewilderment, terror, delirium, hatred, madness and confusion?

I know I can. But can Marvel?

Here's where we find out.

Yet more of the increasingly interminable Celestial Madonna Saga. I loved reading it at the time but, blimey, it doesn't half seem to drag on when, thanks to doing this feature, you see it unfold in real time. There must have been children who started reading comics, grew up and stopped reading comics by the time it was completed.

Still, you can't complain about getting to see the Vision's origin.

Much as I love Gil Kane, I must confess that that is not the most stylish monster I've ever seen on the cover of a Conan comic.

I'm not sure if I've read this one. Does it feature a Hawkeye/Iron Man/Nick Fury guest appearance? Or was that a totally different story?

I'm not sure if I've read this one either.

It's not the one with the Outer Space ice hockey goalkeeper, is it?

Unlike that comic, I've definitely read this one - and thoroughly approve of it. As a child, I gained strange pleasure from the General Ross Captured By The Russians storyline.

According to the blurb, it's the battle I demanded.

Which is total rubbish. The battle I demanded was between John Cooper Clarke and Barney the Purple Dinosaur. And still Marvel never gave me it.

I shall never recover from the crushing disappointment.

A certain person returns from the dead.

Or does she?

I've read this one but don't remember much about it. Was Kamo Tharn some sort of druid or something?

Or was he something to do with Ancient Greece?

Or was he something to do with Conan-style sword and sorcery?

I'm remembering ruins but don't know of what sort.

I've read this one too - and in the not too distant past. Of course, that doesn't prevent me from failing to remember anything about it. Were there robots in it? Was Bucky in it? Is this the one where we find out the Falcon isn't what he seems to be?