Fifty years ago this month - October 1970.

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

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October 1970 presented us with both good news and bad news from the world of music.

The good was Pink Floyd released Atom Heart Mother which became their first Number One album in the UK, although it only peaked at Number 55 in the United States. It did, however, achieve gold status in both countries and went platinum in Italy. Those Italians clearly liked their Floyd.

Not so happily, Janis Joplin died from a drug overdose and became yet another rock star to die at the age of 27.

Still alive and well was the Soviet author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn who, in that month, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.

For those who like to splash around underwater, there were exciting events, as October also saw the discovery of the wreck of Confederate submarine Hunley, off South Carolina. Hunley held the distinction of being the first submarine in history to ever have sunk a ship in warfare.

It's, for me, one of the less memorable of this era's Avengers tales, as our heroes and Red Wolf find themselves up against that bloke with the Dutch name who'll go on to become the leader of Zodiac.

Given the presence of Red Wolf, I'm assuming the villain's inflicting serious ecological damage on Native American land.

In which case, it's a massive disappointment that Tomazooma doesn't show up to teach him a lesson.

Mitra's teeth! Robert E Howard's greatest creation gets his own comic and Barry Smith gets his chance to shine, as a whole new era begins for Marvel Comics, that of licensed properties.

My memories of this are that there's a dead bigfoot at the beginning of it, a queen with slaves in the middle of it, and a shot of a space-walking astronaut at the end of it. How could you not love it?

And how could you not love that cover? Bazza may not have hit his peak yet but I do have to say that's an image that'd make me want to rapidly liberate a book from its spinner rack.

What's this? Batroc, the Porcupine and Whirlwind? How on Earth can even the walking flag possibly defeat all three of those at once?

Realistically, he couldn't.

But he does.

Because it's his comic.

If I remember right, there's some villain or other trying to stir up unrest on the campuses of America, and Cap has to deliver a speech to calm down the nation. One where, proving he's not the square we may all have suspected him to be, he declares there's nothing sacred about the status quo.

Either that or he says there's nothing sacred about Status Quo. In which case, he's wrong because there's nothing more sacred than Status Quo.

I have a feeling the promised appearance by the Hulk is a cheat and he's just appearing in a film Steve Rogers is watching in the cinema, just before he goes into another of his moans about being a man out of his time.

This isn't one I remember but the internet informs me Daredevil and the Panther take on a gang called the Thunderbolts while a boy's life hangs in the balance.

Given the presence of street gangs, I shall assume this is another piece of social commentary, to rival that of this month's Captain America.

It's a major shock for readers, as Jack Kirby, the man who's drawn every issue of the book from #1 onwards, disappears without trace, to be replaced by the man who draws Spider-Man.

Yes, Jazzy John makes his debut on the strip. His run on it may not be long but some of us still recall it with affection.

Meanwhile, Magneto's scheme to manipulate Atlantis into waging war on New York progresses malevolently.

Those dastardly blaggards Hydra recruit the temporary services of Jim Wilson.

I'm pretty sure they do it in order to trick him into stealing some secret plans from under Thunderbolt Ross's nose.

And, of course, that, inevitably, brings them into conflict with the Hulk.

And, inevitably, he smashes them to pieces.

But we also nearly get the death of Jim.

And we get a short-lived truce with Thunderbolt Ross.

I'm struggling very badly to remember this one but I'm assuming Shellhead's in Japan.

I think there may be some sort of Japanese nationalist stuff going on and, possibly, a robot dragon and a nice old man and his daughter who help our hero defeat the forces of evil.

And computers.

I do believe this is Gil Kane's arrival on the strip.

And, as far as I can remember, it involves everyone thinking Doc Ock's been killed in an exploding plane - only for him to turn up, alive and well, thanks to the protective power of his terrifying tentacles.

Loki's still in Thor's body and threatening the United Nations.

Meanwhile, the Warriors Three - and Sif - have ventured into Mephisto's realm, in order to free the real thunder god from the clutches of the Lord of Evil; possibly, after Odin's banished him there, thanks to Odin being a king-sized numpty who never listens to a word anyone says.