Fifty years ago this month - January 1971.

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

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Everyone knows the big problem with cricket is it's like watching paint dry - but slower.

However, in January 1971, a cure for this tedium was found, as the first-ever One-Day International was played, between Australia and England, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Having never seen the game in question, I cannot comment on whether it was a thriller but, if it wasn't, at least it didn't last long.

Something else that hadn't lasted long was the second Emley Moor transmitter in West Yorkshire, which had managed to collapse in early 1969. However, this month, nearly two years later, its magnificent replacement began broadcasting from the same spot. The new, improved tower was 1084 feet tall and is still, 50 years later, Britain's tallest freestanding structure. Take that, Shard.

Arkon's back and causing no end of trouble.

Is this the one in which he abducts the Scarlet Witch, having decided he wants to marry her?

I've no doubt the Avengers will soon show him the error of his ways.

Then again, I espy the Enchantress on that cover. I struggle to recall just what her part in all this is but I have some vague memory that it involves the Black Knight, in some way.

I do believe MODOK's decided to unleash a giant robot upon Harlem.

Poor old Harlem, it just can't get a break in early 1970s Marvel comics.

Apparently, we're also treated to the origin of the big-headed chair-sitter himself.

From what I can remember, he was a humble AIM operative who got subjected to that organisation's most diabolical plan yet.

But perhaps this tale gives us a different explanation?

Come to think of it, is this the original MODOK? Wasn't the first one killed in his debut appearance and then replaced by another?

Daredevil finds himself battling the mirror-spawned menace of Tagak the leopard lord.

I've a feeling Tagak's actually a good guy and that, once the obligatory misunderstanding's out of the way, he and DD team-up to tackle some fugitive ne'er-do-well from another world.

I think this is the end of John Romita's short run on the strip, as Reed, Sue and Johnny try to stop the mystery monster that's running amok in the streets of NYC, while Ben sits in a chair, at home, and waits to be turned into a normal man again.

Kang devises a genius scheme to send the Hulk back in time to kill Bruce Banner's ancestor the Phantom Eagle, so the Hulk will never have existed and, therefore, the Avengers will never have formed and, therefore, Kang will never have suffered the defeats that have prevented him from gaining control of the 20th Century.

Let's hope no one points out to him that if the Hulk kills his own ancestor and never exists, it'll be impossible for him to go back in time and kill his own ancestor, thus completely wrecking Kang's genius scheme.

The Spy-Master's around.

He's infiltrated Tony Stark's factory.

That's all I know.

Come to think of it, that cover looks familiar. Have I done this book before?

Gwen Stacy's brought-in wannabe district attorney Sam Bullit to stop Spider-Man, following the death of her father.

Spidey, of course, comes up with a brilliant plan to win her over.

It involves abducting her and threatening her.

What a great boyfriend.

Luckily, Iceman's on hand to put a stop to all that kind of nonsense and, after the obligatory fight, he and Spider-Man team-up to rescue Joe Robertson from Bullit's evil clutches.

It's the start of Thor's epic quest to discover just who's behind the giant hand that's wiping out entire galaxies.

And what does it all have to do with the mysterious Silent One who's taken to hanging around in Odin's living room and being needlessly enigmatic?