Fifty years ago this month - August 1971.

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

***

Showjumping. As we all know, it's a genteel sport for the toffs, cucumber sandwich eaters and people who can't get through a sentence without declaring, "I say!"

But not this month in 1971, it wasn't.

That's because, that August, Harvey Smith was stripped of his victory in the British Show Jumping Derby for giving the V sign. Who he gave it to and why, I don't know but, all around the country, the shocked monocles of retired colonels were, doubtless, falling out and landing in glasses of port, at this latest scandal.

But did Smith only do that once? I kind of assumed he did it every single time he competed. Wasn't that basically his claim to fame?

Elsewhere in the world of sport, that month saw construction begin on New Orleans' Louisiana Superdome.

And Chay Blyth became the first person to sail around the world from east to west, against the prevailing winds.

On a more serious note, it was the month in which Australia and New Zealand decided to withdraw their troops from Vietnam.

In a break from the norm, instead of battling super-villains, everyone's favourite webhead tackles a prison riot and then goes on TV to call for penal reform.

Right on, Spidey.

Obviously, the authorities listen to Spider-Man's demands because he's a well-respected figure and...

Ah. I think I've just spotted the flaw in his plan.

Cap traces a missing policeman to a graveyard and, for reasons that aren't altogether clear to me, that leads a fight with the Grey Gargoyle.

Happily, our hero survives the encounter and then leaves the Falcon to follow the villain to his lair while he himself goes off to have a meeting with Nick Fury.

I'm willing to bet good money that Redwing is turned to stone at some point in this tale.

From what I recall of this one, Conan does his usual grave-robbing routine but quickly learns he's disturbed more than he bargained for.

I do believe that's Jenna on the cover, rather than the usual random hapless lovely.

It's the man without fear vs the man without trousers, as the Man-Bull goes on the rampage.

I've always liked the Man-Bull. I find his nastiness appealing.

And, while all that's going on, Foggy's busy trying to deal with the mysterious Mr Kline's blackmail attempt.

The Over-Mind's on the loose, doing whatever it is he's doing, for whatever reason, it is he's doing it.

And it seems there's no one can stop him.

No doubt the Watcher will refuse to get involved, in the same way that he always refuses to get involved.

Iron Man continues his tradition of coming across as being feeble and futile on his covers.

Frankly, I don't have a clue what happens in this one but it seems the White Dragon dies.

But I don't know who the White Dragon is.

He's not that villain who turned up in that issue of Spider-Man, is he?

Is this the one where Loki claims the throne of Asgard and tries to get his leg over with Sif then creates the Demolisher?

I always liked the Demolisher. Was he ever seen again after this story?

I hope so, if only because he smashed the Silver Surfer's board into pieces. Not being a fan of the Surfer, I liked to see the pewter plonker suffer.

Trouble was, suffering just gave him even more motivation to complain about everything.

It's another one of whose contents I am majestically ignorant.

I do know, though, that it contains Lucifer and we discover how Professor X lost the use of his legs.

I know that because the cover tells me so.

This, on the other hand, is a comic I know plenty about.

Steve Does Comics' favourite Asgardian makes her second-ever appearance, as campaigning women's libber Samantha Parrington adopts the Valkyrie mantle to give male chauvinist pig the Hulk a lesson in feminism. One he, needless to say, completely fails to learn.

But how could anyone not love a comic with a cover like that?

The prelude to the Kree/Skrull War continues, as the Avengers find themselves at one of the Earth's poles, battling Ronan, the Sentry and their own member Goliath, while Hank Pym and the Wondrous Wasp find everything getting too hairy for comfort.

So, that's what Marvel was giving us that month.

But even Marvel isn't the whole of reality.

And, thus, for comparison, here's a quick look at some of the more eye-catching output DC was producing at the same time.

I'm posting this one purely because of Supergirl's latest catastrophic costume. Seriously, what's even holding it on?

Apart from battling against wardrobe disaster, she also has to contend with a bunch of Mer-Men.

In the back-up strip, we get the menace of Satan Girl.

Wasn't Satan Girl some sort of short-lived clone of Supergirl or something?

I've no knowledge of what transpires in this one but that's another striking cover by Neal Adams, in a style reminiscent of the way Jim Aparo would later handle the same character.

Mister Miracle hits his third issue by encountering the Paranoid Pill.

Apparently, Dr Bedlam traps Scott in a skyscraper full of berserk people but I have no idea who either of those people are.

I'm assuming Scott is the real name of Mr Miracle.

I'm assuming Dr Bedlam is a villain.

Superman once again proves he's the biggest menace humanity's ever encountered, when he brings an alien vegetable to Earth and plants it.

Then it grows up evil and tries to kill Lois!

Step aside, Dark Phoenix, because it would appear a malevolent spirit has decided to possess Wonder Girl!

But we don't care about that. All that really matters is that awesome cover by Nick Cardy.