Forty years ago today - July 1982.

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

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Right now, the nation basks in sunshine. But not for us the joys of sunbathing. Better, by far, to bask in what Marvel Comics was giving us forty years ago.

Now that the Avengers are back on Earth, they need to get their membership list sorted out.

But, first, the female contenders for the job must deal with the mind-numbing return of the Mechano-Marauder and his unconquerable suit of armour.

Which they quickly conquer.

As far as I can recall, this all leads to She-Hulk joining the team.

One can only hope she hangs around for longer than Hellcat and Tigra did.

Holy plot contrivances, Batman! Captain America's current girlfriend turns out to be an obsessive wrestling fan but when she and he see the masked wrestler known as Mr X kill another fighter in the ring, it's time for the star-spangled super-doer to intervene and bring the aggravating grappler to justice.

But is all as it seems?

And how is the legendarily principled ex-wrestler King Arthur involved in all this?

Given Mr X's tactic of winning fights by leaping all around the ring, I was hoping he'd turn out to be the Kangaroo but, sadly, he doesn't.

If I remember rightly, Matt Murdock's lawyering skills get a man off a murder charge.

Only for it to turn out he's guilty!

Now Daredevil and the Punisher hunt him down. But will DD go against his principles and shoot the villain?

The cover says yes. I'm going to say no.

All I can recall of this issue is that Frankie Raye becomes Galactus' new herald.

Is it a decision the flame-flinging female will come to regret?

I suspect she will. After all, all of Galactus' previous heralds have.

Having put Madame Web in hospital, Juggernaut's still on the rampage, and Spider-Man's out to stop him.

But, as we all know, nothing can stop the Juggernaut.

In fact, it turns out wet cement can stop the Juggernaut.

I'm not sure wet cement should be able to stop the Juggernaut.

Remember Mendel Stromm, the employee who once had a run-in with Norman Osborn before being shot dead by a mystery sniper who turned out to be Osborn himself?

Well, now he's back.

Except he isn't - because he's dead.

However, his robot duplicate's still very much with us and, now, Spidey must deal with his deadly robots of lethal death.

The fairly duff story, in which Thor must work out what to do with a bunch of weird Asgardians who've accidentally taken possession of some Midgardians, continues.

I'm struggling to remember how it all concludes but I'm sure all's well that ends well.

It's the story we thought we'd never see, as the world's mightiest mutants have to thwart the power of Dracula.

I'm not sure if he's the same Dracula we're used to in Marvel comics, because he doesn't really look like him.

But, whoever he is, he takes a shine to Storm and starts helping himself to her blood, as she falls more and more under his control.

From that cover, you've probably already guessed that Bill Sienkiewicz draws this issue.

Conan finds himself holding the baby, as he's lumbered with the task of delivering it safely to its father.

There's just one problem. A river monster's out to get it off him.

And, when that's despatched, so is another one.

Luckily, it turns out the second one is the child's father. So, when it gets its tentacles on the tyke, it's a case of mission accomplished.

The Hulk still has Bruce Banner's brain - and Bruce is determined to use his power to help people.

Therefore, when he finds some farmers being harassed by aliens, he doesn't hesitate to give the aliens a thrashing.

That's when he discovers the beings were friendly and had been trying to end starvation on Earth. And now they won't.

Oops!

The Serpent Squad are back but, sadly, I always get them mixed up with Salem's Seven.

Whoever they are, I've no recollection of what their plan is or why they turn up in Iron Man's life.

But I've no doubt he makes quick work of them.