Fifty years ago today - December 1972.

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

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As you'd expect, I'm all excited by the ever-nearing approach of Christmas.

But will I be just as excited by the comics below?

Spider-Man comes up against his deadliest foe yet - Aunt May; as the wacky widow proves just how completely clueless she is, by siding with her new employer - and boyfriend - Dr Octopus.

I seem to remember this featuring the shocking return of the Space Phantom who's somehow managed to land himself a job as the Supreme Hydra.

Having said that, I can't recall exactly what his scheme is but I'm sure it's suitably nefarious.

I think it also involves flashbacks to the days when Rick Jones was Cap's sidekick.

I don't think I've ever read this tale but I'm fairly certain it features the showdown between the real Captain America and the 1950s imposter who likes nothing better than smashing up pinko commies like the real Captain America.

I'm not sure it's one of Barry Smith's better covers.  Conan's legs look too long for the rest of him, his sword and axe don't seem to be pointing in quite the right directions and the man he's resting his foot on doesn't seem to have a thick enough body to be real.

However, none of that matters. What matters is that, inside, our hero's taken captive in Makkalet and then has to fight his deadliest foe yet.

A big frog!

Daredevil and the Black Widow take on the might of the Indestructible Man but it's poor old Danny French who has to sacrifice himself to stop the villain.

The Frightful Four are back!

And, this time, they've got Thundra with them!

But who is this pulchritudinous powerhouse - and will she be too busy trying to snog the Thing to flatten him?

I genuinely have no clue what's going on here. I do know it features the first appearance of the Black Lama and also the death of Raga.

Sadly, I don't know who either of those people is.

The Absorbing Man's back! And Rutland, Vermont, will never be the same again!

I do believe this is another of those stories that features Tom Fagan and his Halloween activities.

And that means it must include a guest appearance from members of the Marvel Bullpen but I'm struggling to remember which ones. Are Len and Glynis Wein among them? And, possibly, Gerry Conway?

Before he goes mad and harasses the Hulk, the Cobalt Man goes mad and tries to make ex-men of the X-Men.

Sadly, his plan all goes wrong when his armour starts to be in danger of blowing up.

With him inside it!

It's another of my Hulk faves as, thanks to the Leader, he and the Rhino get a trip to Counter-Earth where he encounters the alternate Bruce Banner.

Meanwhile, on our Earth, Betty Ross is getting married to Glenn Talbot.

But that's enough of Marvel. We should never forget that, big as it is, it's not the only fish in town.

That in mind, let's peruse a random sample of what its closest rival's up to in the mags that bear a December cover date.

Neal Adams gives us a cheery cover but I'm not too sure the tale within is so cheery.

I've never read this one but it would appear that someone called Moe Malloy fishes a glowing gun and a pair of shoes from Metropolis harbour and promptly gains super powers.

Meanwhile, in our backup strip, the Human Target must pose as a business man, in order to prevent an assassination.

What's this? The Phantom Stranger? Confronting the Justice League of America?

It seems he's not just confronting them, he's out to recruit them to battle demons summoned during the Halloween Parade in Rutland, Vermont.

I'm assuming this means Tom Fagan's going to be showing up in this one, as well.

However, I can shed no light upon whether any Marvel or DC creatives enliven this one with a guest appearance.

It's certainly a Batman cover you'll never forget but what of the story within?

Sadly, I cannot answer that, as I've never read it. However, I can say that someone's demonstrating ways to kill Robin, via the medium of dummies.

But who can be behind it all?

And can Batman track them down in time to rescue the boy wonder?

It's a typically striking cover by Bernie Wrightson, although perhaps lacking his usual vigour.

As it turns out, none of the inside stories feature his artwork but we do get tales which boast such chilling titles as Waiting... Waiting... Waiting..., No Bed of Roses and The Village on the Edge of Forever.

Jim Aparo gives us another moody cover; this time, for a tale in which the Dark Circle captures Cassandra Craft, in order to lure the Phantom Stranger into a trap.

Elsewhere, Dr 13 has an encounter with a Creature of the Night.

But will even that be enough to dent his skepticism?

I know little of the contents of this one but I do know Tarzan frees a group of slaves who've been forced to work in a distinctly menacing mine.

And that there's a back-up strip called Beyond the Farthest Star which appears to feature both a merman and a script by Marv Wolfman that's adapted from a tale by Edgar Rice Burroughs himself.

My favourite war comic's back!

And, this time, we get tales that bear such chilling monikers as The Promise, Blood Brothers and The Last Battle, brought to us by the likes of Robert Kanigher, Alfredo Alcala, Gerry Talaoc and Alex Niño.

It's that legendary Samuel R Delany tale in which Diana Prince sets out to do something about a local businessman who's failed to have a suitable sprinkler system fitted in his factory in defiance of Subsection Something-or-Other of some civic ordinance or other.

I can't help feeling this isn't likely to be the plot of the next Wonder Woman movie.

I do recall that, despite it being a special Women's Lib issue, it's the one in which Diana tells us she can't stand women.

I suppose that would explain why she left Paradise Island, if nothing else.

More importantly, I've just discovered that my review of this issue was posted over ten years ago. What is this madness? Why does it feel like I wrote it just a few weeks ago?