Forty years ago today - August 1983.

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

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Look out, Past! Here we come!

This month's exciting developments are that, despite - or possibly because of - his recent heart attack, Dum Dum Dugan is appointed deputy director of SHIELD, and Cap has to deal with an escalating domestic abuse situation that involves a gun-toting drunkard.

Cloak and Dagger are back!

And so is the Punisher who uses the Boomerang's talents to escape the prison he's been held in.

I have a strong suspicion that, with all these vigilantes on the roam, It can only be a matter of time before the four of them come to blows.

When Jane Foster's former boyfriend starts publicly accusing Don Blake of having murdered her, Thor feels he has no choice but to visit the man and take him and Sif to the homeworld of Kamo Tharnn in search of the Runestaff which might restore the late nurse to life.

But is there any trace of her left to resurrect?

Things enter High-Drama Mode when Galactus decides it's about time he stopped dieting and ate the Skrull homeworld.

But, back on Earth, the Richardses only concern is finding a new house to live in.

And, also, Sue's just revealed she's once again pregnant.

I remember this tale containing a strange sequence in which Galactus has a conversation with Death who's portrayed as being his sister or somesuch. Is this an element that's new or have I just not been paying enough attention previously?

I can shed no light upon what transpires within the pages of this epic, other than to say it features the villains Bolar and Pendak and that they both die - as all who cross Conan tend to.

It's Crisis Time because Tony Stark's losing battle with the bottle has seen him lose control of his company to arch-nemesis Obadiah Stane.

Meanwhile, the triumphant Stane sends Rhodey on a wild goose chase to liberate a woman called Indries Moomji from people who call themselves the Sisterhood of Ishtar. He succeeds in that but is everything as it seems to be?

It's a big day for us all, as Mary Jane returns from wherever it is she's been!

And walks straight in on Peter canoodling with another man's woman.

Is MJ upset about this?

Of course she's not. She's MJ.

But just why is she back and how does it relate to the rest of this issue?

That, I can't answer because I don't recall anything of the rest of this issue. Clearly, whoever is its villain is seriously unmemorable.

The X-Men arrive in Japan, for Wolverine's wedding but the groom's not happy to see Rogue among them.

And that's the least of his problems because world-class party pooper Viper shows up and poisons the whole lot of them!

There's only one thing for it. Wolvie will have to go after her lackey the Silver Samurai - with Rogue in tow.

It looks like we're about to get yet another stab at telling the definitive origin of the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, as Wanda spends the whole issue chatting about it with She-Hulk or Captain Marvel or someone.

I have to say that cover wouldn't exactly get me desperate to buy this comic.

The man without fear travels all the way to Japan where he allies himself with Dark Wind's daughter in a bid to prevent the crippled Bullseye from being repaired with a metal skeleton, Wolverine style.

But, hold on. The X-Men are in Japan? Daredevil's in Japan? There's a bid to turn Bullseye into Wolverine Mark II? Do I detect an impending crossover?

It's an odd one when the Hulk travels to a future in which the Earth's remaining populace are kept in a permanent state of warfare, thanks to them being constantly brainwashed by a giant statue of the long-dead Kang.

Can the emerald scientist bring an end to the nightmare?

And can Marvel avoid being sued by Harlan Ellison over the yarn's resemblance to his tale Soldier?