Forty years ago today - July 1984.

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

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1984. A year made famous by George Orwell.

But could it be possible that it's the literature below that it should be renowned for?

Dr Doom may be dead or stuck on another world or whatever it is that's happened to him but his mask is still very much amongst us. And, to prove it, breaks out of the Fantastic Four's trophy room, in order to go on a rampage through the Baxter Building.

But what can it mean?

Just who's controlling it?

And for what dread purpose?

Tony Stark's finally starting to get his life back on track but it's a life that might not last much longer, as the awesome power of Zodiac is now ranged against him, Rhodey and their accomplices who are making a road trip to a new home in California.

However, Zodiac are as useless as ever and their repeated murder attempts prove to be barely more than an inconvenience for our heroes.

"What is... The Answer?" demands the front cover.

It turns out the answer is that The Answer is a highly adaptable assassin sent out by the Kingpin to test Spider-Man's abilities and resources, for future reference.

But what we all want to know is is he related to The Question?

And what would Steve Ditko make of it all?

There was a time when super-heroes only had to worry about super-villains. Now, thanks to this story, they also have to worry about their mothers.

It's true. The man without fear finds himself under relentless attack from the booby traps of a house that belongs to Death-Stalker's angry but dead mum.

Does our hero get out of it in one piece?

He does. But only just.

I feel it's a story and a storyline best forgotten, in which Wolverine's so furious with Colossus, for no longer dating a fourteen-year-old, that he tricks him into getting into a bar fight with the Juggernaut who turns out to be a surprisingly good sport about it all.

Chris Claremont, what was going on in your head?

Thor has two problems on his hands. Not only is Lorelei manipulating him while pretending to be a perfectly normal woman he's just happened to bump into but Malekith king of the dark elves is out to capture something called the Casket of the Ancient Winters.

I've no idea what the Casket of the Ancient Winters is but I suspect it can't be good news.

From what I can remember of this one, the Hulk, now reverted to his old, bestial self, spends the entire issue asleep and having a bad dream. One that, upon awakening, leads him to set off in search of Dr Strange.

However, what's this? At the issue's conclusion, we discover it was no ordinary bad dream that led him to this course of action. It was, in fact, one created for him by that nocturnal nogoodnik Nightmare!

And it's not good news for the Cimmerian scrapper because, thanks to a blow to the head, he's gone blind but still has to win various fights and battles.

Needless to say, he does.

Because he's Conan.

And a little thing like not being able to see his opponents isn't going to stop him.

I'm struggling to recall much of what happens within. However, I do know it involves a fight with a bunch of Dire Wraiths who might be trying to steal a space rocket and that, despite what the cover may imply, no Captain Marvels are harmed during the making of this comic.

My recollections of this tale are also confused but, thanks to the cover, I do know the dynamic duo find themselves up against a bunch of female nasties called the Sisters of Sin.

I also feel like Cap beats up Baron Zemo - only for it to turn out he's not Baron Zemo at all and is in fact an old friend of his who's been dressed as the villain.

No sooner have the authorities retrieved the Hobgoblin's battle van from the river, than it's stolen by a determined hijacker.

Spider-Man knows it can only mean one thing. That the Hobgoblin is still alive and has reclaimed his property!

In fact, he's wrong. What it means is Jack O' Lantern's in town and wants it for whatever reasons he has for wanting it.

But that may be the least of the wall-crawler's worries because on the domestic front, Peter Parker's still being given the cold shoulder by Aunt May!