Forty years ago today - September 1984.

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

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I feel this is a feature that needs no introduction.

But that won't prevent me from trying to think of one.

Now things get magicky and enchanty because, as far as I can remember, Thor and his new friend Roger travel all the way to England to rescue Lorelei from Malekith, with the thunder god still blissfully unaware that she's not what she claims to be.

Meanwhile, still in search of a reason to live, Balder bumps into a Norn.

Meanwhiler, ever the optimist and never short of a reason to live, Surtur eagerly makes preparations for his latest attempt to lay waste the planet Earth!

Can it be? Does that cover mean what it threatens to? Has Tomazooma returned from his robo-grave to torment Wyatt Wingfoot's tribe?

No, he hasn't. Instead, it's an alien called Terminus who's out to strip the Earth of its natural goodies.

Needless to say, the two members of the FF who've turned out to stop him aren't going to put up with those sorts of shenanigans.

Meanwhile, back in New York, Johnny Storm's hormones are starting to notice that Alicia isn't just a friend of the Fantastic Four.

She's also a woman.

A luscious and gorgeous woman.

Which is a bit concerning to some of us, bearing in mind it's already been established that she looks exactly like his sister.

Following her raid on SHIELD's Helicarrier, the US government's determined to stop Rogue, by whatever means necessary.

And, seemingly, those necessary means include shooting Storm with a gun that removes its victim's super-powers!

As the cover makes plain, Cloak and Dagger are back on the scene. Despite that, I don't recall just what it is they're up to.

I'm going to guess they're still waging a remorseless war on drugs and that Spider-Man still doesn't approve of it.

In other news, I do recall the Kingpin's decided to turn Silvermane's corpse into a cyborg assassin and let it loose on the streets of New York.

Spurred on by Nightmare's psychic proddings, the Hulk finally finds Dr Strange, in an attempt to get aid with whatever it is he needs aid with. But it seems that, in his near-mindless state, the beast is beyond the help of even the Sorcerer Supreme.

Captain America breaks the habit of a lifetime by going on and on and on about the death of Bucky.

But it's all down to a plot by the Red Skull, Baron Zemo and Mother Superior.

However, not all is well in Camp Evil, as Mother Superior and Zemo are increasingly at each other's throats and the Skull displays his epic parenting skills by favouring the Baron over his own daughter.

The Eternals, and the odd Avenger, gather together for the latest revival of the Uni-Mind.

But all is not as it seems and, somewhere in Olympia, lurks a villain who's out to use the situation to his own advantage.

Meanwhile, in Europe, a talking cow has died and this causes Quicksilver much anguish.

We also get confirmation that the inhabitants of Titan, including Thanos, are Eternals and originated on the planet Earth.

Daredevil's creative team launch their latest brave attempt to make Micah Synn be a thing.

I predict that, at the end of it all, he will still not manage to be a thing.

This time, the reprehensible rain-forest rotter takes out a restraining order against Daredevil and teams up with Crossbow before realising the man without fear is none other than blind lawyer Matt Murdock. 

But it's not all good news for tinpot Tarzan - because, in another part of New York, the Kingpin catches Synn's men trying to steal his stock.

And I suspect that can bring nothing but trouble to his front door.

From my hazy recollections, the demon Jergl Zadh lures Conan and Fafnir to his temple, looking to gain revenge for previous setbacks at the Cimmerian's hands.

Needless to say, luring a barbarian into your lair always proves to be a fatal mistake.

Fed up of our hero ruining his plans, gangland boss the Rose hires wealthy assassin the Puma to kill the web-slinger.

Surely, this no-mark can't bring down everybody's favourite arachnid flavoured do-gooder.

Or can he?

Of, I suspect, longer-term importance, Spidey's alien-built costume is exhibiting increasing signs of having a mind of its own.

A fact that its wearer seems to be all-but oblivious to...

Our gang of hi-tech buddies set about the business of setting up business in California.

But, first, an increasingly paranoid Rhodey is going to have to stop a man called Vibro who was the mildest of men until his jerk of an employer nearly got him killed with inexcusable health and safety lapses.