Fifty years ago today - February 1975.

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

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Let us see what awesome magic awaits us in that strange and foreign land they call, "The Past."

The Celestial Madonna Saga rumbles on, as our heroes roam around Immortus' back corridors and battle his Legion of the Unliving.

It's strange but this saga never seemed this interminable when I was actually reading it.

"The Goblins strike at midnight!" Which is a convenient fact to know if you don't happen to have a clock handy.

Sadly, I can shed no light upon the contents of this one, beyond there being goblins that strike at midnight.

Nomad continues his fight with the Serpent Squad which only seems to consist of Viper and the Cobra. Maybe it's just me but I'd struggle to call two people a squad.

It would appear that, while Cap is now Nomad, someone called Roscoe is now Captain America.

It's all the fun of the fair when Daredevil tries to prevent the Circus of Crime from using a TV appearance at Shea Stadium to rob the good people of New York.

Though I'm not too sure how Blackwing fits into it all.

I don't have a clue what happens in this one but it does look like the Silver Surfer's causing trouble.

I'm going to suspect Dr Doom may be behind it all, as I know he shows up in the very next issue.

The Hulk may have defeated many a foe but how can he hope to clobber his own shadow?

You guessed it. This issue sees the return of Warlord Kaa, the shadow creature from outer space who was last seen in the glory days of Marvel's pre-FF monster comics. 1960's Strange Tales #79, to be precise.

Mysterio is back.

Or is he?

And is he going to succeed in sending Spider-Man mad?

I've a feeling this issue sees the death of the Spider-Mobile when our hero accidentally drives it off a pier, thanks to the bubble-bonced bewilderer of blackguardry, bedazzlement and banjaxicating bonkersness.

I know nothing of this story but, from that cover, I'm going to assume Loki's fooled the always reasonable Firelord into attacking the god of thunder.

I certainly know what happens in this one because it's a reprint of the very first X-Men comic I ever read

In fact, it's one of the very first American super-hero tales I ever encountered, and it sees the Angel escape Magneto's island and set off back to civilisation, looking for help in his quest to free the rest of the X-Men.

Sadly, on the way there, he makes the mistake of resting on a rock in the ocean.

And that leads to a confrontation with Golden Age hero Red Raven who's gone totally mad and is plotting to destroy all humanity.

That's Marvel's big hitters accounted for.

But what of that outfit's deadliest rival? What will we find in a random sample of DC comics that bear the same cover date?

To be honest, there's not too much that stands out for me but the company does, at least, give us the following books.

Yet another wrongdoer's about to discover it's not wise to arouse the wrath of the Spectre.

And, this time, the wrongdoer's a man who hypnotises innocent people into committing bank robberies on his behalf.

By becoming human bombs!

From what I can remember, this somehow leads to him being eaten by barracudas.

And I'm 100% certain this comic is where I first encountered the word, "barracuda." Proving that, while Michael Fleisher may have his faults, he does, at least, introduce the children of the world to big fish names.

But let's not close this issue prematurely, because Paul Levitz and Mike Grell give us yet another Aquaman tale. This time, involving the Black Manta. However, I'm not sure just what that villain's up to. Is this the story in which he gases the farmers of Atlantis, in order to steal their seaweed?

I don't know if we expected it or not but DC's most surprising title gets the 100-page treatment.

And that means we find such chilling ventures into horror as Has Anyone Seen My Killer?, The Haunted Dollhouse, The Face in the Ball!, The Supernatural Swindler, Ball of String!, Roehmer's Revenge!, The Queen Who Lived Again!, The House That Hate Built!, Death of the Man Who Never Lived, Wake Me Before I Die!, The Menace of Wrecker's Reef!, The Day Nobody Died! and Mis-Judgment Day. Not all of which are reprints.

The only war comic I've ever felt any affection for offers us its latest proof that war is Hell when it unveils The Common Enemy!, The Flying Coffins and To His Rescue Came a Maiden!

The only one of those I recall is the first, which, I think, involves a Japanese and American soldier having to join forces against an alien menace that appears on the island they're both fighting over.

And, from that cover, I'm going to assume that island is one of the Easter variety.

OMAC hits his third issue and does it in a tale I've never read but I do, at least, know its title, thanks to that being on the front cover.

I do note that cover proclaims this book to reveal the world that's coming. I do also note that world has not yet managed to come.