Forty years ago today - March 1985.

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

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Come, let us paddle in the lido of lost dreams that is the past.

It's great news for us all, I'm sure, because the Gael's back.

And Daredevil fights him.

I'm struggling to recall much else about this one, other than that a bar's involved.

And that there's fighting.

The Vision's come up with a great idea for how to solve all the world's problems. 

He'll make himself supreme ruler of the planet!

There is, however, one obstacle.

And that's Quasimodo whose consciousness just happens to be inhabiting one of the computer systems the Vizh needs to take possession of if his plan is to succeed.

Needless to say, this leads to a fight.

Also needless to say, it's only a matter of time before the other Avengers realise what the android is up to and set out to stop him.

It's a major crisis for democracy because Batroc and his friends have managed to steal Captain America's shield!

Not only that but, after having too much to drink, the French martial artist has a wager with those friends that he can defeat Cap in hand-to-hand combat.

I think we can all guess how a drunk Batroc vs a sober Captain America goes.

And we'd all be right.

Thanks to their own incompetence, the U-Foes have managed to find themselves in the exact same spot in the universe as the now-mindless Hulk.

And that can only mean a scrap.

And that can only mean a good pounding for the four of them.

As far as I can recall, it's a virtual re-run of last issue, as the spidester decides to attack the Kingpin's HQ, and the Spot gets in his way.

But more important matters are afoot. It would seem that this issue's the one in which our hero and the Black Cat go their separate ways, mostly because she feels her bad luck powers are a liability for her lover.

Kulan Gath is still ruling Manhattan, with a rod of steel and everyone on that island - including its super-heroes - are convinced they're Antediluvian people in an Antediluvian world.

Can Storm, Callisto and their gang of obdurates defeat the sorcerer and restore things to how they were before he showed up?

Too right they can.

Which is good news, as virtually everyone we know and love dies at some point in this story.

It's trouble in suburbia for Sue and Reed Richards when a mad exorcist turns up at their house, convinced they must be evil demons, and is determined to destroy them.

Sadly, all she actually manages to do - apart from inconveniencing the heroes - is open up a portal to Hell that allows Mephisto to enter our world!

Come to think of it, I was under the impression he can enter our world any time he wants. He certainly seemed to have no difficulty doing it when he was bothering the Silver Surfer.

The whole mess with Surtur comes to a close when Thor, Odin and Loki join forces to confront that giant while the Earth's heroes - and Roger - do their best to hold the fort on Midgard.

And it's Roger who turns out to be MVP.

I do believe a winged woman Conan befriended in an earlier issue gets captured by the owner of a travelling freak show who wants to make her his Number One exhibit.

That can only lead to Conan setting out to rescue her.

And that can only lead to stabbings.

But what's this?

A photo cover?

On a comic?

I'm not convinced I approve of such things.

But, then again, it does make sense. After all, inside the book, a dubious photographer manages to take a picture of Spider-Man without his mask on and then tries to sell the snap to denizens of the criminal underworld.

This leads him into more danger than he bargained for, meaning Spidey has to come to his rescue while simultaneously scaring him enough to make sure he never shows that image to the world.

Rhodey's still acting weird, forcing Tony to do what he hoped he'd never have to do again, and put on a suit of armour.

That armour - being homemade - is inferior to Rhodey's. But we all know the man inside the armour matters far more than the armour itself.