Forty years ago today - April 1985.

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

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These days, it often feels like the world is trapped in an endless cycle of turmoil.

So, let us look at the activities of a bunch of people who could, if they existed, make it even worse.

It would seem Odin's been killed in the epic battle with Surtur but Loki's not so sure he's dead.

And neither is Thor.

Hela, on the other hand, is convinced he's as brown bread as a sack of Hovis and has showed up, all ready and eager to claim his soul.

To be honest, if I were her, I wouldn't want him anywhere near my kingdom; what with his tantrums. I'd go out of my way to make sure his soul never got within a billion miles of it.

Needless to say, Thor's not having any of that kind of thing and decides to have a fight with her.

Meanwhile, the hordes of Asgard are stranded on Earth, thanks to the Rainbow Bridge having been shattered.

Speaking of such things, because of a half-wit exorcist, Reed and Sue are now trapped in Hell and prisoners of Mephisto who wastes no opportunity to torture them.

Fortunately, Dr Strange is on hand to help the duo.

And so is their son who turns out to be the key to defeating the diabolical dolt.

Meanwhile, the ever-loving Thing is back on Earth.

And is brought well and truly down to to Earth when he discovers Alicia's now dating the quite-a-lot-loving Human Torch!

Will Ben strike back by revenge-dating Dorrie Evans?

Only future episodes will tell.

Can it be?

The X-Men having to battle for their lives against the normally friendly Warlock?

No. It can't. 

In fact, they're having to battle his dad, the not-at-all-friendly Magus.

Meanwhile, Prof X gets beaten up by a gang of mutant-hating protesters.

I still don't have a clue what the relationship is between Adam Warlock and the Magus and the X-Men's Warlock and Magus. I'm assuming there's some sort of link but just what it is escapes me.

But what madness awaits us?

Spider-Man, back in the alien symbiote costume that can only mean he and humanity nought but ill will?

No. It turns out he's wearing a replica of it, made by the Black Cat, due to his regular outfit being too wet to wear with comfort.

That aside, our hero spends the issue being tormented by memories of Gwen Stacy.

The sharp-eyed will recognise, from the cover, that we're encountering the return of Xeron the star-slayer.

And not only that. Klaatu and Captain Cybor are also back.

It turns out that not one of them died in the story in which we first encountered them, which does somewhat rob that tale of its almost poetic beauty and renders it fairly toothless.

Anyway, Cybor and Xeron are once more in pursuit of Klaatu and, yet again, they recruit the Hulk to their cause.

At least the Abomination hasn't showed up or I might be forced to suspect this is just a lazy re-tread of the original tale.

Now there's trouble. Not only has Cap's shield been stolen, an analysis of it has been used to create a suit of armour from the same metal.

This is due to the abduction of the scientist who created that shield and was also the man who invented adamantium.

With a suit made of that, stopping the villain inside it will be surely impossible.

Not at all. In fact, it'll be super-easy. Barely an inconvenience.

Ring the alarm bells. The Vision's taken over all the world's computers. Which, presumably, includes the one I'm writing this post with!

I'm struggling to remember what happens after that but I think the Avengers turn up and ask him to stop being in control of all the world's computers.

And so he does.

The Black Widow's back - and so is Barry Smith.

At least, on the front cover.

Inside, Bazzer's nowhere to be seen.

But, then, nothing much is to be seen, as a villain called the Cossack's blinded the whole of New York, including the Black Widow and even the Gael!

Needless to say, this isn't going to stop Daredevil but it is amazing how many times villains in his stories have had devices for sending people blind.

Not for the first time, Conan stumbles across a magic sword.

But, for once, it's not an evil one and it guides him to a trapped wizard who needs his help.

Remember that kid who wanted to be Dr Octopus and built himself a set of metal arms?

Well, now he's decided he wants to be Spider-Man and still has a set of metal arms.

Needless to say, this gets him into all kinds of trouble.

And it's trouble only the real Spider-Man can get him out of.

Elsewhere, Liz Allan gives birth.

It's conundrum central. Tony Stark's vowed never to become Iron Man again - due to that role having played a large part in him becoming an alcoholic - but when Hawkeye, Tigra and the woman who's definitely not a Black Canary knock-off have to fight Dr Demonicus's giant monster, how can he refuse to don the suit again in order to stop a foe they lack the brute force to thwart?

The internet informs me the monster in this story is actually Godzilla but Marvel had to change his appearance, due to no longer having the licence to use him.