I sure do remember this! At the time, West Coast Avengers was the only title I regularly collected. Reading the history of the serpent crown in the back-ups confused the HECK out of me. (Alternate Earths? But Beast is there?)
I was (and still am) a big fan of both Firebird and USAgent, so I was excited about their solo back-ups. Firebird's, in particular, was entertaining.