Aliens: Stronghold #2

The second chapter of Aliens: Stronghold announces itself with a cover that wastes no time — a massive Xenomorph looms inches from the screaming face of a terrified human, its inner jaw extended and clawed hands closing in while the hapless victim recoils across a computer terminal. Doug Mahnke's linework captures every serrated detail of the creature's biomechanical form against a striking purple background, making the confrontation feel uncomfortably immediate. With John Arcudi writing and Jimmy Palmiotti inking, this 1994 Dark Horse series was clearly not pulling its punches.