Aquaman #14

This April 1964 issue of DC's Aquaman packs two thrilling novelettes into one twelve-cent package, and Nick Cardy's cover sets the stakes immediately — a straining Aquaman is pinned by what appear to be giant metallic cables or claws, while a panicked Aqualad and a distressed red-haired Mera float trapped together in a glowing force bubble above him. The cover text promises "A Grim Punishment Awaits the Sea King When He Becomes 'The Tyrant King of Atlantis!'" — a teaser that, combined with Mera's tearful plea and Aqualad's anguished cry, makes it clear the Sea King is in very serious trouble. Cardy's expressive linework gives every figure genuine emotional weight, making this a fine example of early-Silver Age DC storytelling told entirely through a single charged image.