Avengers: X-Sanction #2

The second chapter of this 2012 Marvel limited series delivers a cover that says everything about the tension at its heart: Cable — scarred, cybernetic arm crackling with energy — goes toe-to-toe with Iron Man in a vivid clash of blue energy and repulsor fire against a warm sunset sky. Ed McGuinness and Dexter Vines bring a kinetic ferocity to the confrontation, with both figures locked in close-quarters combat that makes the stakes feel immediate and personal. With Jeph Loeb steering the story under the "Dawn" banner, this is a mid-series issue that clearly isn't letting up on the action.