Black Panther #19

The cover of this 2000 Marvel issue says it all — "Alas, the Fallen Monarch…" blazes across a wall of television screens all asking the same urgent question: "King T'Challa Dead?" Against that media frenzy backdrop, a wide-eyed man in a teal jacket and a stylishly dressed woman juggling armloads of shopping bags look caught completely off-guard, while a sleek black panther crouches menacingly atop the teetering pile of packages above them. Sal Velluto and Bob Almond pack the scene with a great mix of street-level chaos and high-stakes royal drama, making "Freefall" a compelling chapter in Christopher Priest's celebrated run on the title.