Black Panther #20

The cover of issue #20 promises nothing less than a brutal, all-or-nothing clash, with "The Final Round!" blazoned across a blazing yellow background as Black Panther tears into a massive, skull-adorned opponent in a collision of claws and raw power. Velluto and Almond's cover art crackles with kinetic energy — both figures are battered and straining, debris flying as the King of Wakanda refuses to yield. Writer Priest and the art team of Velluto and Almond were delivering some of Marvel's most gripping superhero storytelling in 2000, and this cover makes a compelling case to be right there for the finish.