Blackhawk #83

Cold War tension crackles off this December 1954 Quality Comics cover, where a wide-eyed Blackhawk — his hawk-emblazoned blue uniform front and center — looks to be in serious trouble deep inside Soviet territory, with a gun-wielding Russian officer closing in from behind and a red-clad woman advancing alongside armed guards at his back. The portrait gallery of his fellow Blackhawks ringing the masthead makes it clear the whole squadron's reputation is on the line, as the bold tagline "Trapped in the Kremlin" leaves little doubt about the stakes. Dick Dillin and Chuck Cuidera deliver a cover that captures the espionage-and-adventure spirit perfectly, setting the stage for the interior story "Hammer and Sickle" by writer Dick Wood.