Cable #45

Cable stands his ground against a wave of heavily armed Prime Sentinels on this August 1997 cover, gun raised and cybernetic arm gleaming as explosions erupt behind him — a striking visual declaration that ties directly into the X-Men's "Operation: Zero Tolerance" crossover event. Randy Green and Scott Hanna's cover art conveys real urgency, with the looming purple-and-red Sentinel figures closing in from every angle. Titled "Declaration of War!" and kicking off "Moving Target Part One: No Escape," this issue promises Cable at his most cornered — and most dangerous.