Captain America #2

A massive American flag backdrop sets the stage for this December 1996 entry in Marvel's relaunched Captain America series, with Rob Liefeld and Jon Sibal delivering a cover that crackles with raw energy. A battle-worn, shirtless blond figure drives Captain America's shield forward against a glowing-eyed, fang-baring red villain, while a one-eyed figure looms large in the background and a determined woman in red rushes into the fray. With Jeph Loeb and Liefeld teaming up on the story "Secrets," this issue promises the kind of high-stakes tension that the cover wears so openly on its sleeve.