Captain America #20

Part three of "Twenty-First Century Blitz!" arrives with a cover by Steve Epting and Frank D'Armata that crackles with menace — a massive, skull-faced villain dominates the upper half, gripping a shield-like disc, while Captain America strains against his grasp below. A blonde woman in white and a masked figure in red stand ready in the foreground, with London's skyline burning ominously in the background. Ed Brubaker's espionage-driven run on Cap is in full swing in 2006, and this image alone makes a compelling case for why this creative team was generating so much excitement.