Captain America #21

Part five of "The Iron Nail" reaches a fever pitch with this striking cover by Nic Klein, which puts Captain America face-to-face — and shield-to-claws — with a massive, tentacled creature that looms over him with savage ferocity. Steve Rogers looks battered but defiant, bracing behind his star-spangled shield as the monster's whip-like tendrils coil around the scene in every direction. Rick Remender and Klein deliver a visceral sense of stakes that makes this 2014 chapter feel like a genuine turning point in the arc.