Captain America #272

In "Mean Streets," Captain America confronts the bizarre threat of the subterranean Vermin while Falcon battles the rising tide of drugs in his Harlem neighborhood. With J. M. DeMatteis scripting and Mike Zeck’s striking art bringing the tension to life—inked by John Beatty and colored by Bob Sharen—this 1982 issue pairs grounded street-level stakes with a surreal twist. The cover by Zeck and Beatty captures the clash of worlds, as Cap faces a foe from below while Falcon stands amid the streets he’s sworn to protect.