Captain Marvel #33

The cover of this July 1974 issue says it all: a massive, snarling Thanos — billed right there as "The Living Titan" — lunges at Captain Marvel amid crackling energy and a darkened cityscape, the cover copy promising "Power vs. Power!!" Jim Starlin both penciled and inked this striking image, and his feel for cosmic scale is unmistakable in the sheer physical menace radiating from every panel. With a story titled "The God Himself!" and Marvel's self-proclaimed "most cosmic superhero" squaring off against one of the universe's most formidable villains, this is a 25-cent package that delivers on its bold cover promise.