Captain Marvel Adventures #33

This 1944 Fawcett issue continues the "Thrilling Serial" of Captain Marvel and the Monster Society of Evil, with the cover — penciled by C. C. Beck and inked by Pete Costanza — presenting Chapter 12: The Bombardment of Earth! The cover layout spotlights Captain Marvel in his red-and-gold costume alongside a portrait of young Billy Batson, with text breathlessly recounting Mr. Mind's colossal weapon, Big Bertha, threatening to hurl shells at America and Russia from the planetoid Punkus. Preview panels at the bottom show Captain Marvel racing to stop the villainous Dr. Smash from firing the gun, making this a wonderfully kinetic snapshot of Golden Age storytelling at its most urgent.