Captain Marvel Adventures #54

This 1946 Fawcett issue finds the World's Mightiest Mortal in a tight spot — cover artists C. C. Beck and Pete Costanza depict Captain Marvel getting a large drill or mechanical rod driven straight into his chest by two determined adversaries, yet he's still flashing that confident grin and letting out his trademark "Holy Moley!" The industrial machinery surrounding the scene gives the whole thing a wonderfully pulpy, science-fiction edge that perfectly suits the featured story, "Marooned in the Future." Packed with 68 full-color pages — including a bonus tale where the Captain visits Kansas City, MO — this is a generous slice of Golden Age superhero adventure at its most charming.