Captain Marvel Adventures #56

There's something wonderfully absurd about this 1946 Fawcett cover by C. C. Beck: the World's Mightiest Mortal stands grinning and completely unperturbed in an "Ajax Strait Jacket Co." straitjacket while a crowd of baffled doctors and analysts poke, prod, and scribble notes around him, their expressions ranging from bewildered to exasperated. The tagline promises "Captain Marvel Goes Crazy," though the Big Red Cheese's cheerful smirk suggests the only ones going crazy are the poor scientists trying to figure him out. Otto Binder and Beck brought a sharp comedic touch to the superhero genre, and this cover captures that playful spirit perfectly.