Conan the Barbarian #233

Two figures locked in desperate close-quarters combat dominate this June 1990 Marvel cover — a dark-haired warrior and a bare-chested Conan grappling over a drawn sword, the cover teasing that one is "First Friend" and the other "First Foe." Ron Lim and Dan Adkins deliver a visceral, muscle-straining composition that puts the tension front and center, with a smaller vignette of Conan in full stride tucked into the upper corner. "Rituals!" promises something primal from writer Michael Higgins, and this cover sets the stage with a confrontation that feels genuinely personal.