Doctor Strange #45

Dave Cockrum's cover for this 1981 issue pulls no punches: Doctor Strange channels twin blasts of mystic energy directly into the gaping maw of a massive, tentacled demon, while a blonde woman recoils above and a second figure scrambles to escape in the background. The cover copy sets the stakes plainly — attacked in his own home, the Master of the Mystic Arts must face "The Demon in the Dark!" — making this a thoroughly atmospheric entry in the series. With Chris Claremont scripting and Gene Colan on interior art, issue #45 brings together a genuinely strong creative team for a story rooted right in Strange's Greenwich Village sanctum.