E-Man #3

Charlton's "All New E-Man" hits a dramatic high point with issue #3 (1974), subtitled "The Energy Crisis!" — and the cover by Joe Staton says it all: E-Man reels from a powerful blow delivered by a hulking, helmet-faced villain who simultaneously clutches a red-haired woman, while E-Man cries out "The Battery is draining my power!" A small inset of E-Man in his full heroic stance anchors the upper left, reminding us of the hero's potential even as he struggles. Nicola Cuti and Staton's creative partnership was quietly producing some of the most charming superhero work of the mid-'70s, and this energy-themed clash looks like a fine example of why this series earned its devoted following.