Excalibur #81

This September 1994 issue of Excalibur delivers a striking cover by penciler Ken Lashley and inker Dan Panosian — a bald man in a trench coat bearing an X-Men emblem embraces a brown-haired woman in a passionate kiss atop what appears to be a gleaming yellow vehicle, a dramatic red ribbon swirling through the air around them. The tenderness and intensity of the moment feel genuinely unexpected for a team book, hinting that "Beginnings Middles & Endings" may explore the personal lives of its cast as much as any superhero action. With a creative ensemble including writers Scott Lobdell and Chris Cooper alongside a full art team, this is a compelling chapter in Marvel's beloved British-based mutant series.