Excalibur #98

Nightcrawler commands the cover of Excalibur #98 (June 1996), lunging forward with glowing yellow eyes, a flowing red cape, and a long sword thrust straight at the viewer — his prehensile tail curling beneath him as a burst of pink-and-black energy radiates outward. Carlos Pacheco and Bob Wiacek deliver a wonderfully kinetic portrait of the blue-furred swashbuckler in full X-Men regalia, every line crackling with momentum. Warren Ellis's story "Fireflies" awaits inside, promising that this era of Excalibur has plenty of flair to spare.