Fantastic Four #40

Marvel's First Family looks formidable and battle-ready in this 2001 entry, with cover art by Carlos Pacheco and Jesús Merino placing all four members front and center amid shards of jagged crystal and bursts of flame. Mr. Fantastic and the Thing anchor the foreground in their blue FF uniforms, Sue Storm raises her hands behind them, and the Human Torch blazes brilliantly overhead in a dramatic column of fire. "Into the Breach" promises high-stakes action, and this creative team — Pacheco and Rafael Marin on story, with Jeph Loeb also contributing — delivers a cover that sets the tension perfectly.