Firestorm #98

Firestorm cuts a haunting figure on Tom Mandrake's cover for issue #98 — the Nuclear Man engulfed in churning flames against a backdrop of electric blue streaking lightning, his expression a mask of intensity as dark, shadowy energy swirls around him. It's a striking visual mood that sets up "Balance of Powers" with real weight, suggesting a hero pulled between forces far beyond the ordinary. John Ostrander's 1990 run was in full swing here, with Mandrake's moody linework giving the series a distinctly darker edge than its earlier incarnations.