Firestorm the Nuclear Man #73

The cover of this July 1988 issue pulls no punches: a massive, purple reptilian creature looms menacingly over a downed Firestorm, razor claws extended, while the Soviet super-team Soyuz charges into the fray against a backdrop that looks unmistakably like Red Square. The tagline "And If Soyuz Should Fail--?" sets the stakes nicely, teasing a confrontation where even a team of heroes may not be enough to stop this fearsome threat. With John Ostrander scripting and cover art by Joe Brozowski and Sam de la Rosa, Firestorm the Nuclear Man #73 delivers the kind of Cold War-era super-heroics that made this series such a compelling read in 1988.