G.I. Joe Special Missions #5

This June 1987 Marvel entry in the Special Missions spin-off puts aerial chaos front and center, with cover artist Mike Zeck delivering a heart-stopping scene of jet fighters in violent mid-air collision — fireballs erupting from one aircraft's fuselage while a blue COBRA jet screams overhead and a figure in white gets flung through the smoke-filled sky. The title "Showdown!" promises exactly the kind of high-stakes, self-contained action that made this series a satisfying companion to the main G.I. Joe run, with the interior brought to life by the reliable team of writer Larry Hama, artist Herb Trimpe, and colorist Bob Sharen. If dogfights and split-second military drama are your thing, this one delivers the tension right from the cover.