Guardians of the Galaxy #52

The cover of this September 1994 installment says it all: Charlie-27, his prisoner jumpsuit torn and bearing the number 102564, stands defiant at the center of a snarling mass of blue, horned alien creatures — alone, unarmed, and very much in prison. Kevin West and Steve Montano pack the image with raw, cornered intensity, the Guardian's gritted teeth and the blades closing in around him making the odds feel genuinely dire. It's a striking single-character showcase for one of the 31st-century Marvel Universe's most physically formidable heroes.