Guardians of the Galaxy #7

Dominating this December 1990 cover, the grinning, sharp-eared villain Malevolence looms enormous over a chaotic swirl of smoke and cloud, her menacing presence clearly signaling trouble for the 31st-century team below. The Guardians of the Galaxy — including a flaming-headed warrior, a blue-skinned figure, a fallen blonde Guardian, and a shield-bearing hero in Captain America-style armor — are scattered and struggling in her wake. Cover art by Jim Valentino and George Pérez makes the threat feel genuinely overwhelming, and the promise of additional stories involving Martinex and the secret of Starhawk gives readers even more reason to dive in.