Hero for Hire #7

With chains flying and a city in flames behind him, Luke Cage dominates this striking March 1973 cover — his defiant cry of "No! It Can't Happen!" set against a grim holiday backdrop complete with a Christmas tree and the ominous farewell "Merry Christmas, World — and Good-Bye!" A second figure looms in the corner, hand pressed against what appears to be a detonator, raising the stakes considerably. Billy Graham's cover work gives the whole scene a raw, urgent energy that perfectly captures the series' street-level intensity.