Hulk #39

The banner screams "Tremble at Omegex: The Walking Apocalypse!!!" and Gabriel Hardman's cover delivers on that tension in a striking way — a furious Red Hulk, eyes blazing orange, roars as massive mechanical claws close in around him, trapping him within what appears to be an enormous armored grip. It's a genuinely unnerving image that makes the threat feel real and immediate. Jeff Parker and Hardman, the creative team behind this 2011 issue, were clearly firing on all cylinders with a story called "The Stand-In" that promises confrontation at an apocalyptic scale.