Iron Man #2

From the Onslaught-era relaunch of the Armored Avenger, The Invincible Iron Man #2 (December 1996) hits hard right out of the gate with a cover that puts a massive, snarling green figure front and center — a hulking brute charging low and fast through an explosion of fire and debris, with a dark-caped figure looming ominously in the background. The raw, kinetic energy of Whilce Portacio's pencils and Scott Williams' inks makes this confrontation feel genuinely dangerous, all muscle and mayhem rendered with the bold WildStorm-influenced style that defined this short-lived but striking volume. With Scott Lobdell and Jim Lee steering the story and a title like "Hulk Smash!" promising exactly what it says, this is an issue that wears its action credentials right on its sleeve.