John Carter, Warlord of Mars #6

Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' enduring hero, this November 1977 Marvel issue puts John Carter at the center of a desperate last stand — the cover by Gil Kane (pencils) and Rudy Nebres (inks) captures him shielding a woman in his arms while a sea of armed warriors closes in from every direction. The tagline "Alone Against a World!" says it all, and the swirling mass of blades and bodies Kane renders gives the scene real weight and urgency. With Marv Wolfman scripting Chapter 6 of "The Air-Pirates of Mars," this is pulp planetary adventure firing on all cylinders.