Journey into Mystery #504

The Lost Gods take center stage in this December 1996 issue of Journey into Mystery, its cover — penciled and inked by Mike Deodato Jr. and Carlos Mota — packed with furious energy as two powerful figures grapple in a fierce clash of muscle and fire, while a group of supporting characters look on from the lower left and a sword-bearing figure stands ready at the right. That bold tagline, "Battleground Earth!", sets the stakes squarely on familiar ground, promising a confrontation that spans the mortal world itself. With Tom DeFalco writing and Deodato Studios on interior art, this is mid-'90s Marvel mythology firing on all cylinders.