Karate Kid #14

The cover of this 1978 DC issue says it all — Karate Kid launches a flying kick at the crystalline villain Diamondeth, while a distressed Robin recoils nearby, and the cover copy poses the agonizing dilemma: strike and shatter an innocent, or hold back and let Robin die. Rich Buckler and Frank Giacoia deliver a kinetic, wonderfully tense image that captures everything compelling about Val Armorr's unique brand of heroism — his power is absolute, but so is the moral weight of using it. "Diamondeth Is Forever!" looks like a sharp showcase for a hero who rarely gets enough credit in DC's Bronze Age lineup.