Kitty Pryde, Agent of SHIELD #1

Kitty Pryde steps into a bold new chapter of her life with this 1997 series opener, and the cover — penciled by Jesús Redondo and inked by Sergio Melia — makes a striking first impression: Kitty stands tall in a sleek blue S.H.I.E.L.D. tactical suit, pistol raised, framed by golden wings and the organization's heraldic shield emblazoned with crossed swords. The cover copy announces she's trading her time with Excalibur for a whole new life as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, a premise that writer Larry Hama is perfectly suited to explore. If you've ever wanted to see the X-Men's phasing prodigy step fully into the world of espionage, this is a confident, appealing place to start.