Kull, the Destroyer #11

Mike Ploog's cover for this November 1973 Marvel issue puts Kull front and center — crown on his brow, axe raised high, and fierce determination on his face as he drives through a press of armed soldiers to shield a blonde woman caught in the chaos. The tagline "By This Axe I Rule!" captures the raw, uncompromising energy that defines Robert E. Howard's barbarian king, and the promise of a "shock ending" to the story titled "King Kull Must Die!" makes this one hard to set down unopened. A fine entry in Marvel's early-'70s sword-and-sorcery era, written by Roy Thomas with art entirely by Ploog.