Kull, the Destroyer #23

This October 1977 Marvel issue plunges Robert E. Howard's barbarian king into supernatural terror, as the cover — penciled by Ernie Chan and John Romita with inks by Rudy Nebres and John Romita — depicts Kull leaping atop a massive, fang-bared Shadow-Beast while invoking Valka, his axe passing uselessly through the creature's dark form. Caught in the monster's crushing grip below him is a woman in golden adornments, her expression caught between struggle and desperation, making the stakes of the battle unmistakably dire. Titled "Day of the Demon-Shade!" right on the cover, this issue promises the kind of sword-and-sorcery confrontation — muscle and courage pitted against something that defies mortal weapons — that makes Kull such a compelling figure in Marvel's 1970s fantasy lineup.