Marvel Tales #42

Marvel Tales #42 brings Spider-Man into a tense confrontation illustrated with real kinetic energy by John Romita — the cover shows Spidey mid-swing and throwing punches at two men while a dark-haired young woman reacts in alarm nearby, a smaller inset of the wall-crawler swinging against a yellow moon anchoring the top corner. Titled "The Brand of the Brainwasher!", this 1973 reprint series entry pairs Romita's sharp cover linework with an interior crafted by Stan Lee, John Romita, Don Heck, Mickey Demeo, and Artie Simek. At just 20 cents, it's a fine slice of Marvel's Silver Age storytelling wrapped in a cover that captures Spider-Man at his scrappy, street-level best.