Marvel Team-Up #23

Fire meets ice in the most elemental of Marvel rivalries — this July 1974 issue pits the flame-wreathed Human Torch against a crystalline Iceman in a rooftop clash that the cover itself bills as "the Battle of the Century." Gil Kane and Mike Esposito stage the confrontation beautifully, with the two heroes trading heated taunts mid-fight while a smaller Iceman figure looms in the upper corner, and the promise of the Uncanny X-Men and the villain Equinox rounding out the action inside. "The Night of the Frozen Inferno" is a title that perfectly captures the contradictions on display, making this a genuinely fun chapter in Marvel Team-Up's tradition of unlikely partnerships.