Ms. Marvel #15

Ms. Marvel #15 (1978) puts Carol Danvers up against a genuine threat, as the cover — penciled by John Buscema and John Romita with inks by Joe Sinnott and John Romita — sets the tension perfectly: a snarling, gorilla-like creature called the Shark looms over a fallen blonde woman on a waterfront dock, gripping her hair while taunting Ms. Marvel to "back off or die." Carol herself streaks in from the right, her red-and-blue costume blazing with energy, fully committed to the rescue. Writer Chris Claremont and artists Jim Mooney and Tony DeZuniga deliver what the cover boldly promises — a story where the stakes are immediate and the hero doesn't hesitate.