Mutant X #24

Mutant X #24 brings Howard Mackie and artist Javier Saltares's alt-universe series to a fever pitch, with a cover by Michael Golden that pulls you right into the action. Framed by an intricate tunnel of churning machinery, a massive furred creature grapples mid-air with two energy-wielding heroes — one crackling with concentric power rings, another blazing with icy light — in a collision that radiates genuine danger. The small inset portrait of a stern, glowing-eyed figure in the corner only adds to the sense that this 2000 Marvel title has a lot of moving pieces converging at once.