Mutant X #26

Deep in a hellish, shadow-draped tunnel, a white-haired woman crackles with electrical energy as she looms over a fallen figure surrounded by scattered playing cards, while a blond man behind her channels glowing concentric rings of power — it's a tense, visually striking moment from this alternate-Marvel series. The brooding inset portrait of the series' lead in the corner reinforces the high-stakes mood that runs through Mutant X #26. The cover art by Michael Golden gives the whole scene a wonderfully moody, cavernous atmosphere that makes this 2000 issue genuinely hard to put down unread.