Namor, the Sub-Mariner #14

Namor stands front and center on this May 1991 cover, dressed in civilian clothes and clearly shielding a red-haired woman and a child from the massive, looming creature-limbs closing in from both sides — with an ominous burst of flame erupting at his feet. John Byrne handles both the pencils and inks here, delivering a tense scene that puts "Marvel's First and Mightiest Mutant" squarely in protector mode, the story title "A Child Is Waiting..." hinting at something deeply personal at stake. It's a gripping street-level setup that shows Namor at his most surprisingly human.