Ororo: Before the Storm #2

The second chapter of this four-part Marvel limited series catches a young Ororo mid-action — white hair streaming, torch blazing in one hand and a knife in the other — as she navigates what appears to be a dark, rubble-strewn ruin, shadowed figures pressing in around her. The cover by Randy Green and Rick Ketcham does a wonderful job conveying both her resourcefulness and her fierce determination long before she ever summoned a thundercloud. With Marc Sumerak writing and Carlo Barberi on interior art, this 2005 series offers a compelling look at the street-smart young woman who would become one of Marvel's most beloved heroes.