Peter Parker: Spider-Man #2

The cover by John Romita Jr. and Klaus Janson sets an electrifying stage for "Plaything of the Gods" — a battle-worn Spider-Man swings hard through a fiery explosion of debris while the towering, hammer-wielding Thor looms large in the background, making the size difference between these two Marvel heroes feel genuinely daunting. That tagline — "Menace from the World Beyond!" — adds just the right amount of cosmic intrigue to what already looks like a mismatch of spectacular proportions. Howard Mackie and John Romita Jr. were hitting their stride on this relaunched title in 1999, and this second issue signals that Peter Parker's adventures were already operating at full throttle.