Professor Xavier and the X-Men #9

Issue #9 of this mid-1990s Marvel series delivers a cover that practically crackles with tension — Nick Gnazzo and Ian Akin stage a dramatic confrontation in a brick-walled alleyway, where a red-suited, glowing figure squares off against a massive, bare-fisted brawler while a second helmeted powerhouse and a crimson-haired woman in a red costume are caught up in the chaos above and around them. The bold tagline "Can't Touch This!" sets a defiant, almost playful tone against all that raw muscle and energy. At just 99 cents, Professor Xavier and the X-Men #9 offered readers a generous dose of mutant action for their money in 1996.