Punisher #11

Against a backdrop of fire and a barely visible Statue of Liberty, the Punisher charges forward in his skull-emblazoned suit alongside a heavily armored, white-haired figure — and the bold cover tagline "The Fall of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier!" makes clear the stakes are enormous. This September 1996 issue ties into the Marvel-wide Onslaught: Impact 2 crossover event, with cover art by Tom Lyle and Robert Jones delivering real urgency and kinetic energy. "Manhattan Onslaught" promises Frank Castle caught up in one of the biggest crises of the era, and this cover sells that tension convincingly.