Punisher #7

The cover of this May 1996 Marvel issue announces "Showdown with S.H.I.E.L.D.!" in bold lettering, and the art delivers on that promise — the Punisher and a second black-clad figure charge forward fists-up against a fiery red sky, with a S.H.I.E.L.D. flying craft looming overhead and explosions tearing through a building in the background. Tom Lyle's cover pencils give the scene real kinetic energy, with silhouetted combatants scattered across the chaos behind the two leads. It's a punchy, high-stakes setup from writer John Ostrander's 1996 run that makes "He's Alive?!" a compelling chapter to track down.