Soldier X #9

Kicking off "Rebels, Freaks & Prophets" in 2003, this ninth issue of Marvel's Soldier X opens a new arc with a cover by Igor Kordey that puts the scarred, shaven-headed protagonist front and center — crouching hard through a chaotic urban streetscape, submachine gun leveled, with green energy streaks slicing through the fiery orange atmosphere around him. Writer Karl Bollers and artist Arthur Ranson are at the helm for whatever confrontation awaits inside, and the raw momentum of that cover image makes it easy to understand why this series kept readers coming back.