Spider-Man #86

Spider-Man and a blond, purple-jacketed figure tumble together in freefall across this striking December 1997 cover, the word "FALLING" repeated five times in bold yellow type to drive home the vertigo-inducing tension. John Romita Jr. and Scott Hanna deliver a cover full of kinetic energy — the two figures locked together mid-plunge against a cool blue city backdrop, with a smaller Spider-Man inset in the corner reminding us just how high the stakes can get. Howard Mackie's "The Span of Years" promises a story with real weight behind it, and this cover sets the mood perfectly.