Supergirl #18

This April 1984 issue pits Supergirl against a formidable aquatic menace as the cover blares "Call Him — Kraken!" — and the threat lives up to the name. The cover by Howard Bender and Dick Giordano captures a breathtaking mid-air clash over churning ocean waves, with a massive, orange-scaled creature lunging upward with both fists while Supergirl — cape streaming, red headband in place — squares off against it with fists raised and expression fierce. Speedboats scatter in the churning water below, giving the whole scene a wonderful sense of scale and urgency that makes this one of the more visually dynamic issues of the run.