Supergirl #5

Peter David and Gary Frank's run on Supergirl was firing on all cylinders by issue #5, and this cover — subtitled "Bad Chemistry!" — makes a visceral case for why. Supergirl is shown submerged and struggling in a sickly green liquid, her cape shredded and her expression desperate, while a massive mechanical creature looms above her with blank, goggle-like eyes. Gary Frank and Cam Smith deliver a genuinely unnerving image that turns the heroine's vulnerability into compelling visual drama rather than mere peril for its own sake.