Superman #224

Part of DC's Infinite Crisis crossover event, this February 2006 issue delivers a striking image of Superman rising fists-clenched from a fiery explosion, debris scattering in every direction as he stares upward with fierce, unwavering determination. The cover by Ed Benes and Mariah Benes captures the Man of Steel looking battered but unbroken, his suit scratched and his cape whipping back amid the chaos. With writer Mark Verheiden and artist Thomas Derenick at the helm on "Focus," this is a compelling chapter from one of DC's most ambitious crossover events of the era.