Superman #261

This February 1973 issue of Superman presents a striking scene penciled and inked by Nick Cardy: a pink-costumed Star Sapphire stands triumphant over a kneeling Man of Steel, commanding him to kiss her boot before a crowd of onlookers while a second Superman figure soars helplessly in the background. The cover's bold dialogue — "Let the whole world see you've become my slave!" — sets up a tantalizing power reversal that perfectly teases Cary Bates's story, brought to life inside by the dependable art team of Curt Swan and Murphy Anderson. It's a wonderfully dramatic 20-cent package from DC's early Bronze Age that captures Superman at his most vulnerable.