Superman #269

The cover of this November 1973 issue poses a chilling question right at the bottom: "Can you guess who found eight different ways to kill Superman?" — and the image delivers on that unease, depicting eight limp, apparently defeated versions of the Man of Steel dangling helplessly while a ninth Superman flies above, seemingly the only one still standing. Nick Cardy's cover pencils and inks make the repetition of that red-and-blue costume feel genuinely unsettling, turning Superman's familiar look into something eerie. Inside, writer Cary Bates and artist Curt Swan (inked by Murphy Anderson) tackle "The Secret of the Eighth Superman!" — a story that clearly has a lot of fun playing with the concept of multiple Supermen in very dangerous circumstances.