Superman #49

Part one of "Krisis of the Krimson Kryptonite" arrives in November 1990 with a cover that makes the stakes unmistakably clear: a confident, smirking Lex Luthor looms over a helpless Superman, driving a glowing crimson fist straight into the Man of Steel while the hero reels backward, powerless. Jerry Ordway both writes and illustrates this issue, and his cover composition — Luthor dominant, Superman falling — says everything you need to know about who holds the upper hand as this arc begins. If you've ever wanted to see Metropolis's greatest villain living up to the tagline "Lex Luthor: Triumphant!", this is the issue to pick up.