Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen #148

This April 1972 issue of Superman's Pal, The New Jimmy Olsen delivers an instantly gripping cover by Neal Adams, showing Superman straining under the crushing weight of a massive metal cage — suspended from a chain above — packed with desperate prisoners crying out "Superman — it's too strong for you--!" and "We're finished!" The Man of Steel's knees are visibly buckling, and the trapped figures reaching through the bars make the peril feel genuinely urgent. Inside, Jack Kirby writes and draws "Monarch of All He Subdues!" with inks and letters by Mike Royer, promising the kind of bold, imaginative storytelling that defined Kirby's celebrated early-'70s DC run.