Superman: The Man of Steel #119

Part of DC's 2001 "Joker: Last Laugh" crossover event, this issue plunges Superman into a scene of chaos as he shields a terrified child in his arms while a massive, glowing-eyed figure looms behind him amid swirling purple energy and a backdrop of shattered rubble. The cover tagline — "This one'll kill ya… and Krypto too!" — adds an extra layer of urgency to an already gripping image, rendered here in a striking cover by Jim Lee. With Schultz writing and Guichet on interior art, Superman: The Man of Steel #119 delivers the Man of Steel at his most determined, fighting to protect the innocent even as the odds stack against him.