The Avengers #21

In "The Bitter Taste of Defeat!", the Avengers face their greatest challenge yet—not from a super-villain, but from a scheme that turns one of Zemo’s old allies into Power Man, using the very machine that once created Wonder Man. With the team’s unity tested and their reputation in ruins, the City Council demands they disband. Written by Stan Lee and brought to life by Don Heck’s dynamic art, Wally Wood’s inks, Artie Simek’s letters, and Stan Goldberg’s colors, this 1965 issue captures the Avengers at their most vulnerable. The cover by Jack Kirby and Wally Wood perfectly encapsulates the tension, with the team fractured and the future uncertain.