The Defenders #65

The cover of this November 1978 issue, penciled by Keith Pollard and inked by Terry Austin, pulls you straight into the chaos: the Hulk, Valkyrie, Nighthawk, a red-haired masked figure, and a red-suited Red Guardian are all swept up in a churning, slime-like vortex dotted with grinning skulls — and the cover copy promises the Red Guardian is lost in the secret lair of the Slime Creature. It's a wonderfully unsettling ensemble image that captures the Defenders' anything-goes spirit perfectly, with the interior story promising giant amoebas on top of it all. A fine slice of late-'70s Marvel adventure with a roster and a premise that knows exactly how to make you turn the page.