The Man of Steel #5

The penultimate chapter of John Byrne and Dick Giordano's landmark 1986 six-part mini-series, "The Mirror, Crack'd…" promises something deeply unsettling beneath that familiar red-and-gold crest. The cover — penciled and inked by Byrne himself — presents a striking split image: a grimacing, strained Superman in close-up on the left locked in a fierce struggle, while a second Superman, seen from behind with cape dramatically unfurling, confronts him on the right, the title tagline "The Beast Within!" hanging overhead like a warning. It's a cleverly composed image that turns the hero's own symbol into a question mark, making this one of the most thought-provoking covers in the series.