The Savage Sword of Conan #84

Joe Chiodo's painted cover for this January 1983 issue pulls no punches: a massive, snarling green demon towers over a fallen woman while Conan lunges in from above, blade raised and ready to strike. The story inside, "The Darksome Demon of Raba-Than!" — written by Michael Fleisher and illustrated by Val Mayerik — promises exactly the kind of sword-and-sorcery confrontation the cover so vividly sets up. It's a striking package from Marvel's black-and-white magazine line at its most atmospheric.