The Secret Defenders #21

The cover of this November 1994 Marvel issue says it all — a towering, grey-skinned brute named Slaymaker looms at center, fists clenched, while a red-costumed hero and a blue-suited woman battle their way through an almost incomprehensible tide of grotesque, skull-faced undead creatures that fill every inch of the background. The sense of overwhelming odds is palpable, brought to life by the cover pencils of Bill Wylie and inks by Michael Bair. "Showdown with Slaymaker" promises exactly the kind of high-stakes supernatural confrontation that made The Secret Defenders a reliably exciting corner of the Marvel Universe.