The Sensational Spider-Man #26

Two of Spider-Man's most formidable elemental foes join forces here, and the cover by Todd Nauck and Andrew Hennessy makes the threat feel immediate — Sandman's massive sandy bulk and Hydro-Man's crashing torrents press in on a struggling Spider-Man from both sides, with a grim-faced civilian caught in the chaos between them. The cover copy says it all: "When Sandman and Hydro-Man team up, Spidey's name is mud!" — a tagline that's equal parts groan-worthy and genuinely menacing. Labeled as a "Prelude," this 1998 issue from writer Todd DeZago and artist Todd Nauck promises bigger things ahead for the wall-crawler.