The Spectacular Spider-Man #144

Spider-Man takes a direct hit from Boomerang high above a sunny San Diego harbor in Sal Buscema's energetic cover for this November 1988 issue — the tagline "Welcome to San Diego, Spider-Man — it's a great place to die!" making the stakes unmistakably clear. Boomerang looms large in his blue-and-purple costume, fist raised, while a stunned Spidey reels from the explosive blast against a backdrop of palm trees and docked boats. Gerry Conway and Buscema bring their reliable craft to "An Ill Wind…," promising a West Coast showdown with one of Spider-Man's more underestimated adversaries.