The Spectacular Spider-Man #40

This March 1980 issue delivers one of the most visually arresting covers of its era, with Al Milgrom and Joe Rubinstein depicting a harrowing transformation sequence — Spider-Man shown in successive stages shifting from his familiar costumed self into a snarling, green-scaled reptilian monster, all radiating outward against a burst of yellow energy. The cover's tagline says it all: "To begin as man… and end as monster!" — a promise of body-horror drama that's hard to resist. Titled "The Terrible Turnabout!" and featuring a full creative team including writer Bill Mantlo, this issue captures the darker, more unsettling side of what Spectacular Spider-Man could do in 1980.