The Thing #8

From Marvel's February 1984 solo series, this issue finds Ben Grimm in a decidedly rough spot — the cover by Ron Wilson (pencils) and Joe Sinnott (inks) shows the Thing in his signature blue trenchcoat, engulfed in swirling, crackling pink-and-black energy as a massive dark hand reaches toward him from the foreground, while a bandaged figure recoils in alarm nearby. The dynamic composition — that enormous grasping hand dominating the lower half, Ben caught mid-struggle against what looks like some seriously unsettling supernatural force — gives the whole image an atmosphere of dread that suits the story title "Ancient Evenings Ancient Pain!" perfectly. Writer John Byrne and artist Ron Wilson were clearly having fun putting Marvel's favorite curmudgeon up against something older and stranger than your average super-villain.