Thor Annual #12

The cover of this 1984 Marvel Annual sets the stakes immediately: Thor clashes head-on with a powerful, orange-helmed warrior — billed as "Odin's Other Son" — in what appears to be a grand arena packed with spectators, their staves crossing in a burst of explosive energy. Bob Budiansky and Mike Gustovich deliver a dynamic, arena-scale confrontation that practically radiates sibling rivalry and divine tension. "Blood of Dawn!" promises an oversized annual story with real mythological weight, and at a dollar it was one of 1984's more generous reads.