Thunderbolts #11

The cover of this January 1998 issue says it all: Baron Zemo looms large in the foreground, his gauntleted hands wrapped around the entire globe as crackling energy surges across its surface — a striking visual declaration of planetary ambition. Surrounding him in portrait-style vignettes are four anxious Thunderbolts members, including a wide-eyed Moonstone, a masked MACH-1, a fierce Meteorite, and a grimacing Atlas, all seemingly helpless against their leader's apparent victory. Mark Bagley and Vince Russell deliver a cover that perfectly captures the tension of "The High Ground," promising big, world-shaking stakes from Kurt Busiek's run on this series.