Thunderbolts #138

Tied to Marvel's Dark Reign crossover event, this 2010 issue puts Scourge front and center as the new commander of the Thunderbolts — and Francesco Mattina's cover makes that power shift feel genuinely ominous. A masked, trench-coated Scourge strides forward with dual firearms blazing amid a rubble-strewn, fire-lit backdrop, flanked by a snarling, red-eyed feral figure on the left and a sleek, chrome-armored figure looming behind him on the right. Jeff Parker, Miguel Sepulveda, and Frank Martin bring this unsettling new chapter to life with a team that looks every bit as dangerous as their reputation suggests.