Thunderbolts #70

A moonlit sky sets an eerie stage for this 2002 chapter from Fabian Nicieza's run, as a heavily armored, winged figure dominates the cover — energy blazing from twin chest ports and red eyes glowing with menace — while a mass of ghostly, blue-tinged figures reach up desperately from below. The cover by Patrick Zircher (pencils) and Scott Koblish (inks) gives the scene real weight, balancing the lone armored figure's power against the unsettling sea of souls clawing at the edges. "Souls in the Balance" promises exactly the kind of morally charged tension that made Thunderbolts one of Marvel's most compelling team books of its era.