Ultimates 2 #6

The sixth chapter of Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch's Ultimates 2 puts the spotlight on "The Defenders" — and this ragtag lineup looks more street-level than superheroic. Hitch's cover assembles a motley crew of colorful characters striding forward with attitude: a shirtless man in yellow trousers, a confident blonde woman in silver, a spiky red-haired punk, a dark-haired woman with a glowing orb, and looming large behind them, a towering armored figure with green goggles and a smaller winged figure in blue. It's a bold, cinematic 2005 Marvel moment that makes you genuinely curious about just how this unconventional team fits into the Ultimates' world.