Uncanny X-Men Annual #3

Against a swirling cosmic backdrop of deep reds and blazing light, a group of X-Men stands defiantly atop a rocky outcropping in the Negative Zone — a red-haired woman at the center with arms outstretched, flanked by two hat-wearing figures armed and ready, while a fourth teammate leaps dramatically above them all. Written by James Asmus, this 2011 annual kicks off "Escape From the Negative Zone" in suitably grand fashion, promising an adventure that takes Marvel's mutants far beyond any familiar battlefield. It's an oversized treat with a cover that immediately sells the sense of cosmic peril and team camaraderie that makes X-Men stories so compelling.