Universe X #5

Universe X #5 plunges readers into the sweeping alternate-future Marvel saga that Krueger, Braithwaite, and Reinhold are crafting with such ambition. Alex Ross's cover painting assembles a striking aerial charge of insectoid and armored figures — a red-costumed warrior at the center, a green grasshopper-like creature to the left, a yellow-and-black winged figure at lower right, and a helmeted form with a disc weapon above — all surging toward a luminous, ghostly presence looming in the background. It's a beautifully composed 2001 image that captures the series' blend of cosmic scale and reimagined heroes perfectly.