X-Men #1 came with five different variant covers, four of which showed different members of the team and a fifth gatefold cover that combined the four previous pieces into one single image. Many fans resent the variant cover boom of the 1990's and with good reason, but for a company who were struggling financially at the time, this marketing strategy did wonders to reinvigorate Marvel economically. As predicted, many fans bought multiple copies of the same issue to complete their collection and the book ultimately became the best selling comic of all time, with sales of over eight million copies. Regardless of how you feel about this strategy, it helps that the cover itself is also an iconic depiction of the X-Men which modernized their look and appeal for a new generation, while also inspiring the general aesthetic of the the classic 1990's animated series.
14. Captain America Annual #8 (Mike Zeck)
These days, Wolverine is crow-barred into every Marvel comic book going in a bid to raise sales, but back in the day, a guest appearance from Ol' Canucklehead was a rarer sight. The showdown featured here between Wolverine and Captain America is fan fulfillment come to life as the two heroes rarely see eye to eye and Zeck did a fantastic job of capturing the intensity between the two. The sparks flying off Wolverine's claws are probably unnecessary if we're going for realism here, but who cares when they look so awesome?
13. The Incredible Hulk #1 (Jack Kirby)
This first depiction of the Hulk may not be familiar to more casual comic book fans, as his skin is colored grey and for once, he is actually wearing clothes, but the cover itself is one of the most memorable debuts of Marvel's core set of heroes. The Jekyll and Hyde concept is portrayed visually here with the Hulk himself towering behind Bruce Banner and everyone else is washed out in yellow so the eye is drawn to the central figures. The issues tagline is wrapped in a question mark, asking "Is he man or monster or... is he both?", introducing readers to the key premise of the series. What "fantasy as you like it" means is anyone's guess though!
12. X-Men #101 (Dave Cockrum)
After years of being underused and generally ignored as Marvel Girl, Jean Grey finally received the story line she deserved in the form of the Phoenix saga and this issue is where it all started. The cover to X-Men #101 showcased a brand new Jean Grey, more power house than weakling, and the low perspective makes her seem all the more impressive. The reaction of each X-Men also makes this cover memorable, particularly Cyclops whose open mouth is half submerged in the water.
11. Amazing Spider-Man #50 (John Romita Snr)
"Spider-Man No More!" With these few words, readers were hooked with this milestone issue, where Peter Parker decides to retire the costume and give up being a super hero forever... and by forever, I mean for one issue of course. Sure, that's a bit misleading, but without this classic story line, we also wouldn't have this beautiful cover, which stands out as one of Romita's best ever. The red color scheme and dynamic use of lines instantly catches the eye and the symbolic significance of Peter turning his back on Spidey is perfectly executed. Now let's see which covers made it into the top 10...
David is a primary school teacher who tries his best to turn every math lesson into a discussion on the latest Pixar film. Passions include superheroes, zombies and Studio Ghibli. In between going to the cinema, moving to South Korea and eating his body weight in KFC, David writes for a number of movie sites, http://becarefulyourhand.blogspot.co.uk/
