The Amazing Spider-Man #57 (Marvel, 1968)

Manhattan meets the Savage Land! Spidey has tangled with plenty of colorful characters, but taking on a jungle lord and his saber-toothed companion is a first for Marvel's premier web-head! With claws, fists, and webs flying, Ka-Zar and Zabu square off against Spider-Man on this striking cover, marking their very first meeting -- and an early appearance of the Silver Age Ka-Zar (Kevin Plunder). John Romita Sr. delivers a dynamic battle scene, showcasing his legendary skills with a perfectly composed mid-air confrontation so vividly rendered it feels like the characters might leap right off the page! In particular, the scratch effects near Zabu heighten the illusion that the tiger is soaring through the air, claws ready to shred some red-and-blues. While Spidey and Ka-Zar would eventually become allies, this image perfectly captures the chaos of their initial clash, as Ka-Zar tries to annihilate Spider-Man -- at the request of none other than J. Jonah Jameson!
"Jazzy" John Romita is a Hall of Fame Spider-Man artist for good reason, and stunning original artwork like this continues to reinforce his iconic legacy. Of particular note on this piece is the stat paste-up of Spidey's head. The published cover used the revised stat version which is included here, now loose, allowing viewers to access the original art underneath. Romita's initial rendering displayed more of Spider-Man's head, with his neck more elongated, while the stat repositions it at a downward angle, slightly farther from Ka-Zar's fist.