X-Men #4 (1991)

Author: John Byrne, Art: Jim Lee, Cover Art: Jim Lee -Following the explosive relaunch of Marvel's mutant franchise, X-Men #4 stands as one of the most impactful and enduring key issues of the 1990s. Co-plotted by John Byrne and superstar artist Jim Lee, this issue introduces a terrifying new threat ripped directly from Wolverine's shadowy Cold War past. The storyline, "The Fire Within," shifts focus to the X-Men's Blue Team as they operate out of Westchester. The peace is shattered when the sinister ninja clan known as The Hand resurrects Arkady Rossovich—a psychotic Soviet super-soldier transformed by a dark Cold War experiment into the monstrous Omega Red. Driven by a physiological need to drain the life force of others to survive, Omega Red targets Wolverine to recover a stolen piece of Soviet tech: the Carbonadium Synthesizer. Striking with lethal carbonadium tentacles that wrap tightly around Logan, Omega Red successfully captures the feral mutant, dragging him into captivity and forcing a desperate rescue mission by Gambit, Jubilee, and the rest of the team.