Over the last two weeks (Part 1 and Part 2), I’ve been showing off the vision design handoff document for Magic: The Gathering® | Marvel Super Heroes (MSH). This is the third and final installment. Last week, I ended by going through all the legendary characters to outline them for the Set Design team. I left off at the uncommon multicolor characters.
White-Blue (3)
War Machine: War Machine is similar to Iron Man in that he is a man in a super suit. War Machine tends to use a few more traditional weapons than Iron Man.
Captain America: Captain American has enhanced abilities that give him superhuman strength, speed, and agility. He’s a master strategist and an excellent fighter. Captain America’s main weapon is a shield, which will get its own card.
0210_MTGMSH_Main: Captain America, Living Legend
Nova (Sam Alexander): Nova is the youngest of the Nova Corp, a group of “space police.” They all have a Nova helmet that grants them a series of powers including flight, superhuman strength, speed, agility, and energy manipulation.
Blue-Black (3)
Kang: Kang is a time traveler and master tactician.
0217_MTGMSH_Main: Kang, Temporal Tyrant
Taskmaster: Taskmaster is a Super Villain with the ability to copy any move he witnesses. This makes him an excellent fighter.
Ghost: Ghost is a Super Villain with a suit that grants them invisibility and intangibility.
Black-Red (3)
Scarlet Witch: Scarlet Witch is a mutant that uses hex magic that allows her to change the probability of things.
Masters of Evil: The Masters of Evil is a collection of Super Villains that most famously took over Avengers Mansion.
Bullseye: Bullseye is a Super Villain capable of turning any object into a weapon. He’s often hired as an assassin.
0209_MTGMSH_Main: Bullseye, Death Dealer
0325_MTGMSH_ScnBstr: Bullseye, Death Dealer
Red-Green (3)
Hulk: The Hulk was altered by gamma radiation. He has super strength, durability, and rapid healing. Most of the time, the Hulk doesn’t maintain his intelligence when he becomes the Hulk.
Abomination: Abomination is another Hulk. This time a trained spy. Unlike the Hulk, he doesn’t lose his intelligence and can’t change back into a human. Like Hulk, he has super strength, durability, and rapid healing. When the two are calm, Abomination is stronger than the Hulk.
0198_MTGMSH_Main: Abomination, Terrifying Titan
0333_MTGMSH_ScnBstr: Abomination, Terrifying Titan
The Thing: The Thing is a member of the Fantastic Four. He has super strength and enhanced durability.
Green-White (3)
Black Panther: Black Panther is a trained fighter and is at the peak of human conditioning. He also has a suit, claws, and several inventions built by his sister. He’s an excellent fighter.
Quasar: Quasar has two quantum bands that grant him the powers of flight, energy manipulation, and energy projection. The bands also make him superhumanly strong and durable.
Spider-Man: Spider-Man has the abilities of a spider, including enhanced strength and agility, the ability to stick to walls, and a spider-sense that warns him of danger. He has webs that he can use to swing around the city.
0228_MTGMSH_Main: Spider-Man, To the Rescue
0335_MTGMSH_ScnBstr: Spider-Man, To the Rescue
White-Black (3)
Black Widow: Black Widow is an assassin and spy turned Super Hero. She’s an expert in subterfuge and a top-tier fighter.
0208_MTGMSH_Main: Black Widow, Double Agent
Cloak and Dagger: Cloak and Dagger are two kids who were experimented on. This gave them powers based on light and darkness. Dagger can throw daggers of light. Cloak can teleport himself and others, although it requires going through his cape, which all but he and Dagger have trouble doing. Traveling through Cloak’s cloak tends to terrify people. Their powers require them to be together.
Black Knight: Black Knight is a valiant knight with a cursed sword (the Ebony Blade). He’s an excellent swordsman and wears protective armor.
Blue-Red (3)
Loki: Loki is half-brother of Thor. He’s a trickster and knows a decent amount of magic.
Iron Man: Iron Man has a super suit that allows him to fly. He also has access to numerous tools and weapons.
0216_MTGMSH_Main: Iron Man, Master of Machines
Speedball: Speedball is a hero with a kinetic energy shield that allows him to bounce off objects and vice versa. He can gain the momentum of the objects thrown at him.
Black-Green (3)
Malaketh: Malaketh is a dark elf. He has many abilities as a dark elf including enhanced strength, agility, and speed. He is also able to manipulate energy and controls a large army of elves.
Killmonger: Killmonger is at peak human condition. He’s very smart, has lots of connections, and is highly influential, all in all a dangerous villain.
0218_MTGMSH_Main: Killmonger, Scourge of Wakanda
Titania: Titania is a villain with super human strength and durability.
Red-White (3)
Hawkeye (Clint Barton): Hawkeye is an expert archer and is well versed in many other weapons and fighting styles.
Thor: Thor is an Asgardian god. He has super strength and durability, can fly, and is able to create lightning bolts. His main weapon is a hammer named Mjölnir, which gets its own card.
0234_MTGMSH_Main: Thor Odinson
Spider-Woman: Spider-Woman has powers similar to Spider-Man except she also has the ability to sting people with a bioelectric shock.
Green-Blue (3)
Ant-Man (Scott Lang): Scott Lang is the second Ant-Man. He has the ability to change his size, mostly by shrinking.
0201_MTGMSH_Main: Ant-Man, Colony Commander
Namor: Namor is an Atlantean and has enhanced abilities because of it. He is very strong, super durable, can fly, and is very charismatic. He’s often the leader of Atlantis.
Beast: Beast is a mutant with great agility and a genius-level intellect.
Colorless Artifact (1)
Vision: Vision is a synthezoid (an advanced android) with the ability to fly, has super strength, intangibility, and superhuman intelligence.
Rare
White (4)
Thor (Jane Foster): For a while, Jane Foster took on the role of Thor. She had all the abilities of Thor.
Captain America (Sam Wilson): In the comics (and the movies), there was a point where Sam Wilson, the Falcon, took over being Captain America. He’s not quite as strong as Captain America, but he does have the ability of flight.
0010_MTGMSH_Main: Captain America, Wings of Freedom
0353_MTGMSH_BoldLogo: Captain America, Wings of Freedom
Sentry: The Sentry is a powerful hero with flight, super strength, agility, reflexes, invulnerability, and advanced senses. The Sentry has a fragile psyche, which causes numerous problems, such as creating a dark version of him known as the Void.
0035_MTGMSH_Main: The Sentry, Golden Guardian
0010_MTGMSH_TknBstr: The Void Token
Jarvis: Jarvis is the Avengers’ butler. He is one of a few civilians who will get a legendary creature card. His strength is in helping Super Heroes be the best they can be.
Blue (3)
Echo: Echo is a Super Hero with the ability to mimic the movements of anyone she sees. The character is deaf.
Ironheart: Ironheart was a college student who figured out how to build an Iron Man armor. She is incredibly smart and can fly and use various tools and weapons in her suit of armor. She appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
0060_MTGMSH_Main: Ironheart, Clever Champion
0360_MTGMSH_BoldLogo: Ironheart, Clever Champion
Leader: The Leader got increased intelligence instead of increased strength when hit with gamma radiation. He’s an extremely intelligent Super Villain.
Black (4)
Annihilus: Annihilus is a creature from an area known as the Negative Zone. He has a suit that can allow him to fly and a weapon capable of doing much damage. He leads a giant army of alien creatures.
Hela: Hela is the Asgardian god of death. She has all the strengths of being an Asgardian and knows a bit of magic. She can also control the dead.
M.O.D.O.K.: M.O.D.O.K. has a robot body filled with weapons. He can fly and is rather intelligent.
Baron Helmut Zero: Baron Helmut Zero is a trained tactician who leads criminal organizations. He’s a strong fighter and a master at deception.
0087_MTGMSH_Main: Baron Helmut Zemo
0405_MTGMSH_ExtRM: Baron Helmut Zemo
Red (3)
Firebird: Firebird wields energy that looks a lot like fire. She can manipulate it and use it as a weapon. She can also fly and is basically immortal.
Wonder Man: Wonder Man is comprised of ionic energy, which provides him super strength, invulnerability, accelerated healing, and flight.
Fing Fang Foom: Fing Fang Foom is a dragon. He’s capable of doing all the things a dragon can do, like flying and breathing fire.
0129_MTGMSH_Main: Fin Fang Foom
0411_MTGMSH_ExtRM: Fin Fang Foom
Green (4)
Iron Fist: Iron Fist is a master of martial arts. He is able to power up his fist to strongly strike his foes (an ability known as the Iron Fist).
Squirrel Girl: Squirrel Girl has squirrel-based powers, which include enhanced strength, speed, and agility. She also has the ability to communicate with squirrels and often uses their help when fighting crime.
0193_MTGMSH_Main: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl
0371_MTGMSH_BoldLogo: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl
Tigra: Tigra is part cat, has fangs and claws, is covered in fur, has a tail, and superhuman strength, speed, and agility.
Mole Man: Mole Man is a Super Villain who lives underground. He oversees a giant kingdom of people known as the Moloids.
White-Blue (2)
Ms. Marvel: Ms. Marvel is a teenage Super Hero capable of changing the size of part or all of her body. Note that, in her television show, she has a completely different powerset that makes use of mystical energy that she forms into different shapes.
Black Panther/King T’Challa: The front face is Black Panther (see his uncommon write-up) and the back is King T’Challa, the king of Wakanda.
0219a_MTGMSH_Main: King T’Challa
0346a_MTGMSH_ScnBstr: King T’Challa
0399a_MTGMSH_Iconic: King T’Challa
Blue-Black (2)
Whiplash: Whiplash is a Super Villain who’s a master scientist and made a suit of armor complete with energy whips. He is the villain in the second Iron Man movie.
Norman Osborn/Iron Patriot: Norman Osborn is best known as the Green Goblin, but this version of Norman Osborn is from a time he tried to take over the Avengers by making himself the Iron Patriot, his version of Iron Man. As the Iron Patriot, he could fly and had access to numerous tools and weapons.
Black-Red (2)
Mephisto: Mephisto is a Devil-like character. He’s always meddling and tries to bring out people’s bad sides.
Loki/Lady Loki: There is a point in the comics where Loki (see the uncommon write-up) became Lady Loki for a while. In the television show, this version of Loki is a separate character. In the comics, they are the same person.
Red-Green (2)
Wolverine: Wolverine is a mutant with a regenerative healing factor (meaning he heals extra fast). He also has enhanced senses and claws. All the bones in his body are covered with adamantium, which is an unbreakable metal.
0240_MTGMSH_Main: Wolverine, Fierce Fighter
0378_MTGMSH_BoldLogo: Wolverine, Fierce Fighter
Photon/Monica Rambeau: Photon has the ability to turn into various forms of energy. This allows her to fly, have super speed, be intangible, and manipulate energy. Her double-faced card will show her in her energy form and her human form.
Green-White (2)
Storm: Storm is a mutant capable of controlling the weather. This also allows her to fly.
0230_MTGMSH_Main: Storm, Windrider
0375_MTGMSH_BoldLogo: Storm, Windrider
She-Hulk/Jennifer Walters: She Hulk is another Hulk with all the enhanced strength and durability that comes with it. She-Hulk can turn into Jennifer Walters, who is a human and expert lawyer.
White-Black (2)
Swordsman: Swordsman is a Super Villain turned Super Hero who is a master with a sword.
Winter Soldier/Bucky: Bucky was Captain America’s ally in World War II. He appeared to die right before Captain America was frozen. It turns out he wasn’t dead and the Russians turned him into an assassin. With help from Captain America, he got deprogrammed and is now a Super Hero. He has a bionic arm that has enhanced strength.
0239_MTGMSH_Main: Winter Soldier, Icy Assassin
0377_MTGMSH_BoldLogo: Winter Soldier, Icy Assassin
Blue-Red (2)
Jack of Hearts: Jack of Hearts has to wear a special suit, but he has super strength, super durability, accelerated healing, and flight.
Iron Man/Tony Stark: This is Iron Man and his “secret” identity of Tony Stark. Tony’s card should play up how good of inventor he is, while Iron Man can do larger feats. This card might want to move to mythic rare if we can find the right swap.
Black-Green (2)
Serpent Society: The Serpent Society is a collection of snake-themed Super Villains with various snake-like abilities.
0226_MTGMSH_Main: The Serpent Society
0424_MTGMSH_ExtRM: The Serpent Society
Absorbing Man/Crusher Creel: Absorbing Man is a criminal with the ability to touch an object and turn his entire body into that substance. The Crusher Creel side should show his human side, and the Absorbing Man side should show him taking on the properties of a substance. There are some famous examples from the comics. On one famous cover, he gains the property of the turbines of a ship. Note that Absorbing Man has a ball and chain that he uses as a weapon.
Red-White (2)
Daredevil: Daredevil is blind and has advanced senses, including a radar sense. He also has superhuman speed, agility, and reflexes. He swings around on rope from billy clubs that he uses as weapons.
0213_MTGMSH_Main: Daredevil, Man Without Fear
0372_MTGMSH_BoldLogo: Daredevil, Man Without Fear
0398_MTGMSH_Iconic: Daredevil, Man Without Fear
Captain Marvel/Carol Danvers: Captain Marvel has enhanced Kree physiology that grants her superhuman strength, speed, and agility. She can fly, absorb energy, and fire energy blasts. Her secret identity is Carol Davers, an ace pilot in the air force.
Green-Blue (2)
Amadeus Cho: Amadeus Cho is a genius who is also a Hulk making him extra strong, durable, and fast at healing.
Wasp/Janet van Dyne: Wasp is one of the founding members of the Avengers. She can shrink down in size. When she shrinks, she gains wings that allow her to fly. She also has a bioelectric blast called the Wasp’s Sting. Her secret identity is Janet van Dyne, a fashion icon. Janet has been involved with the Avengers more than just about any other Super Hero (save for maybe Captain America) and has led the team on numerous occasions. Note that Janet is older in the Ant-Man movies and Hope van Dyne is the younger Wasp. Hope van Dyne is not in the comics.
Colorless Artifact (2)
Jocasta: Jocasta is an android built by Ultron and modeled after Janet van Dyne. She has a computer brain, can fly, has superhuman strength, speed, and agility, and can manipulate energy. She has a holographic image inducer that lets her change her image.
Dragon Man: Dragon Man is an android shaped like a dragon. He has super strength, the ability to fly, and can breathe fire. He has been the pawn of many Super Villains but wants to do good deep down. When not under someone’s control, Dragon Man is quite intelligent.
Mythic Rare (11)
White (1)
Nick Fury: Nick Fury is the leader of S.H.I.E.L.D. and is a super spy. He has connections with most of the Super Hero world.
Black (1)
Red Skull: Red Skull is one of the most notorious villains in the Marvel Universe. He’s very intelligent, manipulative, and an expert tactician and strategist.
Red (1)
Thor: See Thor’s uncommon write-up.
Black-Red (1)
Black Widow: See Black Widow’s uncommon write-up.
White-Black (1)
Thanos: Thanos is an Eternal from the planet Titan. He has great strength, is nearly invulnerable, and immortal. He is closely tied to the Infinity Stones. He’s the one who collected them and made the Infinity Gauntlet. While both the comics and movies used the Infinity Gauntlet, their stories vary greatly between the two sources. The Avengers, for instance, had little involvement with the Infinity Stones in the comics, although they have tussled with Thanos numerous times.
White-Black-Green (1)
Kang/Immortus: As I explained in his uncommon write-up, Kang is a time-traveling master strategist. Immortus is an older incarnation of Kang that doesn’t particularly like Kang. Immortus, in theory, is trying to make up for his mistakes as Kang, but he causes just as many problems.
Blue-Red-White (1)
Captain America/Thing in Ice: In the comics, Captain America supposedly died in World War II, but they brought him back when they found him frozen in a block of ice. This card represents the moment of finding him and thawing him out to become the modern-day Captain America.
Black-Green-Blue (1)
Giant-Man/Yellowjacket: Hank Pym is the original Ant-Man and one of the founding members of the Avengers. He has had many Super Hero identities. Giant-Man is the persona he took on after being Ant-Man. Giant-Man mostly only grew in size. Yellowjacket is a persona Hank Pym took on when he lost his memory. His abilities are similar to the Wasp. He can shrink down, fly, and shoot bioelectric blasts. Yellowjacket is pretty unlikeable and cocky. He’s about as selfish as a Marvel Super Hero can get while still occasionally saving the day. Hank Pym is an older man in the Ant-Man movies.
Red-White-Black (1)
Scarlet Witch (Good Wanda)/Scarlet Witch (Evil Wanda): On a number of different occasions, the Scarlet Witch, a longtime member of the Avengers, turned evil. This happened in the latest Doctor Strange film. This card shows that duality. She can be kind and heroic or bitter and villainous.
Green-Blue-Red (1)
Hulk/Bruce Banner: The uncommon Hulk just shows off the Hulk. The mythic rare Hulk shows off the larger relationship between Hulk and Bruce Banner, his alter ego. Bruce Banner is a brilliant scientist. The Hulk is impulsive and not very smart. This card can show off their differences and play up how the Hulk keeps changing.
0049a_MTGMSH_Main: Bruce Banner
0331a_MTGMSH_ScnBstr: Bruce Banner
0359a_MTGMSH_BoldLogo: Bruce Banner
0390a_MTGMSH_Iconic: Bruce Banner
Colorless Artifact (1)
Ultron: Ultron is a killer robot originally designed to protect, but his programming went awry. Ultron was created by Hank Pym in the comics, whereas Tony Stark created him in the movies. His primary weapon of attack is making several copies of himself.
0252_MTGMSH_Main: Ultron, Artificial Malevolence
0344_MTGMSH_ScnBstr: Ultron, Artificial Malevolence
0401_MTGMSH_Iconic: Ultron, Artificial Malevolence
Most of these characters stayed in the set, but some did get added and removed. Also, some of the cards we planned for double-faced cards changed to single-faced cards and vice versa.
In Conclusion
When Aaron first pitched the idea of Universes Beyond, I called dibs on Marvel, and I’m so happy I did. The Vision Design team and the Creative team have done a great job making the basic blueprint for this set, and I’m eager to see what Dave and his Set Design team can do with it. I’m always available as a subject-matter expert or if there are any questions about the vision for the set.
Thanks,
Mark Rosewater
I enjoy all my sets, but this was an especially fun one. Getting to combine my love of Magic with my love of Marvel was truly a dream come true.
And with that, we are done with the Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes vision design handoff document. I hope you enjoyed seeing it. If you have any feedback on any part of the document or my commentary, feel free to email me or contact me through social media (Bluesky, Tumblr, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter).
Join me next week for another installment of Making Magic.
Until then, may you have a super time playing Magic: The Gathering | Marvel Super Heroes.