PonderPonder | Art by Moebius

Before we can assess the individual cards in the Marvel Universe bonus sheet, we have to talk about the 800 lb. spiderphant in the room: Are these cards game pieces or are they collectors' items?

That might seem like a silly question. They're Magic cards, which is a game. They're game pieces. And yes, technically that's true. You can use any one of these cards in your decks and a judge isn't going to toss you out of an event - unless Spider-Man dropped a city bus on that judge's house or something.

But we can't talk about these reprints without talking about things like legibility. Several of these treatments are difficult to read due to the lack of borders, frames, or dedicated text boxes, which gives credence to the argument that they're intended to be collectors' items first.

We've seen this argument bandied out in relation to Secret Lairs and Universes Beyond treatments before, but here, since all 40 of these cards are reprints, it can't be dismissed as sour grapes.

Ultimately, it doesn't really matter too much. Most of these cards have multiple reprints already and are easily accessible in non-arachnid treatments. But like the Final Fantasy: Through the Ages treatments we saw earlier this year, there are a few casesa few cases in which the reprint attached to the UB set is at this time the only reprint that particular card has seen.

And that feels bad when the original printing's price is higher than many people can afford, as these specialized reprints don't do anything to help lower prices. And at the end of the day, that's one of the primary purposes of a reprint, isn't it?

In the case of cards that saw multiple printings in their original set, but retain the same art - one standard border and one borderless, for example - that'll count as one printing. And in regards to the quoted prices you'll see listed, those are the average cost of a nonfoil version. In many cases, the MAR version we're discussing will be the most expensive when you read this, but I think we all know by now that most of these printings will see that price plummet in the weeks following the official release.

In other words, don't buy them right now, please.

Oh, and if you're curious, there is, outside of basic lands, a reprint in the base set of Marvel's Spider-Man. It's ShockShock. Which is also reprinted here.

Marvel Universe

Parallel LivesParallel Lives

Number of prints: 5

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

We've yet to get a "normal" reprint of Parallel Lives, and that trend continues. It's an expensive card as a result, and players looking to double up their tokens have to pony up for the privilege.

While it appeared in multiple versions in the Wilds of Eldraine: Enchanting Tales bonus sheet, those treatments certainly have their detractors, as will this Spider-Man version.

Despite the price tag, it's still a very popular card, appearing in more than 210,000 lists on EDHREC. Interestingly, the cheapest version of Parallel Lives is around the same price as the cheapest version of Doubling SeasonDoubling Season.

So if you're looking to spend a few bucks, you can really take your pick.

ReprieveReprieve

Number of prints: 2

Other printing:

We're talking about this one not because it's an expensive card, but because we're seeing its first reprint with MAR. That fact is compounded by Reprieve's status as a mechanically unique Universes Beyond card, meaning its original printing and now first reprint are both on the UB side of the fence.

We're going to be seeing that more and more.

Is that an issue? For some, it will be. Reprieve is certainly generic enough that it doesn't have to be Universes Beyond, as it's essentially a color-shifted RemandRemand. And it's fairly popular, appearing in 135,000 lists.

But for the staunch anti-UB contingent out there, seeing a card like Reprieve reprinted is exciting, but seeing it reprinted into another UB product and not a "regular" Magic set quashes that excitement fairly immediately.

It'll be a very simple card to toss into a future in-universe Commander product or Masters set, though.

ReanimateReanimate

Number of prints: 15

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

Once upon a time, a Reanimate reprint was cause for celebration. Outside of a few specialty products in the early 2000s and a random FNM promo, Reanimate never saw much in the way of accessibility unless you were around during the Tempest times.

Eventually, though, it popped up in 2018's Ultimate Masters, and since then, we've seen it nine more times.

That's a good thing, since it's one of the most popular black cards in Commander. It's in 613,000 decks, making it the 4th-most played black card in the format and 56th-most played card in Commander, period.

This new version, while obviously very cool looking, won't do much to change any numbers associated with Reanimate, neither price nor popularity.

Winds of ChangeWinds of Change

Number of prints: 7

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

This one's a weird one. Winds of Change was originally an uncommon from Legends, and it saw several reprints right away, which was unusual for the time, to say the least. It popped up in Fourth and Fifth Edition as well as Portal, and a few language localization printings that I don't count as "reprints" necessarily.

Then, nothing, for like 20 years.

Eventually, it was revived via a Secret Lair (Kozyndan: Another Story in 2022) before getting the Future Sight border in Mystery Booster 2. Winds of Change, in other words, is apparently the go-to card to be printed in every ancillary product invented.

We don't see Winds of Change very often in Commander. It's in 43,000 decks currently, and almost exclusively those decks are built to punish card draw in some way or another.

SilkguardSilkguard

Number of prints: 2

Other printing:

There are plenty of one-use board protection spells out there, but Silkguard's a pretty interesting one. Until now, it had only existed in Neon Dynasty Commander. It's a fitting candidate for Spider-Manization considering the card's name, but beyond that there isn't much connection.

The original printing is around $3 for extended art and $4 for traditional border, so its first reprint being a UB bonus sheet inclusion likely won't matter much in the grand scheme of things. But it's worth noting whenever we see a card get its first reprint in these circumstances.

Skithiryx, the Blight DragonSkithiryx, the Blight Dragon

Number of prints: 7

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

We're not going to get more exclusive than the serialized version of "Skittles" seen above, so the Venom-in-a-chair version is likely only to be sought-after by Spider-Man fans.

This is one of five "reskins" in MAR, meaning cards that are reprints in all but name. In terms of popularity, Skithiryx is the poster child for infect, which means people don't play it very often lest they risk banishment from their playgroups. On EDHREC, Skittles only helms 2,201 lists. As a card in the 99, it's more popular, seeing play in 41,500 decks.

Will we see more Skithiryx lists now that there's a fancy Venom version? No, probably not.

Wedding RingWedding Ring

Number of prints: 4

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

Currently the second-most expensive card in its debut set of Crimson Vow Commander, Wedding Ring pops up here and there in various releases, and honestly, Commander's better for it. The format needs more goofball politic-focused designs, not fewer.

Is it a good reprint here in MAR? Technically, yes, any reprint is a good reprint. Seeing it here doesn't mean we won't see it somewhere else, after all. But it's not exactly the easiest treatment to read, is it?

Currently, Wedding Ring is played in 51,000 lists on EDHREC, a criminally low number.

Najeela, the Blade-BlossomNajeela, the Blade-Blossom

Number of prints: 6

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

Interestingly, the most expensive version of Najeela and the cheapest version are both Secret Lair reskins, which might speak to the popularity of the individual IPs being represented. Maybe Warhammer 40,000 is just that much more popular than Assassin's Creed. 

Originally from Battlebond, Najeela's no stranger to the reskin treatment. In addition to the aforementioned pair of Secret Lair prints, Najeela was last seen only a few months ago under the guise of Final Fantasy: Through the Ages' Cloud StrifeCloud Strife.

How many Najeelas are too many Najeelas? Who's to say?

TangleTangle

Number of prints: 3 (4 if you count gold borders)

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

Hailing from Invasion 25 years ago, Tangle is a FogFog variant with very good John Avon art. And until now, that John Avon art was your only option, since outside of its debut, we've only seen half-step reprints in The List and the aforementioned gold-bordered World Champs Deck printing.

It's in a lot of ways a Silkguard situation, but compounded by the fact that Tangle hasn't seen a "real" reprint in 25 years. The one upside of that, however, is its presence here might introduce new players to old sets when they begin to dig into the origins of these 40 MAR cards.

At any rate, we don't see Tangle very often in Commander, sadly; it's only in 9,000 decks.

Heroic InterventionHeroic Intervention

Number of prints: 10

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

For a card that's been printed as often as Heroic Intervention, it's really retained its price very well. That cheapest printing up there, from the Fallout Commander decks, is still around $10, with the average per printing sitting at around $14.

It's essentially a green get-out-of-jail-free card, so everyone wants at least one copy in their collection.

The numbers back that up. We see Heroic Intervention in nearly a million decks on EDHREC. That makes it the 15th-most played card in Commander.

Alibou, Ancient WitnessAlibou, Ancient Witness

Number of prints: 3

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

A very powerful Boros-colored Golem from Commander 2021 becomes our first spiderized card of the article, shifting into Iron Spider, Civil Warrior. Alibou's currently the 36th-ranked Boros commander on EDHREC, a status far too low for how powerful the card actually is in the right build.

And it's not like the card's expensive, either; the reprint before the one we're discussing here, in Edge of Eternities Commander, can be had for around 35 cents.

While Alibou's at the helm of 1,966 lists, it's far more popular in the 99 of other commanders, where it sees inclusion in nearly 40,000 decks.

ArachnogenesisArachnogenesis

Number of prints: 4

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

Seems like Arachnogenesis is a great pick from a theme perspective to be reprinted here, for obvious reasons. And its inclusion is largely benign, as the card's price tag is already deflated thanks to being in both Commander Masters and Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander. But once upon a time, Arachnogenesis was actually a pretty pricey pick, spending over a year between $20-25.

Those days are long gone, thankfully.

Not that it's a bad card; actually, quite the opposite. When it comes to FogFog variants, it's still one of the best we've seen in a long time, and it's played in over 70,000 decks on EDHREC. That makes it the 31st-most popular green instant, which isn't exactly amazing or anything, but it's still respectable.

If you're curious, Fog is the 21st-most popular.

Saw in HalfSaw in Half

Number of prints: 4

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

You have your pick of the litter with Saw in Half reprints, between the original Un-Set printing, the more traditional Commander deck print, or the Secret Lair version with Deadpool. Which, speaking of the latter, is worth noting as the first time we've seen a card appear in two different Marvel releases.

Granted, there hasn't been much opportunity to do that, but someone's gotta be first.

I can't imagine judges are happy seeing this card reappearing, but considering it's in 128,000 lists on EDHREC, a new version will certainly please someone out there. At the end of the day, though, Saw in Half is still a $4+ removal spell, and a reprint in a Spider-Man bonus sheet isn't going to change that.

Arasta of the Endless WebArasta of the Endless Web

Number of prints: 7

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

You're not going to break the bank snagging a copy of this particular Spider legend. In fact, the most expensive Spider token (at least the 1/2 with reach that Arasta makes) is costlier than the most expensive version of Arasta itself. It's another case of a card being selected for a Spider-Man treatment because, well, it's a Spider.

In terms of playability, Arasta is not a popular commander. It's at the helm of only 297 decks, ranking it #2,042 overall on EDHREC. It is, however, in nearly 100,000 decks as a member of the 99, which makes sense because it is a pretty good card.

Will this fella riding a golden orb convince you to build an Arasta deck? Probably not, but I don't know your Spider-Man lore deep cut affection.

I can, however, tell you that this "Master Weaver" character's name is evidently Karn, which would have been very confusing if they'd opted to use it on the card itself.

Beast WithinBeast Within

Number of prints: 34

Most expensive printing:

Cheapest printing:

Beast Within's been around for over a decade now, debuting in New Phyrexia way back in 2013. And I probably don't need to tell you that it's a popular card. But if you want data, here it is: Beast Within is the most popular green instant in Commander, played in 1.1 million decks. 36% of decks on EDHREC that can play Beast Within, do play Beast Within.

Overall, it's the second-most used green card, full stop, beaten out only by CultivateCultivate.

This is another notch in the "collectors' item" argument, as there's no reason to need another version of Beast Within outside of giving collectors a unique treatment. Again, there's nothing wrong with that at all when it's a card like Beast Within. But it's less great when the only reprint of the card is a specialized treatment.

And here's a quick rundown of the other MAR cards you'll see:

• ComeuppanceComeuppance
• Leyline BindingLeyline Binding
• Nine LivesNine Lives
• Path to ExilePath to Exile
• Rest in PeaceRest in Peace
• Clever ImpersonatorClever Impersonator
• CounterspellCounterspell
• Lorthos, the TidemakerLorthos, the Tidemaker
• Mindbreak TrapMindbreak Trap
• Mystic ConfluenceMystic Confluence
• PonderPonder
• Rite of ReplicationRite of Replication
• TraumatizeTraumatize
• Feed the SwarmFeed the Swarm
• HexHex
• Infernal GraspInfernal Grasp
• Opposition AgentOpposition Agent
• Goblin BombardmentGoblin Bombardment
• Relentless AssaultRelentless Assault
• Savage BeatingSavage Beating
• ShockShock
• Thrill of PossibilityThrill of Possibility
• Unexpected WindfallUnexpected Windfall
• Hunter's InsightHunter's Insight
• TerminateTerminate

You Just Hit the Jackpot!

Now that we've had a few of these treatment styles, where do you land? Are you happy they exist? Do they do anything for you? Are you going to swap out cards in your decks to these Spider-Man cards?

Let us know!

More Spider-Man: