Mythical MetalCollector's guide · Marvel cards
1990 Impel Marvel Universe cards
The set that helped kick off the early-'90s boom in comic trading cards. Here's what's in it, which cards matter, and what to check before you buy one.
- Year
- 1990
- Maker
- Impel Marketing
- Base set
- 162 cards
- Inserts
- 5 holograms (MH1–MH5), about 1 per box
- Key card
- #161 Stan Lee "Mr. Marvel"
- Checklist
- #162
What's in the set
The first half of the set gives one card to each hero and villain. Card backs read like a comic character file: real name, first appearance, a short write-up and a row of power ratings, which is a big part of why kids collected them.
The second half is subsets: team-ups and rivalries, famous storylines, landmark comic issues and team cards. The set closes with #161 Stan Lee and the #162 checklist. Borrowing from sports cards, a handful of cards are billed as "rookies" for characters and titles that were new or relaunched at the time.
The five holograms
The chase cards were silver holograms, inserted about one per box (odds were roughly 1 in 36 packs), so they're far scarcer than base cards.
- MH1 Cosmic Spider-Man
- MH2 Magneto
- MH3 Silver Surfer
- MH4 Wolverine
- MH5 Spider-Man vs. Green Goblin
Hologram surfaces scratch and cloud easily, so clean, bright copies are the ones collectors pay up for.
Which cards matter
- #161 Stan Lee. Stan Lee's first card in a mainstream trading card set, and the card most people look for first. Its value has climbed steadily over the years.
- The holograms. Scarce from the start and hard to find in top condition.
- The big names. Spider-Man (including the black costume card), Wolverine, Venom and the X-Men sell faster and for more than lesser-known characters. Interest in a character rises and falls with movies and shows.
- High-grade copies of anything. Most raw base cards sell for a few dollars. A professionally graded gem mint copy of a popular character can sell for many times that, because so few cards from this set grade that high.
Condition: what to check
This set is condition-sensitive. Cards that look fine at a glance often fall apart under a loupe. Before you buy or grade, check:
- Centering. Many cards were cut off-centre. Compare the border widths left to right and top to bottom; a visibly lopsided card won't grade high.
- Edges and corners. Look along all four edges for nicks and chipping, and at each corner for dings or rounding. On the white borders, small chips are easy to miss, so tilt the card under the light.
- Surface. Tilt the card under a bright light to catch scratches, print lines and dents. Take it out of the sleeve; plastic hides surface wear.
- The back. Staining and wear on the back count too.
When we call a card NM (near mint) in a listing, we've looked at all four of these, and the photos show the actual card front and back.
Is grading worth it?
Usually not for common characters: the grading fee can be more than a gem mint common is worth. It can make sense for Stan Lee #161, the holograms and the big-name characters, if the card is well centred with clean edges. Price raw cards from recent sold listings, not from graded asking prices or the famous record sales.
What came after
Series II followed in 1991 and Series III in 1992. By Series IV in 1993 the company was trading as SkyBox, and that set added red foil "2099" inserts. Fleer and SkyBox then filled the mid-'90s with painted and foil-heavy sets like Marvel Masterpieces and Fleer Ultra X-Men. If you like the 1990 set, those are the natural next step.
Our 1990–1991 Impel Marvel Universe cards
Every card is photographed front and back, ships in a sleeve and toploader, and comes with free 30-day returns.
More '90s Marvel cards in the store
See all our Marvel cards on eBay
Sources: set details from Cardboard Connection; condition notes from our own experience listing these cards. Marvel and the character names are trademarks of Marvel; this is an independent collector's guide.