Magic: The Gathering’s partnership with Marvel has been one of the most highly anticipated crossovers in the 30-year history of this venerable card game. The Marvel Secret Lair Superdrop is the first foray into this partnership, and it’s chock-full of intriguing new legendary creatures as well as a plethora of scintillating reprints.
Any Secret Lair Drop has to have notable reprints – whether they be cards frequently reprinted due to extreme popularity or scarce cards that have not seen a reprint in years, sometimes even decades. In the case of the Marvel Secret Lair Superdrop, there’s a solid combination of both, so let’s check out the best reprints found within this limited release.
10Ice Storm
First Reprinting In Over 30 Years
First off is a green sorcery that has not seen a reprint since Unlimited Edition (aka third edition) was released in December of 1993. While this card is not overpowered, it does provide green with something it is not usually known for – land destruction.
Beyond this card’s power level, the sheer novelty of MTG reprinting a card that hasn’t been seen in over 30 years combined with this card being in Storm’s Secret Lair Drop – and featuring that character’s iconic X-Men Animated Series uniform – means this is a terrific, entertaining reprint.
9Inventors’ Fair
Terrific Utility Land For Artifact Lovers
Part of Iron Man’s Secret Lair Drop, this legendary land has only seen one non-The List printing, which was in 2016’s Kaladesh set. As such, this card will certainly hold some impressive value on the secondary market, considering that Kaladesh copies of this land in good condition will set you back over $15.
This card provides passive lifegain inartifact-themeddecks and also serves as an artifact tutor on a stick if you dump four colorless mana into it. Seeing as decks featuring the Iron Man legendary creature from this Secret Lair will almost certainly feature tons of artifacts, its presence here makes perfect sense.
8Storm’s Will/Jeska’s Will
Strong Card Advantage Engine For Red Commander Players
Another card with scant reprints, this red sorcery also hails from Storm’s drop and provides ample value – especially in a game of Commander. Not only does it repay you with red mana based on the number of cards in an opponent’s hand, but it also allows you to “impulse draw” the top three cards of your library and play them until the end of the turn.
Seeing as this card has only seen printings in three total sets (debuting in 2020’s Commander Legends), this card will almost certainly retain an impressive price point on the secondary market – the cheapest version currently on TCGPlayer is a shade under $18.50.
7Shield of War and Peace/Sword of War and Peace
Who Needs A Sword When You Have A Shield?
The Captain America-themed Secret Lair Drop has a clearequipmenttheme, which is no surprise given the strong equipment-based abilities of the Jeskai (red, white, and blue) Captain America, First Avenger legendary creature.
Sword of War and Peace (here refitted as Shield of War and Peace for Cap) has only seen one non-The List, non-bonus sheet (Kaladesh Inventions) reprint since its debut in 2011’s New Phyrexia set, so this reprint has been a long time coming. While its power level has waned somewhat due to power creep, this is still a terrific pairing with Captain America, as who is he without his trademark shield?
6Captain America’s Aid/Sigarda’s Aid
Two Caps For The Price Of One
Another card that’s renamed in honor of the Secret Lair Drop it’s part of, here we see another equipment-themed card, Sigarda’s Aid, reskinned as Captain America’s Aid. The artwork of this card is terrific, as we get two Caps for the cost of one – Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson.
In terms of gameplay, any Colossus Hammer fans know the power of this card, especially when paired with two of thebest one-mana Goblins of all time– Cacophony Scamp and Fireblade Charger – as you can deal 20 damage as early as turn two thanks to this card’s free equipment attaching clause.
5Flawless Maneuver
Free Protection If You Control A Commander
The third straight card here from Captain America’s Secret Lair Drop, this one is once again focused on the Commander format – MTG’s most popular format – with a white instant that can be cast for free as long as you control a commander.
Giving all of your creatures indestructible can certainly be a game-swinging effect, especially if you are ahead on board, but this card’s power level is not quite as high as other cards on this list. Despite that, this will only be this card’s third reprint since it debuted in the Commander 2020 set, so it will likely fetch a premium on the secondary market.
4Heroic Intervention
Game-Swinging Mass Protection Spell, Courtesy Of Black Panther
An upgraded version of Flawless Maneuver, this card is the only one herein from Black Panther’s Secret Lair Drop. A hugely popular card that has seen quite a few reprints over the years since its debut in 2017’s Aether Revolt set, this stylish Black Panther-themed reprint is still surely a welcome addition across this entire Superdrop, as Heroic Intervention’s supreme utility cannot be understated.
Giving all of your permanents (that means lands too, folks) both hexproof and indestructible until the end of the turn can save your bacon in most scenarios – and completely thwart an opponent’s gameplan if timed correctly.
3Adamantium Bonding Tank/The Ozolith
Powerful Counter-Saving Legendary Artifact
Reskinned as Adamantium Bonding Tank for Wolverine’s Secret Lair Drop, The Ozolith originally debuted as a legendary artifact in 2020’s Ikoria: Lair of Behemoths set to great acclaim. Being able to save all counters on your creatures – no matter what they are – and re-use them every turn is a dynamite effect.
Artwork-wise, it’s great to see multiple different instances of Wolverine across that hero’s drop. In this case, it shows Wolverine as Weapon X, which marked an early – and traumatic – part of Wolvie’s history.
2Berserk
A Fitting Reprint For Wolverine
Another card from Wolverine’s Secret Lair Drop, this eminently powerful green combat trick debuted back in Magic’s first set, Alpha, in 1993. While this card is well over 30 years old, its effect is still incredibly powerful and unique – doubling the power of a creature and tacking on trample can be game-winning in the right scenario.
Wolverine is known for flying into violent, bloody rages, which is why this card is so fitting in his Secret Lair Drop. Berserk’s rarity and scant reprints also mean this will be another card that will retain quite the price point on the secondary market.
1Commander’s Plate
Iron Man’s Armor Deserves The Top Spot
Iron Man’s armor was always going to need an incredibly powerful card to represent such an important piece of Marvel lore, and MTG didn’t disappoint: Commander’s Plate is likely the best card across all five drops in the Marvel Secret Lair Superdrop.
Able to be equipped to your commander for only three colorless mana, this equipment gives your commander +3/+3 as well as protection from all colors that are not in its color identity. That tremendous power level, coupled with simple yet tremendous artwork of Iron Man’s armor, make this the best reprint in the Marvel Superdrop.
