1987 Comic Images Marvel Universe trading cards might not stand out visually. They don’t have much of a nostalgic grip on the hobby like the similar 1990 Impel Marvel Universe set that followed a few years later. But maybe this set is overlooked. Perhaps there’s some importance that the masses hasn’t recognized yet.
It can be seen as one of the first — if not the first — sets of Marvel trading cards to go from the Bronze Age and into the Modern Age. With that comes some of the earliest mainstream trading cards of characters like Wolverine, Storm and Phoenix.
1987 Comic Images Marvel Universe Checklist Overview
The 1987 Comic Images Marvel Universe checklist has 90 cards. All are character-based. Fronts offer basic art while backs take to point form to spell out their vitals with info like their real names, aliases, occupations and even legal status. Connecting to comics, there are also mentions of both first appearances and, where applicable, issues that cover their origins.
This is the first of four sets of Marvel trading cards that Comic Images put out in 1987 and 1988. Others includes 1987 Colossal Conflicts (Series 2), 1988 Wolverine (Series 3) and 1988 Heroic Origins (Series 4). Although each stands on its own, they’re also meant to be interconnected. Backs on all but the Wolverine set show this with the series number to go along with the card number.
1987 Comic Images Marvel Universe cards aren’t impossible to find, but it can be hard to find specific cards at reasonable prices. While it’s still very much a sleeper set among those that a lot of collectors talk about and casual collectors seek, prices are strong. With the rise of Marvel trading cards as a whole as well as its evolution, momentum seems to be slowly building here. Whereas the 1990 Impel set is largely about nostalgia and collectors gravitating back to something they grew up with, here it’s more about early cards and tougher availability.
For those who come across unopened packs, they’re on the small side. Each has just four cards. There’s also one previously released Comic Images Marvel sticker.
1987 Comic Images Marvel Universe Checklist
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Set size: 90 cards
Cards per pack: 4 + 1 Sticker
Packs per box: 50 pack
Shop for 1987 Comic Images Marvel Universe packs and boxes on eBay.
Base Set
90 cards.
1 X-Factor
2 Marvel Girl
3 Cyclops
4 Beast
5 Angel
6 Iceman
7 X-Men
8 Magneto
9 Nightcrawler
10 Wolverine
11 Storm
12 Colossus
13 Rogue
14 Phoenix I
15 Phoenix II
16 Longshot
17 Lockheed
18 Shadowcat
19 Power Pack
20 Warriors Three
21 New Mutants
22 Karma
23 Wolfsbane
24 Mirage
25 Sunspot
26 Cannonball
27 Magma
28 Magik
29 Warlock
30 Cypher
31 Avengers
32 Wasp
33 Captain America
34 Hercules
35 Black Knight
36 Captain Marvel
37 Namor the Sub-Mariner
38 West Coast Avengers
39 Iron Man
40 Hawkeye
41 Wonder Man
42 Tigra
43 Mockingbird
44 Alpha Flight
45 Aurora
46 Northstar
47 Snowbird
48 Puck
49 Box
50 Vindicator
51 Madison Jefferies
52 Fantastic Four
53 Mister Fantastic
54 Invisible Woman
55 Human Torch
56 She-Hulk
57 Thing
58 Spider-Man
59 Quicksilver
60 Jack of Hearts
61 Nomad
62 Watcher
63 Thor
64 Havok
65 Professor X
66 Spider-Man
67 Silver Surfer
68 Punisher
69 Power Man
70 Scarlet Witch
71 Galactus
72 Nova
73 Moon Knight
74 Callisto
75 Dr. Henry Pym
76 Hulk
77 Iron Man II
78 Nick Fury
79 Forge
80 Falcon
81 Elektra
82 Doctor Strange
83 Daredevil
84 Cloak
85 Dagger
86 Doc Samson
87 Black Panther
88 Vision
89 Black Widow
90 Checklist
