In the world of comics, first issues get most of the attention and buzz. The follow-up can be great, but usually there’s not a lot of chatter about them until after the fact. 1991 Impel Marvel Universe Series 2 trading cards are similar. The sequel to the landmark 1990 Marvel Universe release, this set is wildly popular but not to quite the same level.
1991 Impel Marvel Universe Series 2 Checklist Overview
Like the original set, an expansive checklist is the cornerstone of the set. Like the first release, the main part of the 1991 Impel Marvel Universe Series 2 checklist has 162 cards. It’s divided up into seven different subsets to help keep things organized.
Super Heroes and Super-Villains group characters into good and bad, right and wrong. These two combined make up 90 cards, over half the set. These are basically the comic equivalent of a standard sports card. Fronts showcase who each character is with an action drawing and a memorable design. The colors are different, but baseball card collectors from the era might see a little 1990 Topps Baseball in it.
Card backs bring a lot of content. There’s a portrait drawing that, where applicable, has their alter ego. Among the vital stats is a note of their first appearance, something handy for comic collectors (even more so in 1991 when the internet wasn’t available to do a quick search). A detailed bio and “Did You Know” trivia spot go even deeper into the heroes and villains. Rounding things out is a Power Ratings bar graph that ranks characters based on Strength, Speed, Agility, Stamina, Durability and Intelligence.
Thirty-six Arch Enemies cards look at famous rivalries in the Marvel Universe.
Other subset themes include Weapons, Legends, Rookies and Teams.
At the end of the set, three cards break down what the Power Ratings mean at each level. A checklist bookends everything.
The Shiny Stuff
1991 Impel Marvel Universe Series 2 has just one insert set, and it’s a familiar one. Five new Holograms are included. These use a design that similar to the base set. While odds aren’t exact, most boxes have at least one.
Although popular and a key part of the set, the Holograms here don’t bring the same values that their 1990 predecessors do. Neither set is particularly rare, but these are basically the issue #2 so the magic’s a little different.
The toughest card to find is one that wasn’t included in packs. The Spider-Man Hologram has a version that was autographed on the back by Stan Lee. The only way to get one was through a special set that was available exclusively at the Capital City Sales Conference. Collectors should be cautious with these, though, as there doesn’t appear to be an easy way to tell this special version from a card that may have been signed after the fact. Unlike most of today’s autographs, there are no authenticity statements or alternate numbering.
Variations
The first 18 cards in the base set have a slight variation. Normally, the “1991” inside the Marvel logo on the front uses bold text. For variations, the year is in standard font weight. At a glance, it’s probably not noticeable, but when held next to other cards, it is if you look closely.
Other 1991 Impel Marvel Universe Series 2 Items
1991 Impel Marvel Universe has a couple of other things that were available separately.
A special factory set was packaged in a tin. The art on this has similar art to Spider-Man #1 by Todd McFarlane, which was published in 1990.
There’s also a custom binder available through a special mail-away offer printing on the backs of wrappers. The album, which included 19 nine-pocket pages, has a Spider-Man hologram on the front and an image of Wolverine’s base card on the back.
1991 Impel Marvel Universe Series 2 Checklist
Set size: 162 cards
Cards per pack:
Packs per box:
Shop for 1991 Impel Marvel Universe Series 2 packs and boxes on eBay.
Base Set
162 cards.
Super Heroes
1 Spider-Man
2 Daredevil
3 Thing
4 Marvel Girl
5 Phoenix
6 Sub-Mariner
7 Mister Fantastic
8 Iceman
9 Shadowcat
10 Human Torch
11 Nightcrawler
12 Captain Britain
13 Iron Man
14 Punisher
15 Cable
16 Deathlok
17 Gambit
18 Psylocke
19 Vision
20 Hawkeye
21 Silver Sable
22 Night Thrasher
23 Puck
24 Union Jack
25 Quicksilver
26 Scarlet Witch
27 Havok
28 Iron Fist
29 Adam Warlock
30 Wonder Man
31 Sasquatch
32 Firestar
33 Death’s Head
34 Speedball
35 USAgent
36 Banshee
37 Meggan
38 Jubilee
39 Ghost Rider
40 Beast
41 Invisible Woman
42 Rogue
43 She-Hulk
44 Dr. Strange
45 Silver Surfer
46 Storm
47 Archangel
48 Thor
49 Quasar
50 Wolverine
51 Cyclops
52 Nick Fury
53 Hulk
54 Captain America
Super-Villains
55 Kingpin
56 Sabretooth
57 Magneto
58 Venom
59 Galactus
60 Mandarin
61 Chameleon
62 Super Skrull
63 Grim Reaper
64 Mojo
65 Fin Fang Foom
66 Jigsaw
67 Tombstone
68 Ulik
69 Baron Strucker
70 Mysterio
71 Sauron
72 Annihilus
73 Rhino
74 Absorbing Man
75 Doctor Octopus
76 Baron Mordo
77 Saracen
78 Nebula
79 Puma
80 Deathwatch
81 Kang
82 Blackout
83 Calypso
84 Ultron
85 Thanos
86 Hobgoblin
87 Lizard
88 Doctor Doom
89 Loki
90 Red Skull
Arch-Enemies
91 Spider-Man vs. Venom
92 Fantastic Four vs. Skrulls
93 Wolverine vs. Sabretooth
94 Silver Surfer vs. Galactus
95 Daredevil vs. Elektra
96 Avengers vs. Kang
97 Human Torch vs. Sub-Mariner
98 Spider-Man vs. Hobgoblin
99 Captain America vs. Baron Zemo
100 Punisher vs. Jigsaw
101 X-Factor vs. Apocalypse
102 Punisher vs. Kingpin
103 Thing vs. Hulk
104 Daredevil vs. Bullseye
105 Spider-Man vs. Doctor Octopus
106 X-Men vs. Sentinels
107 Fantastic Four vs. Galactus
108 Wolverine vs. Hulk
109 Ghost Rider vs. Deathwatch
110 Dr. Strange vs. Baron Mordo
111 Nick Fury vs. Baron Strucker
112 Spider-Man vs. Lizard
113 Silver Surfer vs. Thanos
114 Avengers vs. Ultron
115 Captain America vs. Red Skull
116 Daredevil vs. Punisher
117 X-Men vs. Marauders
118 Iron Man vs. Mandarin
119 Hulk vs. Leader
120 Thor vs. Loki
121 Spider-Man vs. J. Jonah Jameson
122 Thor vs. Ulik
123 Silver Surfer vs. Mephisto
124 Fantastic Four vs. Doctor Doom
125 X-Men vs. Magneto
126 Daredevil vs. Kingpin
Weapons
127 Captain America’s Shield
128 Thor’s Hammer
129 Daredevil’s Billy Club
130 Ultimate Nullifier
131 Spider-Man’s Web-Shooters
132 Punisher’s Arsenal
133 Iron Man’s Armor
134 Infinity Gauntlet
135 Quasar’s Quantum Bands
136 Dr. Octopus’s Arms
137 Mandarin’s Rings
138 Wolverine’s Claws
Legends
139 Captain Marvel
140 Bucky
141 Green Goblin
142 Original Ghost Rider
143 Kraven
144 Dark Phoenix
Rookies
145 Darkhawk
146 Sleepwalker
147 Rage
148 X-Force
149 New Fantastic Four
Teams
150 Fantastic Four
151 Avengers
152 Avengers West Coast
153 X-Men
154 X-Factor
155 Excalibur
156 New Warriors
157 Masters of Evil
158 Marauders
Power Ratings
159 Strength / Speed
160 Agility / Stamina
161 Durability / Intelligence
162 Checklist
Variations
18 cards.
“1991” on the front is not bold for the variation. On standard versions, “1991” is bold.
3 Thing
4 Marvel Girl
5 Phoenix
6 Sub-Mariner
7 Mister Fantastic
8 Iceman
9 Shadowcat
10 Human Torch
11 Nightcrawler
12 Captain Britain
13 Iron Man
14 Punisher
15 Cable
16 Deathlok
17 Gambit
18 Psylocke
Holograms
5 cards.
H-1 Spider-Man
H-2 Hulk
H-3 Punisher
H-4 Doctor Doom
H-5 Fantastic Four vs Mole Man
Hologram Autographs
1 card.
Available in special tin set given out exclusively at Capital City Sales Conference.
H-1 Stan Lee – Spider-Man
Promo Cards
5-card cello pack:
1 Spider-Man
45 Silver Surfer
51 Cyclops
57 Magneto
124 Fantastic Four vs. Doctor Doom
6-Card Sheet – Previews
4-Card Panel – Previews /30000
