MARVEL SNAP's December Season, The Power Cosmic, is underway, with a new Season Pass card, Variants for other featured cards, and new cards being added to Series 5 in just a couple of weeks.
In light of these characters being featured in MARVEL SNAP, now is a good time to get to know each of them a little better: Where they're from, what their deal is, and how their card reflects the character from Marvel comics.
The Silver Surfer
On Reveal: Give your other 3-Cost cards +2 Power.
We'll start with the reason for this Season, The Silver Surfer. Born on the peaceful planet Zenn-La, Norrin Radd became the Silver Surfer after Galactus, the Devourer of Worlds, agreed to make Norrin his Herald in exchange for sparing Zenn-La from, you know, being devoured.
The Silver Surfer served as the Herald of Galactus for some time, finding uninhabited planets for the insatiable consumer - eventually having his mind warped by Galactus so that he no longer minded the destruction of inhabited worlds.
When the duo arrived at Earth, Silver Surfer had his mind changed (literally) by the Fantastic Four and Alicia Masters, who helped him drive Galactus away from Earth. As revenge, Galactus surrounded Earth with a field that prevented Silver Surfer from leaving his new home. From time to time, Galactus has returned to reclaim his erstwhile Herald, but is always defeated.
Quick Bits
- Alias: Norrin Radd
- Abilities: Channel cosmic energy to augment power, heal wounds, and change matter
- First Comics Appearance: Fantastic Four #48 (March 1966)
- Flavor Grade: B. The animation is pretty dope, and Silver Surfer can use cosmic energy in the comics to help out his friends - in the case of MARVEL SNAP, that means other 3-Cost cards. We've docked points for the 0 Power of the card itself, since Silver Surfer is a pretty powerful being in the comics.
The Collector
When a card enters your hand from anywhere (except your deck), +1 Power.
Collector is a bit of a meddler in the comics, an immortal Elder of the Universe who foresaw its destruction by Thanos and decided that his best course of action was to collect specimens for future repopulation.
Taneleer Tivan spent his first couple million years on Cygnus X-1 with his wife Matani. When Matani relinquished her immortality due to boredom, Taneleer took up the hobby of collecting things to keep himself sane. Collector was eventually killed by Korvac the Machine Man, only to be resurrected later when his friend (and fellow Elder) Grandmaster defeated Death in the Contest of Champions.
Quick Bits
- Alias: Taneleer Tivan
- Abilities: Precognition, telepathy, the ability to change size and shape.
- First Comics Appearance: Avengers Vol. 1 #28 (June 1966)
- Flavor Grade: A+. The Collector gets more Power as you add things to his Collection. What can I say, it's an obsession.
The Infinaut
If you played a card last turn, you can’t play this.
"The Infinaut" is the name given to a massive extra-dimensional being that has tried numerous times over the decades to manifest on Earth. He was studied by Dr. Adam Brashear (a.k.a Blue Marvel), who prevented his arrival multiple times across the decades, since his size would inevitably destroy the Earth if he was allowed to touch down.
Brashear eventually learned that The Infinaut was not a destroyer, but rather a fellow scientist trying to study Earth. With the help of Giant-Man, they shrunk The Infinaut to a more agreeable size and welcomed him to Earth.
Quick Bits
- Alias: None
- Abilities: Interdimensional travel
- First Comics Appearance: Ultimates Vol. 3 #9 (July 2016)
- Flavor Grade: A. The Infinaut is so massive that he can't be played without taking a turn off to prepare for his arrival, or you can use special abilities to summon him.
Knull
Ongoing: Has the combined Power of all cards destroyed this game.
Knull is a primordial being who came into existence following the destruction of the cosmos. When the Celestials showed up to create another cosmos (the current Marvel Universe), Knull counterattacked by creating All-Black the Necrosword and using it to slay one of their kin. Banished by the other Celestials to the end of the universe, Knull used his victim's severed head to create the symbiotes. That Celestial's head would eventually become known as Knowhere.
Knull lurked in the background for quite some time, eventually losing All-Black to Gorr the God Butcher, but was reinvigorated when Nick Fury used pieces of symbiote to power soldiers fighting in the Vietnam War - Knull took control of the symbiote-infected soldiers until S.H.I.E.L.D. captured them.
Knull later attacked Earth with a symbiote dragon and symbiote-possessed Celestials, requiring a huge force of superheroes to defend it. After a drawn-out battle, he was defeated and killed by Venom.
Quick Bits
- Alias: King in Black
- Abilities: Creation of and control over symbiotes
- First Comics Appearance: Venom Vol. 4 #3 (August 2018)
- Flavor Grade: A+. As the creator and controller of the symbiotes, Knull is the granddaddy of Destroy mechanics, and it shows in his ability.
The Sentry
Cannot be played at the right location. On Reveal: Add a -10 Power Void to the right location.
Heroin addict Robert Reynolds accidentally ingested Super Soldier serum and became the Sentry, a being with the power of a thousand exploding suns. The Sentry has done battle with his archenemy and opposite number the Void countless times throughout the years.
The Sentry eventually learned that the Void was created from his own repressed memories, and had all memories of the Sentry wiped from existence, effectively destroying them both. When his memories resurfaced, Reynolds once again became the Sentry, but the Void returned as well.
This pattern repeated a few times: the Sentry remembers, Void returns, forcing Sentry to be forgotten, until eventually Thor killed the Sentry and dropped his body into the sun - where it burned for some time, dying and regenerating, until the Void got bored and left, and the Sentry was able to return.
Quick Bits
- Alias: Robert Reynolds
- Abilities: Super-strength and speed, flight, ability to control light
- First Comics Appearance: Sentry #1 (September 2000)
- Flavor Grade: B+. The Sentry has a lot of Power for a 4-Cost card, and just like in the comics brings The Void with him.
Darkhawk
Ongoing: +2 Power for each card in your opponent's deck.
While at an abandoned amusement park, teenager Chrstopher Poweel discovered an alien amulet that allows him to turn into an android that could shoot energy and fly, using these powers to fight crime. After registering with the government during the Civil War, Darkhawk was Security Chief at Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. during the Secret Invasion.
In Avengers Arena, Arcade abducted Darkhawk (along with other young superheroes) and transported him to Murderworld, expecting the captives to fight to the death. Darkhawk was seemingly killed by Death Locket, allowing him to attack Arcade and eventually free the captives.
Quick Bits
- Alias: Christopher Powell
- Abilities: Bio-mechanical suit with retractable glider wings, creating force fields, dark energy blasts
- First Comics Appearance: Darkhawk #1 (April 1991)
- Flavor Grade: D. Our opinion that Darkhawk's most unique ability is swapping between two forms. Gaining Power from cards in your opponent's deck doesn't reflect that, nor does it reflect his other abilities.
Have any important information to add that we overlooked? Share your lore in comments below!
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