1990 Impel Marvel Universe COMPLETE PSA 10 SET + Hologram PSA 9, Captain America

The turn of the 1980s marked a boom in the trading card industry as demand for cardboard collectibles skyrocketed. The end of Topps’ baseball card monopoly lead competitors like Donruss and Upper Deck to flood the market, and Fleer’s iconic 1986 basketball release singlehandedly breathed life back into a sector of the industry that had stagnated for close to five years. Wrestling cards also surged in popularity with the rise of both the WWF and WCW, and just a few years later, Magic: The Gathering ushered in a new era of collectible card games. Yet lost in the shuffle was the most important comic book card set ever produced: Impel’s 1990 Marvel Universe Series 1. This was the set that started it all, and any collector from that time will tell you that Impel’s inaugural Marvel release was the one that got them started on their comic card journey. Hoping to capitalize on the renewed popularity of superheroes and comic book characters following the massive success of Tim Burton’s Batman, Impel produced this 162-card set and kicked off the next big card craze. Featuring iconic Marvel superheroes like Spider-Man, Captain America, Doctor Strange, and the X-Men, this set introduced these beloved characters to a brand-new generation of collectors and has since exploded in desirability thanks to the rise of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But the appeal of these cards goes beyond just their impact on popular culture. Because this was the first mainstream comic book release, many of these cards are considered the “rookies” of these characters, which has only added to their collectability. Marvel Universe also stood out amongst the flimsy, off-color “junk wax” sports releases that defined the era, as it was printed on glossy white card stock and boasts some of the finest artwork of any comic card set. This release was truly revolutionary for the industry as a whole. This offering presents an extraordinarily rare opportunity to own a complete Marvel Universe Series 1 set that features all 162 base cards in PSA 10 grade. This includes highly sought-after cards with incredibly low PSA populations, including Captain Britain (Pop 12), High Evolutionary (Pop 9), Daredevil vs. Punisher (Pop 10), and Silver Surfer vs. Thanos (Pop 11). This listing also includes the complete 5-card holographic subset in PSA 9 grade, which fell 1:36 packs and served as the product’s main chase. A rare chance to own one of just two known PSA 10 complete sets of this legendary release, comic card fans will don their capes to conquer this offering.