Shang-Chi, Master of Kung FuShang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu | Art by Lee Woo-chul

Howdy folks, and welcome to Part One of the Marvel Super Heroes cEDH set review, where we'll be looking at all the new cEDH-playables which the Marvel Super Heroes main set has brought with it. Part Two will go over the Commander Deck exclusives as well as the Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart set. So, without further ado, let's get into it!

White

Jennifer WaltersJennifer Walters

Kicking things off is Jennifer Walters, a 2/3 legendary Human Advisor Hero creature for that carries with it the cEDH-staple static ability "Your opponents can't cast spells during your turn." Simple, potent, and game winning, cEDH has seen an influx of cards carrying this ability (and variants of it) in recent years, and Jennifer Walters is going to slot in nicely alongside the rest of them. The only limitation on her playability, however, is her color identity - this is a MDFC, and the reverse side is green and white, pushing Walters outside of the color identity restrictions of Blue Farm and the like.

Speaking of that reverse side, that card is The Sensational She-Hulk, a 6/6 legendary Gamma Hero creature which you can either cast for or have Jennifer Walters transform into by paying at sorcery speed. The Sensational She-Hulk has reach, trample, that same silencing-effect as Jennifer Walters, and the additional triggered ability "Whenever a creature you control is dealt damage, you may have The Sensational She-Hulk deal that much damage to any target. Do this only once each turn."

All in all, this card's front-face is exactly the kind of card cEDH wants - basically, another Voice of VictoryVoice of Victory. The backside is cool too, but no one is paying any time soon.

The Mind StoneThe Mind Stone

Next up, we have The Mind Stone - a card that, for cEDH players out there, really only matters because it is a two-mana mana rock. Indestructible and the ability to turn into a blink-effect in the late game is, like The Sensational She-Hulk, pretty cool, but absolutely not why this card will be played. Instead, look at this card like a mildly-worse Arcane SignetArcane Signet for all the low-color white decks out there. is much more annoying to pay than , and only adding is worse than color fixing, but for the likes of Heliod, Sun-CrownedHeliod, Sun-Crowned and Oswald FiddlebenderOswald Fiddlebender those hurdles are easily - and happily - cleared.

Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Last for white, we have one of the most talked about (potential) commanders of the set, Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

For , Nick Fury is a 2/1 legendary Human Spy Hero creature with "Power-up - : Put two +1/+1 counters on Nick Fury, then look at the top seven cards of your library. You may put a Hero, Equipment, or Vehicle card from among them onto the battlefield. If it's a double-faced card, you may transform it. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order." (Activate each power-up ability only once. The power-up cost is reduced by the activating-card's cost if that card entered this turn.)

Like lots of legendary creatures in cEDH, the argument in favor of Nick Fury as a commander rests solely on its mana value and color identity. In short, Nick Fury is a one-mana, five color commander. Both excellent qualities, but I'd argue not enough to push this card into competition with Rograkh, Son of RohgahhRograkh, Son of Rohgahh - is it playable? Sure. Guaranteeing that Mox AmberMox Amber, Culling the WeakCulling the Weak, and Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship are live is the stuff of cEDH players' dreams, but one mana is a whole lot more than no mana.

Blue

Bruce BannerBruce Banner

Smashing in as the single card in blue's contribution is Bruce Banner, a 1/1 legendary Human Scientist Hero for with ", : Draw X cards. Activate only as a sorcery," and ": Transform Bruce Banner. Activate only as a sorcery." On the back side, Bruce Banner is The Incredible Hulk, an 8/8 legendary Gamma Berserker Hero for (this is an MDFC that can either be cast or transformed-into) with reach, trample, and "Enrage - Whenever The Incredible Hulk is dealt damage, put a +1/+1 counter on him and there is an additional combat phase after this phase."

All together, Bruce Banner is a one-mana commander that's also a value engine, provides access to guaranteed early-game powerhouses like Mox AmberMox Amber, Fierce GuardianshipFierce Guardianship, and Deflecting SwatDeflecting Swat, and can also serve as an infinite mana outlet. On the backside, The Incredible Hulk has a one-card combo with CaltropsCaltrops, smashing through the opposition with infinite combat steps thanks to infinite enrage triggers. Now that's a commander that's worth considering.

Black

Black Widow, Super SpyBlack Widow, Super Spy

Kicking off black's contribution is a Ragavan-esque value creature that'll slot in pretty well in low-color black decks that are shooting for a midrange game plan, and that's Black Widow, Super Spy.

For , Black Widow is a 2/1 legendary Human Spy Hero creature with menace and "Whenever Black Widow deals combat damage to a player, that player exiles cards from the top of their library until they exile a nonland card. You may put a +1/+1 counter on Black Widow. If you don’t, you may cast the exiled nonland card until end of turn and mana of any type can be spent to cast that spell."

Hard to block and guaranteeing that you get a nonland card each turn, Black Widow is a pretty nice opportunity to steal extra card advantage each combat, exactly the kind of card that Tymna the WeaverTymna the Weaver loves. It may not make Ragavan's Treasure or cost just one mana, but the combination of color-washing whatever it exiles and guaranteeing that something useful is exiled is enough to make this card worth experimenting with.

Super-SkrullSuper-Skrull

We just saw a one-mana commander to compete with Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., so now it's time to check out a five-color commander, as well. It's Super-Skrull, a legendary 4/5 Skrull Shapeshifter Villain for with flying, as well as four activated abilities:

• : Create a 0/4 colorless Wall creature token with defender.
• : Super-Skrull gets +4/+4 until end of turn.
• : Super-Skrull deals 4 damage to target creature.
• : Target player draws four cards.

This whole package essentially boils down to an infinite-mana toolkit deck that really likes cards like Training GroundsTraining Grounds and Zirda, the DawnwakerZirda, the Dawnwaker. Grind value in the early-to-mid game then blow your opponents out of the water by making them draw until they lose, Super-Skrull is a pretty solid choice for anyone considering a five-color commander.

Red

Hex MagicHex Magic

Our first nonpermanent spell from Marvel Super Heroes, Hex Magic is an Arcane sorcery for that has you exile the cards in your hand, then draw that many cards. Until the end of your next turn, you may play cards from among those exiled this way.

In practice, Hex Magic is basically a three-mana sorcery that draws you a number of cards equal to the number of cards in your hand (minus itself, of course). While games of cEDH are going longer and longer these days, red still pushes just enough pressure to mean that a resolved Hex Magic will probably be a pretty good signal that the game is ending this turn, if not the next one.

Green

Shang-Chi, Master of Kung FuShang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu

If I had to pick a single card to stand the test of time from this set, it's Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu. For , this 2/2 legendary Human Warrior Hero creature has the static ability "You may activate abilities of creatures you control as though those creatures had haste," as well as the activated ability ": Add two mana of any one color. Spend this mana only to activate abilities of creature sources." From Sisay, Weatherlight CaptainSisay, Weatherlight Captain to Tayam, Luminous EnigmaTayam, Luminous Enigma and all manner of fringe creature-based decks in between, Shang-Chi will always have a home in cEDH as a premier pseudo-haste enabler.

Multicolor

King T'ChallaKing T'Challa

Do you like drawing cards? Because, for , King T'Challa likes drawing cards. A 3/2 legendary Human Noble Hero with flash, King T'Challa's static ability reads "Whenever a player draws their second card each turn, you draw a card." Additionally, you can transform King T'Challa by paying at sorcery speed, or just by casting the reverse-side of the card for that same cost. If you do, you'll have access to Black Panther, Hope Enduring, a 3/3 with flash, double strike, a static ability that prevents all damage that would be dealt to it, and the triggered ability "Whenever Black Panther deals combat damage to a player, draw a card."

Like most of the transforming MDFC cards in this set, King T'Challa is primarily playable thanks to the front side. In lower-color builds, this card slots in right alongside Faerie MastermindFaerie Mastermind as a great way to parasitize other value engines, while in higher-color builds this probably doesn't quite make the cut. Playable, absolutely, but not a format staple.

Colorless

Marvel Super Heroes didn't debut any new colorless cards for us - the set's more powerful cards in this category were splashy, potent bombs for late-game one-v-one play or lower bracket builds, not the value-maximizing or combo-enabling cards cEDH traditionally clamors for.

Land

Just like with colorless, Marvel Super Heroes didn't bring anything particularly important for cEDH - at least, in the main set.

Wrap Up

Marvel Super Heroes promised plenty of legendary creatures, and it delivered. From potential commanders to main deck playables, this set was filled to the brim with legendary creatures worth considering for all sorts of roles. Plus, it gave white some more value in the mana department, something the color continues to struggle with.