THE FORGOTTEN ERA:
WHY CARDS
#57–99 MATTER MOST

SECTION 1: WHAT THE 2000s ERA ACTUALLY REPRESENTS

The 2000s era in the 2025 Topps set is not simply a chronological designation. It represents the period when Marvel Comics underwent its most significant creative and commercial transformation since the Silver Age. The 2000s saw Brian Michael Bendis redefine the Avengers, Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch create the Ultimates, Ed Brubaker resurrect Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier, and Joss Whedon write what many consider the definitive X-Men run. These were not minor events. They were the creative foundation for the entire MCU.

The characters in the 2000s subset reflect this transformation. X-23 (card #57) — Logan's female clone — debuted in 2004 and is now confirmed for the MCU. Venom (card #84) — whose 2000s comics presence was defined by the Bendis-era Spider-Man stories — is pending MCU integration. Kitty Pryde (card #77) led the X-Men in the 2000s and is a priority MCU character. Winter Soldier (card #98) — whose 2005 debut is one of the most important character revivals in modern comics — has been a central MCU figure for over a decade. The 2000s subset is, in effect, the MCU's source material.

"Every major MCU storyline from Phase 3 onward traces its origins to 2000s Marvel Comics. The 2000s subset isn't the forgotten era. It's the blueprint."

SECTION 2: THE UPPER DECK GAP

There is a structural reason why the 2000s era is undervalued in the trading card hobby: Upper Deck held the Marvel license from 2000 to 2024. During that period, Upper Deck produced numerous Marvel sets — but none with the iconic Topps aesthetic, none with the vintage design language, and none with the cultural authority that Topps brings to the category. The result is a 24-year gap in Topps-licensed Marvel cards that coincides precisely with the 2000s era.

This means that for collectors who grew up with Topps Marvel cards in the 1970s and 1980s, there are no Topps cards of characters who debuted or rose to prominence during the Upper Deck era. The 2025 set fills that gap for the first time. Characters like X-23, Kitty Pryde (in her leadership role), Venom (in his anti-hero phase), and Winter Soldier are receiving their first Topps cards. That's not a minor distinction. For collectors who care about the Topps brand specifically, these are genuinely new additions to a collection that has been incomplete for 24 years.

SECTION 3: THE FIVE CARDS TO WATCH

Within the 43-card 2000s subset, CBH Intelligence identifies five cards as priority acquisitions based on character importance, MCU relevance, and current market undervaluation.

X-23 (card #57) is the highest-priority acquisition in the subset. Her MCU debut is confirmed — she appeared in Logan (2017) and is expected to appear in the MCU's X-Men integration. Her first comic appearance in NYX #3 (2004) is one of the most actively traded Modern Age keys, with CGC 9.8 copies at $200–$350. The 2025 Topps card is her first Topps appearance, and it is currently priced as if none of this matters.

SECTION 4: THE COLLECTOR STRATEGY

The optimal strategy for the 2000s subset is not to collect all 43 cards — it's to identify the five to eight cards with the strongest MCU catalysts and acquire them in the highest grade you can afford. The 1975 and 1976 subsets will always have nostalgic premium; the 2000s subset will appreciate based on MCU news flow. These are different investment theses that require different holding periods and different entry strategies.

For collectors with limited budgets, the 2000s subset offers better value than the 1975 subset at current prices. A PSA 10 base copy of X-23 (card #57) costs a fraction of a PSA 10 base copy of Spider-Man (card #22) — yet X-23's MCU upside is arguably greater than Spider-Man's, whose MCU presence is already fully priced in. The market has not yet recognized this asymmetry. That recognition, when it comes, will be the catalyst for the 2000s subset's revaluation.