Power-Up in MTG: Rules, History, and Best Cards

Captain Marvel, Earth's Protector | Illustration by Victor Adame Minguez

Superheroes have costumes and catchphrases because we can expect them to do what we’re used to, and the pleasure of comic book stories is often just that. As a kid, I’d watch Bill Bixby get provoked for all sorts of bizarre reasons, including not having correct change in a phone booth (!!!), before turning into The Incredible Hulk. Many superhero movies are origin stories, and seeing Tony make his Iron Man suit or Thor get the hammer are the reason we bought tickets.

But it can’t always be clobberin’ time. There are also special, rarely used abilities, like snapping with the Infinity Gauntlet that can only be used once, at least by Tony, and that’s also part of the fun, in a different way.

Marvel Super Heroes gives us a version of these power-ups in the MTG set, and the design is slick. Let’s see how it works!

How Does Power-Up Work?

Hulk, Gamma Goliath | Illustration by Zezhou Chen

Power-up is an activated ability that you can only use once, which will remind many players of exhaust. But power-up is different in two ways.

First, it always adds at least one +1/+1 counter to the creature, usually followed by an extra ability, from the simplicity of additional counters for Hulk, Gamma Goliath to the complexity of taking an extra turn for Kang the Conqueror.

Second, power-up abilities can have a cost reduction if you activate them the turn the creature entered. The cost is reduced by their casting cost, which is a pretty nice trick with blink or other alternate ways to get the creature on the battlefield, where you aren’t paying that cost at all.

The History of Power-Up in MTG

Power-up appeared first in Marvel Super Heroes in 2026, on 39 cards across the Standard and Eternal products. It seems likely to continue to exist in Marvel sets if there are more to come, but it seems unlikely to be an evergreen mechanic.

Does Power-Up Reduce Colored Mana Costs?

Yes, similar to convoke. Power-up costs are reduced by the creature's mana cost, not mana value, so exactly what you see in the upper right corner.

For example, Pet Avengers has a power-up cost of and a mana cost of . The turn Pet Avengers enters, its power-up ability will only cost .

Note that the cost to cast a creature plus use its power-up ability the same turn always ads up to the total power-up cost, as a shortcut.

Is Power-Up Sorcery Only?

No. There are no timing restrictions on the ability except for the cost reduction for activation on the turn the creature entered.

Is Power-Up an Activated Ability?

Yes! And the mechanic may have the most “I am an activated ability” name of any activated ability in MTG!

Can You Counter Power-Up by Killing the Creature?

It depends on the ability. You can counter a power-up ability like Abomination, Terrifying Titan by removing it because the ability needs Abomination on the battlefield to gain a counter and fight.

But some abilities, or parts of abilities, don’t need the creature itself to stick around. Thanos, the Mad Titan’s power-up ability has you choose odd or even then destroy creatures with mana values of that quality. That part of the ability doesn’t need Thanos on the battlefield to resolve.

Can You Power-Up Again if You Blink the Creature?

Yes, blinking a creature results in the returned creature being treated as a new object, so it can power-up again. Which is why Kang the Conqueror is going to be a problem part of infinite turns loops.

Power-Up vs. Exhaust

Power-up and exhaust are extremely similar, but exhaust doesn’t have a cost reduction for activating on the turn the creature entered. Exhaust abilities are also a bit more open-ended, including showing up on noncreatures, somewhat infamously on the Arena ladder with mill game-ender Riverchurn Monument.

Gallery and List of Power-Up Cards

• Abomination, Terrifying Titan
• Aerial Doombot
• Black Panther, Most Dangerous
• Bold Biochemist
• Brave Brawler
• Brawn, Amadeus Cho
• Captain Marvel, Earth's Protector
• Donald Blake, Guise of Thor
• Extremis Elite
• Gamma Grotesque
• Goliath, Mass Manipulator
• Hercules, Prince of Power
• Hulk, Gamma Goliath
• Human Torch, Johnny Storm
• Immortus, Master of Eternity
• Iron Fist, Hero for Hire
• Jack of Hearts, Volatile Hero
• Kang the Conqueror
• Loki Laufeyson
• Marvel Boy, Noh-Varr
• Molly Hayes, Runaway
• Namora, the Sea Queen
• Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
• Ninja of the Hand
• Pet Avengers
• Quicksilver, Brash Blur
• Quinjet Technician
• Serpent Specialist
• Shang-Chi, Martial Mentor
• She-Hulk, Attorney-at-Law
• She-Hulk, Jade Defender
• Stature, Size Shifter
• Thanos, the Mad Titan
• Ultron Drone
• Unliving Legionnaire
• Viv Vision, Teen Synthezoid
• Volcanic Villain
• White Tiger, Ava Ayala
• Wonder Man, Hollywood Hero

Best Power-Up Cards

Of special note, there’s a power-up enabler in the Marvel Super Heroes set, Advancing the Spirit. WotC learned its Up the Beanstalk lesson and made this cost 3 mana, but I can see this as pretty busted with cards like Bold Biochemist and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D..

#10. Captain Marvel, Earth’s Protector

Captain Marvel, Earth's Protector is costly, and holding up 5 or 7 for it isn’t the same as holding up 4 for the better The Wandering Emperor. But if Captain Marvel drops to save you from the big attack in Standard with that lifelink, that’s not bad. That makes it 5-mana removal with lifelink. Maybe not great, but as a one-off finisher in a control deck or in another version of an airbending shell, this could be of use.

#9. Gamma Grotesque

This really is just a 6-drop in +1/+1 counters EDH decks that comes down for big card advantage. As such, Gamma Grotesque is an immediate include in those decks.

#8. Human Torch, Johnny Storm

Funny. This is a storm payoff. Got it.

Irencrag Pyromancer is good. Human Torch, Johnny Storm is close. The power-up is barely usable, but this can really close out a game in a version of Standard, maybe after a rotation and a ban or two.

#7. Immortus, Master of Eternity

Both the tap ability and the power-up on Immortus, Master of Eternity, in a deck that shaves off activated ability costs with Biomancer's Familiar sorts of effects, can really do a lot.

#6. Stature, Size Shifter

Enduring Curiosity tempo decks have largely evaporated, but this kind of card could help. Stature, Size Shifter likes to help you sneak your Kitsune's Technique, and it’s pretty good at piling on counters at the end of a grindfest on your opponent’s turn to swing in as a finisher.

#5. Thanos, the Mad Titan

Six mana, all colors, and you get an Extinction Event with a 6/6 deathtouching lifelinker left over. Okay. Most Badgermole Cub decks are full of even cost creatures, including the earthbent lands. Just saying.

#4. Loki Laufeyson

You gotta cast it. You gotta tap it. Are we too slow for that? Probably. But I'll be lauf-ing my way to victory when I copy just about anything with Loki Laufeyson It can work!

#3. Quicksilver, Brash Blur

Now this is fast! Quicksilver, Brash Blur is an astonishingly annoying start to a Red Deck Wins possibility in Standard. I don’t know if that’ll ever be good enough in the Izzet-palooza recently unleashed by WotC design, but this is a pretty good start to a sneak deck. I don’t know if Leonardo, Cutting Edge or Donatello's Technique turn 1 is what you want, but I think there’s legs here.

#2. Kang the Conqueror

Extra turns are powerful. The ability to copy them or cost reduce them? Even more awesome. Kang the Conqueror is waiting to be broken.

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

One-mana, 5-color commander. Full stop. Someone will find the way to make Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. work in cEDH. In Standard, with Advancing the Spirit out, you could drop Nick, call up, say, Miles Morales, get the ETB and then immediately flip it, getting a huge amount of value for 3 mana.

Wrap Up

Advancing the Spirit | Illustration by Julie Bell

This is a fun, on-theme mechanic that works in the powerful space for one-off effects exhaust pioneered for us. Unfortunately, I think most of the abilities are too expensive for what they do. Which means a lot of the cards with this ability are really Limited cards that should provide nice mana sinks in that kind of game. For Standard or Commander, there are a few really interesting cards so far with a lot of pretty timid designs.

To me, power-up seems like a great idea with lots of potential. Do you think we’ll see it again? Which power-up cards do you want in your decks, either in MSH Limited or in Standard, Commander, and beyond? Let me know in the comments below or on the Draftsim Discord. For more from us, subscribe to The Daily Upkeep on YouTube.

Until next time, heroes and villains, happy deckbuilding!