Why This Set Matters
Ovaltine — the chocolate malt drink mix — was one of Marvel's most unusual licensing partners.
This set contains the only known trading card appearances of Fu Manchu (#119) and Tak (#112). Marvel lost the license to these historic characters shortly after this set was produced — Fu Manchu, originally created by Sax Rohmer in 1913, became unavailable to Marvel due to rights issues, and the character was subsequently written out of Marvel continuity entirely. These 1983 Ovaltine stickers are the sole trading card documentation that these characters ever existed in the Marvel Universe.
Deep Dive
The 1983 Ovaltine Marvel Super Heroes sticker promotion in Mexico is one of the more delightful oddities in vintage Marvel collecting — a set defined almost entirely by its sponsor and its eccentric character selection.
The character choices are the most remarkable thing about this set. While Amazona and Necrodamus appear here — characters who almost never showed up in any US card product — major Marvel heroes are represented alongside genuinely arcane selections.
| Character | Format | Card | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fu Manchu True Rookie First Solo | Sticker | 119 Solo | Spanish |
| Necrodamus True Rookie First Solo | Sticker | 99 Solo | Spanish |
| Tak True Rookie First Solo | Sticker | 112 Solo | Spanish |