HeroClix World Exclusive:
As part of our exclusive, Wizkids gave HeroClix World a first look at the Alternate Character Cards, which is actually a pretty fascinating game mechanic.

Alternate Character Cards work like this: all figures in the DC VS MARVEL set will have either a Special Power or a Trait. All of them. These powers, as always, are defined on the standard Character Cards that come with your HeroClix Booster.

However, an upgraded version of that Special Power (or Trait) will be available on the Alternate Character Card, which can only be found in the boosters. Please be aware that not all characters have an Alternate Character Card, but many do.

(note: Boosters come in two varieties: DC and MARVEL. If you buy a Marvel booster, it will contain all Marvel figures, Marvel character cards for those figures, and 1 or more Alternate Character Cards that applies to a DC figure... and vice versa. You can NOT find Marvel Alternate Character Cards in a Marvel booster, nor can you find DC Alternate Character Cards in a DC boosters).

Emblem and Print and Play:
Let's get the most controversial thing out of the way - Alternate Character Cards will be marked with the symbol (on the left), making it ineligible for print and play. So to use an Alternate Character Cards, you must own the official card to use it.

More importantly, and Alternate Character Card REPLACES the original Character Card when you are using it (more on this below).

This is clearly part of the new NECA/Wizkids "Synergy" initiative, which is likely aimed at at collectors, which is always a good thing in HeroClix World's opinion.

How Alternate Character Cards Work:
Let's say you pick up a DC booster and find a Deathstroke figure; Deathstroke may have a Special Power on his original character card that grants him a +1 close combat damage bonus. However, on his Alternate Character Card, that same Special Power grants a +3 bonus instead!

Now this power shift isn't free. As a matter of fact, the Alternate Character Card will have a figure-cost modifier. So in the case Deathstroke, the Alternate Character Card will say "Cost: +20" to inform you that the cost for this figure increased by 20 if you want to use this card.

So at the beginning of the game you can stick with the original character card or use the Alternate Character Cards, which makes increases the cost of Deathstroke but also makes him much more potent on the battlefield