Iconic Rookies: 2000 Topps X-Men The Movie #3 – Magneto

Some character cards are “cool.” Magneto is important. He’s not just the villain — he’s the entire moral argument of the movie in a cape.

So for the Iconic Rookies series, we’re hitting one of the best character base cards in the set:

2000 Topps X-Men The Movie #3 – Magneto (the base card… not the autograph).

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Quick Movie Success Context (One Paragraph, No Fluff)

X-Men (2000) didn’t just “do fine.” It opened big and finished as a real blockbuster, with a worldwide box office around $296.9M (including a $54.5M opening weekend) on a reported $75M budget — the kind of performance that turned superhero movies from “maybe” into “we’re making 20 of these.”

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Why This Is an “Iconic Rookie” Card

This series isn’t about first-ever Wolverine-from-1974-type stuff. It’s about the definitive early mainstream card for the movie version of the character that mattered.

• Sir Ian McKellen’s Magneto is instantly recognizable and still the template.
• #3 in the base set gives it that “top billing” feel right next to Professor X.
• It’s the clean character presentation you actually want for a movie-era character run.

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Set Context: 2000 Topps X-Men The Movie

This is a classic Topps movie set: character spotlights + story moments. For collectors building a character-first binder, the base character cards are the backbone.

• Year: 2000
• Manufacturer: Topps
• Base set size: 72 cards
• Card: #3 – Magneto

Collector tip: Yes, there are flashier Magneto options (retail inserts, chromium, etc.). But if you’re doing Iconic Rookies, the base card is the “this is the guy” foundation piece.

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Checklist Reference

Trading Card Database (TCDB) – 2000 Topps X-Men The Movie Checklist

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Condition & Grading Notes

“It’s 2000, so it’s easy” is how people end up with PSA 8s they didn’t want.

• Edges & corners: watch for tiny white ticks and soft corners.
• Surface: look for scratches, print lines, and pressure marks.
• Centering: don’t assume it’s perfect — actually check it.

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Market Snapshot: How to Shop It

• PC copy: buy a clean raw and enjoy one of the best “villain” cards of the era.
• Grade play: only if it’s truly sharp — don’t “hope grade” your way into regret.

Helpful search links:

• eBay Sold Listings – 2000 Topps X-Men The Movie #3 Magneto
• eBay Live Listings – 2000 Topps X-Men The Movie #3 Magneto

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Build Ideas (Make It a Mini-Collection)

• Philosophy war duo: #2 Professor X + #3 Magneto is a perfect two-card centerpiece.
• Movie core villains page: Magneto + Mystique + Sabretooth + Toad (your whole “problem set”).
• 2000 movie character run: grab the clean character base cards first, then sprinkle in inserts later.

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Final Thoughts

2000 Topps X-Men The Movie #3 – Magneto is one of those cards that feels obvious… and that’s exactly why it belongs in the Iconic Rookies series.

It’s a cornerstone character, a cornerstone performance, and a clean base card from the movie that helped kick open the modern superhero era. Sometimes the “basic” choice is the smart one.

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Tags: X-Men, Magneto, Sir Ian McKellen, Marvel, movie cards, Topps, iconic rookies, villains