The game lets players assume the roles of Marvel superheroes such as Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hulk, Captain America, the Fantastic Four, and the X-Men.

All characters have seven basic attributes: Fighting determines hit probability in and defense against hand-to-hand attacks.

Strength determines damage inflicted by hand-to-hand attacks, grappling, or lifting and breaking heavy objects.

The origins include: Altered humans, normal people who acquire powers, such as Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four.

However, the GM can determine that succeeding at a hard task might require a yellow or red result.

Additional rules in the "Campaign Book" of the basic and advanced sets use the same game mechanic to resolve non-violent tasks.

[1] The result was Marvel Super Heroes, a boxed set designed by Jeff Grubb and written by Steve Winter.

Grubb designed the game to be easily understood, including a bare-bones combat system sufficient to resolve comic book style superhero fights.

This version, written by Mike Selinker, included a method of converting characters from the old role-playing game to the SAGA System.

Subsequently Marvel Comics published a few additional supplements, but stopped supporting the game a little over a year after its initial release, despite going through several printings of the core rulebook.

[2] However, the company found that despite critical acclaim and two Origins Awards, Marvel Heroic Roleplaying: Civil War "didn't garner the level of sales necessary to sustain the rest of the line.

70), Allen Varney wrote that the game was only suited to younger players and Marvel fanatics, saying, "this is a respectable effort, and an excellent introductory game for a devoted Marvel fan aged 10 to 12; older, more experienced, or less devoted buyers will probably be disappointed.

While Varney appreciated that the game was designed for younger players, he felt that it failed to recreate the excitement of the comics.

"This is the gravest flaw of this system and support line: its apathy about recreating the spirit of Marvel stories.

"[7] Marcus L. Rowland reviewed Marvel Super Heroes for White Dwarf #62, giving it an overall rating of 8 out of 10, and stated that "All in all, a useful system which is suitable for beginning players and referees, but should still suit experienced gamers.

Swan did note that familiarity with Marvel heroes was a necessity "and players who've never heard of Captain America or the Fantastic Four (are there any?)

"[12] In his 2023 book Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground, RPG historian Stu Horvath noted, "It's interesting to see the gulf of quality between Marvel Super Heroes and Conan Unchained [published the same year by TSR.]

Where Conan feels like the work of a good designer trying desperately to salvage a corporate cash grab, Marvel Super Heroes is a fun and functional reflection of the source material in roleplaying game form.