You just knew that those Alter Ego Superheroes cards within Topps’ 2025 Chrome Update release would be special, but how special, exactly? Turns out they’re pretty dang special for some of the rarest cards within this insert. The Shohei Ohtani Alter Ego SuperFractor (a 1-of-1 card) recently sold for $105,000.
Not that anyone was questioning it, but this price tag isn’t a fluke. It’s a reflection of who Ohtani is, what this card looks like, and the overall rarity of it.
Editor’s Note: Looking to Sell Sports Cards? Here’s How to Do It Quickly & Easily
The $105,000 Sale That Turned Some Heads
The 2025 Topps Chrome Update Alter Ego Superheroes SuperFractor Shohei Ohtani sold for that high price via Fanatics Collect, according to a report from The Beat’s Javier Perez.
How much more is that than the base version of the same card, you ask? It’s already a short print, but Perez noted a PSA 9 version of the base card is available on eBay for $25,000. That $80,000 gap is a blend of scarcity and the Ohtani premium going to work.
The two-way superstar has been a force within the hobby for a few years now, and that doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. That’s what happens when you’re an international superstar with four MVP Awards (including one in each of the last three years) and back-to-back World Series titles.
What Makes the Shohei Ohtani Alter Ego Card So Special
The artwork alone sets this card apart from others. Illustrated by Michael Blaskewicz, it portrays Ohtani as a top hat magician with two samurai swords. This is a nod to the legendary comic character Mandrake the Magician, cleverly tied to Ohtani’s “Sho Time” nickname. It works for many reasons, but especially because it’s an eye-catching card and personal to Ohtani since he’s able to dominate in the batter’s box and on the pitcher’s mound at the big-league level.
Topps confirmed that base versions of the Alter Ego insert were seeded at one per 4,074 hobby packs, which is about one per 203 hobby boxes. The SuperFractor gold border parallel odds were one per 389,424 hobby packs (and only one exists).
That kind of scarcity, combined with Ohtani’s global profile, makes the $105,000 sale feel entirely reasonable within the hobby’s current landscape. I can only imagine what this will sell for whenever it goes to market again.
A Brief History of Topps’ Alter Ego Concept
This isn’t Topps’ first time blending superhero visuals with baseball’s biggest names. However, the Chrome Update version feels like the best execution of the concept yet. Blaskewicz, who is a lifelong comic book enthusiast and longtime A’s fan, was inspired by some of the most influential illustrators of the 1990s, including George Pérez, Jim Starlin, Mike Mignola, and Image founder Erik Larsen.
When speaking with The Athletic, Blaskewicz explained that rather than produce caricatures, he wanted every character in the series to feel like it already existed in a comic book universe. I’d say he accomplished this mission because that philosophy can be seen clearly in every card of the set.
And with Topps now holding the NBA’s exclusive card license and fully licensed NFL cards arriving in April 2026, there’s real potential that this Alter Ego concept expands beyond baseball in the future.
The Full Alter Ego Superheroes Checklist
I talked about the Alter Ego Superheroes insert within this release back in December. It features 10 players total, including an interesting mix of present-day stars and all-time legends. Here’s the complete checklist:
- Rickey “Man of Steal” Henderson
- Frank “Big Hurt” Thomas
- Ozzie “Wizard” Smith
- Cal “The Iron Man” Ripken Jr.
- Jasson “The Martian” Dominguez
- Aaron “All Rise” Judge
- Pete “Polar Bear” Alonso
- Francisco “Mr. Smile” Lindor
- Ronald “La Bestia” Acuña Jr.
- Shohei “Sho Time” Ohtani
Every player on this list has a nickname that easily translates into superhero territory. The balance of nostalgia-era legends alongside current superstars is exactly what makes this insert work so well.
If the Ohtani SuperFractor is any indication, you’d imagine the remaining 1/1s are also going to command serious attention whenever they surface.
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