Broken Visage

Broken Visage was released in 1997 as part of the Fifth Edition core set for Magic: The Gathering. As a rare instant, it continued the tradition of black-aligned removal spells that offered tactical advantages based on the state of the battlefield. The card originally debuted in the Legends expansion, serving as a distinct piece of mid-nineties card design that leaned into the game's gothic and macabre aesthetic themes.

The artwork was provided by Margaret Organ-Kean, a prominent contributor to the early years of the game. Her illustration depicts a shattered, spectral mask, capturing the ethereal and unsettling nature of the card's effect. Within the broader context of Fifth Edition, which served as a massive consolidation and reprinting of cards from the game's earliest sets, Broken Visage represents the era's focus on high-impact, thematic spells that rewarded players for careful timing during combat.