Déjà Vu

Déjà Vu was released in 1998 as part of the Portal Second Age expansion for Magic: The Gathering. This set was designed by Wizards of the Coast as an introductory product, specifically tailored to simplify the game's mechanics for new players. By eschewing the complex timing rules and interrupt cards found in the core sets of the era, the Portal series sought to broaden the game's accessibility, framing the experience as a more straightforward tactical encounter.

The card features an illustration by Dan Frazier, a veteran artist whose work appeared in the very first Magic: The Gathering sets. For this piece, Frazier maintained the set's signature aesthetic, which utilized a distinctive card frame and simplified rules text to emphasize clarity. Upon release, Déjà Vu was received primarily as a utility card for beginners, valued for its ability to retrieve creatures from the graveyard, though its restrictive sorcery-speed timing limited its competitive utility compared to more powerful iterations of the effect.