Drain Power

Drain Power was originally printed as part of the Alpha set in 1993, later appearing in the Fifth Edition core set as card number 82. Designed by Richard Garfield for the Magic: The Gathering trading card game, the card serves as a blue mana-draining spell that forces an opponent to empty their mana pool and adds that quantity to the player's own reserves. This mechanic reflects the game's early focus on high-impact, disruptive spells that could radically swing the momentum of a competitive match.

The art for the Fifth Edition version utilizes the established aesthetic of the era, focusing on abstract elemental imagery to convey the transfer of magical energy. While the card is often remembered for its potential to disrupt traditional resource management, it eventually became a fixture of restricted or banned lists in various formats due to its capacity to create lopsided game states. Its inclusion in Fifth Edition marked one of the final instances where this card was widely available to players in the core set rotation before the game shifted toward more controlled design philosophies.