It may seem hard to believe now given the oft-delayed release of The New Mutants, but the film was once meant to be the first entry in a trilogy of movies spun off from 20th Century Fox's X-Men film franchise. But that was before the studio mulled extensive reshoots (which never actually happened) and all of Fox's film assets, including the X-Men franchise, were acquired by Disney. With the X-Men now in the hands of Marvel Studios, any hopes for the continuation of a Fox creation like The New Mutants within the confines of the MCU appear dead. We asked New Mutants director/co-writer Josh Boone what his plans were for the now-scuttled New Mutants trilogy during our interview with him and actor Charlie Heaton (who plays Cannonball) the Comic-Con@Home livestream. Boone revealed that if New Mutants 2 were to have happened it would have featured a strange Marvel Comics character who was deemed too prohibitively pricey to realize in the first film. Watch the full New Mutants Comic-Con@Home panel below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/the-new-mutants-official-panel-comic-con-2020"] "Earlier drafts of this had Warlock in it and he was just far too expensive for us to explore in the first movie. He doubled our budget in a lot of ways with what we wanted to do with him so we really stripped him back," Boone said. "Warlock was always the idea for the second one." Created by New Mutants writer Chris Claremont and artist Bill Sienkiewicz, Warlock was a shape-shifting mechanical organism. But unlike other members of his alien race, the Technarchy, Warlock possessed compassion. He even served as a member of the New Mutants despite his own father being an enemy ruler who fought both the New Mutants and the X-Men. Boone also revealed that the sequels would have introduced Karma, one of the New Mutants' founding members in the comics who didn't make it into the roster of the first movie. The director added that he and co-screenwriter Knate Lee wanted to "really use a lot of stuff from Chris and Bill’s run on New Mutants" in subsequent films. The grandest plan for this unrealized New Mutants trilogy would have seen Boone adapt one of Marvel Comics' most notable crossover event seres of the late 1980s: "We sort of wanted to use Inferno because it was so horror-related and was like a big crossover series when I was young I really liked in X-Men." [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-x-man-ever&captions=true"] Taking place across several Marvel books including the mutant titles Uncanny X-Men, X-Factor, X-Terminators, Excalibur, and The New Mutants, Inferno depicted a demonic invasion of Earth. New Mutants member Magik (aka Illyana Rasputin) was central to the saga because she could open portals between the dimension of Limbo and Earth. Illyana is portrayed in The New Mutants by The Witch and Split actress Anya Taylor-Joy. "But that was different times back then and nobody knew about the merger, any of those things," Boone added. For more on the franchise, watch the latest New Mutants trailer, read these 7 comics to prepare you for the film, and dive into our explainer on the film's Demon Bear and Soulsword. Be sure to watch the Comic-Con@Home livestream for more coverage from this year's virtual show. Check out our full Comic-Con 2020 panel schedule.

Disney announced it will push back its upcoming Star Wars and Avatar films by a year after rescheduling its film release calendar. Mulan has also been removed from this year's release calendar completely. According to Variety, a new Star Wars movie will now debut around the holidays every other year starting in 2023. The new trio will begin with the first new Star Wars movie on December 22, 2023, while the second and third will follow on December 19, 2025, and December 17, 2027, respectively. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Meanwhile, a new Avatar movie will be released every other year. So Avatar 2 will now be released on December 16, 2022, Avatar 3 will be released on December 20, 2024, Avatar 4 on December 18, 2026, and Avatar 5 on December 22, 2028. Mulan, Disney's live-action remake, has also been unscheduled from this year's release calendar. Mulan was originally set to premiere earlier this year but was delayed to August following the coronavirus pandemic. But now Disney has removed the film from the calendar altogether citing uncertainties around when movie theaters might be able to re-open. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/22/tenet-official-trailer-2"] Other high-profile films from other studios have also been put in limbo as a result of the crisis. Tenet, Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated thriller, has encountered delay-after-delay. Warner Bros. is certain however that Tenet will not be released on VOD as the theater-going experience is integral to the film. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

Disney announced it will push back its upcoming Star Wars and Avatar films by a year after rescheduling its film release calendar. Mulan has also been removed from this year's release calendar completely. According to Variety, a new Star Wars movie will now debut around the holidays every other year starting in 2023. The new trio will begin with the first new Star Wars movie on December 22, 2023, while the second and third will follow on December 19, 2025, and December 17, 2027, respectively. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Meanwhile, a new Avatar movie will be released every other year. So Avatar 2 will now be released on December 16, 2022, Avatar 3 will be released on December 20, 2024, Avatar 4 on December 18, 2026, and Avatar 5 on December 22, 2028. Mulan, Disney's live-action remake, has also been unscheduled from this year's release calendar. Mulan was originally set to premiere earlier this year but was delayed to August following the coronavirus pandemic. But now Disney has removed the film from the calendar altogether citing uncertainties around when movie theaters might be able to re-open. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/22/tenet-official-trailer-2"] Other high-profile films from other studios have also been put in limbo as a result of the crisis. Tenet, Christopher Nolan's highly-anticipated thriller, has encountered delay-after-delay. Warner Bros. is certain however that Tenet will not be released on VOD as the theater-going experience is integral to the film. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Matt T.M. Kim is a reporter for IGN.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shake up theater releases, AT&T CEO John Stankey said he'd be very surprised if Tenet or Wonder Woman 1984 premiered on streaming services or as video on demand. Stankey spoke to these two Warner Bros. movies — AT&T is the parent company of Warner Bros. — in a recent earnings call and reiterated the importance of theatrical releases for tentpole movies like Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984. He didn't rule out subscription and VOD integration into the company's future schedule though. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] "Do I think that there could be some things that we had originally chartered and built for theatrical release that maybe migrate into a (subscription and video on demand) construct?" Stankey asked during the earnings call, according to The Wrap. "Sure I think that could occur. Is it going to happen on a movie like Tenet or something like Wonder Woman 1984? I'd be very surprised if that would be the case." Stankey took it a step further and said he can "assure you on Tenet that's not going to be the case." He said that the theatrical release will always have an important role moving forward for Warner Bros. There is content that is more enjoyable and better to see in theaters than in a living room, Stankey added. Stankey continued and said that content on the margins might be looked at as better to distribute in "another construct," likely alluding to VOD. Universal Pictures' Trolls World Tour took a theatrical detour down that route and it was a huge success. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/22/tenet-official-trailer-2"] Tenet was delayed to August last month before it was announced this week that it has been indefinitely delayed. This news comes after reports that Tenet director Christopher Nolan pushed for a July release date, despite Warner Bros. market judgement. On the DC side of Warner Bros. movies, Wonder Woman 1984 is currently looking at an October 2, 2020, release date, although considering the movie has been delayed four times already, who really knows when this movie will hit theaters. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins to put her future plans for additional movies on pause. As we patiently await the movie's theatrical release, read about Kristen Wiig's Cheetah character from the movie and then check out how Hero Within is making some Wonder Woman 1984-inspired clothing pieces available for everyone at home. Here are some ways to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shake up theater releases, AT&T CEO John Stankey said he'd be very surprised if Tenet or Wonder Woman 1984 premiered on streaming services or as video on demand. Stankey spoke to these two Warner Bros. movies — AT&T is the parent company of Warner Bros. — in a recent earnings call and reiterated the importance of theatrical releases for tentpole movies like Tenet and Wonder Woman 1984. He didn't rule out subscription and VOD integration into the company's future schedule though. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] "Do I think that there could be some things that we had originally chartered and built for theatrical release that maybe migrate into a (subscription and video on demand) construct?" Stankey asked during the earnings call, according to The Wrap. "Sure I think that could occur. Is it going to happen on a movie like Tenet or something like Wonder Woman 1984? I'd be very surprised if that would be the case." Stankey took it a step further and said he can "assure you on Tenet that's not going to be the case." He said that the theatrical release will always have an important role moving forward for Warner Bros. There is content that is more enjoyable and better to see in theaters than in a living room, Stankey added. Stankey continued and said that content on the margins might be looked at as better to distribute in "another construct," likely alluding to VOD. Universal Pictures' Trolls World Tour took a theatrical detour down that route and it was a huge success. [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/05/22/tenet-official-trailer-2"] Tenet was delayed to August last month before it was announced this week that it has been indefinitely delayed. This news comes after reports that Tenet director Christopher Nolan pushed for a July release date, despite Warner Bros. market judgement. On the DC side of Warner Bros. movies, Wonder Woman 1984 is currently looking at an October 2, 2020, release date, although considering the movie has been delayed four times already, who really knows when this movie will hit theaters. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins to put her future plans for additional movies on pause. As we patiently await the movie's theatrical release, read about Kristen Wiig's Cheetah character from the movie and then check out how Hero Within is making some Wonder Woman 1984-inspired clothing pieces available for everyone at home. Here are some ways to help, and stay safe, during the Coronavirus pandemic. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.

Mattel revealed a brand new line in its WWE action figure series at the Mattel & WWE Elite Squad fan panel at Comic-Con@Home on Thursday, and this time they gave fans the power to choose what figures got made. The WWE and Mattel panel was featured as part of IGN's Comic-Con@Home livestream - for more, you can check out the full Comic-Con 2020 panel schedule for IGN's stream. The new Fan Takeover line will be released in 2021, be distributed exclusively by Walmart, and centers around the idea of giving fans the power to choose which unique set of ring gear gets used for the upcoming action figure of a wrestler. "Fan Takeover allows the fans, the WWE Universe, to choose the gear they want to see on these WWE figures," said Steve Ozer, action figure marketer at Mattel. "There's lots of requests for specific gear, and now fans have their chance to have their voices heard and get that gear into the line." There were two waves announced at the panel, with wave one consisting of: Seth Rollins with his black and gold ring gear from WrestleMania 35 where he faced Brock Lesnar Shayna Baszler in her silver and black attire. Ricky Steamboat with his white pants and headband from the iconic WrestleMania 3 match against Randy Savage and Adam Cole in his traditional black and yellow gear Wave 2 will follow afterward and will include: Randy Orton in his blue attire from when he was the Intercontinental Champion Christian in his "Hit the Switch" shirt from 2011 Sean Waltman, AKA the 123 Kid, AKA X-Pac, in his NWO gear. And finally, Johnny Gargano in his Wolverine-inspired attire from Takeover Toronto The Fan Takeover line wasn't the only announcment at the panel, however. There were a ton of reveals covering other Mattel lines of WWE action figures as well, including:

• Candice LeRae Elite Series figure
• Rhea Ripley Elite Series figure
• Undertaker 30 Year Anniversary Elite Series Figure
• Mia Yim WWE Series figure
• Humberto Carrillo WWE Series figure
• Tegan Nox WWE Series figure
• Dakota Kai WWE Series figure
• Toni Storm WWE Sereis figure
• King Corbin Elite Series figure
• Alexa Bliss Elite Series figure
• Bayley Elite Series figure with slashed inflatable tube man
• Jerry "The King" Lawler Elite Series figure
• Mae Young Elite Series figure
• Stunning Steve Austin Elite Series figure
• The British Bulldog Elite Series figure
• Street Profits Elite Series figure
• Bianca Belair Elite Series figure
• Angel Garza Elite Series figure
• Kushida Elite Series figure
• Io Shirai Elite Series figure
• Ricochet Elite Series figure
• Firefly Funhouse Bray Wyatt Elite Series figure
• The Fiend Bray Wyatt Ultimate Edition Series figure
• Charlotte Flair Ultimate Edition Series figure
• The Rock Ultimate Edition Series figure
• NWO Hulk Hogan Ultimate Edition Series figure
• Macho Man Randy Savage Ultimate Edition Series figure
• Edge 2020 Royal Rumble Ultimate Series figure
• Jake the Snake Roberts Legends Series figure
• Hall of Fame Ultimate Warrior Legends Series figure
• Eddie Guerrero Legends Series figure
• Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff Legends figure
• The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase Legends figure
• Nikolai Volkoff Legends Figure
• Brutus the Barber Beefcake Legends figure
• Diamond Dallas Page Legends figure
• Mr. T Elite Series figure
• Mr. T and Roddy Piper Boxing Match double pack Elite Series figures
• Mr. T Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• The Fiend Bray Wyatt Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Seth Rollins Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Jake the Snake Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• NWO Macho Man Randy Savage Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Becky Lynch Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Ricky Steamboat Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Rowdy Roddy Piper Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Hulk Hogan Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Stone Cold Steve Austin Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Chyna WrestleMania series figure
• Edge WrestleMania series figure
• Shawn Michaels WrestleMania series figure
• Goldberg WrestleMania series figure
• Paul Ellering WrestleMania series figure
• The WrestleMania Ring Cart from WrestleMania 3 with Andre the Giant or Macho Man Randy Savage

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Mitchell Saltzman is an Editorial Producer at IGN and is a life long fan of professional wrestling.

Mattel revealed a brand new line in its WWE action figure series at the Mattel & WWE Elite Squad fan panel at Comic-Con@Home on Thursday, and this time they gave fans the power to choose what figures got made. The WWE and Mattel panel was featured as part of IGN's Comic-Con@Home livestream - for more, you can check out the full Comic-Con 2020 panel schedule for IGN's stream. The new Fan Takeover line will be released in 2021, be distributed exclusively by Walmart, and centers around the idea of giving fans the power to choose which unique set of ring gear gets used for the upcoming action figure of a wrestler. "Fan Takeover allows the fans, the WWE Universe, to choose the gear they want to see on these WWE figures," said Steve Ozer, action figure marketer at Mattel. "There's lots of requests for specific gear, and now fans have their chance to have their voices heard and get that gear into the line." There were two waves announced at the panel, with wave one consisting of: Seth Rollins with his black and gold ring gear from WrestleMania 35 where he faced Brock Lesnar Shayna Baszler in her silver and black attire. Ricky Steamboat with his white pants and headband from the iconic WrestleMania 3 match against Randy Savage and Adam Cole in his traditional black and yellow gear Wave 2 will follow afterward and will include: Randy Orton in his blue attire from when he was the Intercontinental Champion Christian in his "Hit the Switch" shirt from 2011 Sean Waltman, AKA the 123 Kid, AKA X-Pac, in his NWO gear. And finally, Johnny Gargano in his Wolverine-inspired attire from Takeover Toronto The Fan Takeover line wasn't the only announcment at the panel, however. There were a ton of reveals covering other Mattel lines of WWE action figures as well, including:

• Candice LeRae Elite Series figure
• Rhea Ripley Elite Series figure
• Undertaker 30 Year Anniversary Elite Series Figure
• Mia Yim WWE Series figure
• Humberto Carrillo WWE Series figure
• Tegan Nox WWE Series figure
• Dakota Kai WWE Series figure
• Toni Storm WWE Sereis figure
• King Corbin Elite Series figure
• Alexa Bliss Elite Series figure
• Bayley Elite Series figure with slashed inflatable tube man
• Jerry "The King" Lawler Elite Series figure
• Mae Young Elite Series figure
• Stunning Steve Austin Elite Series figure
• The British Bulldog Elite Series figure
• Street Profits Elite Series figure
• Bianca Belair Elite Series figure
• Angel Garza Elite Series figure
• Kushida Elite Series figure
• Io Shirai Elite Series figure
• Ricochet Elite Series figure
• Firefly Funhouse Bray Wyatt Elite Series figure
• The Fiend Bray Wyatt Ultimate Edition Series figure
• Charlotte Flair Ultimate Edition Series figure
• The Rock Ultimate Edition Series figure
• NWO Hulk Hogan Ultimate Edition Series figure
• Macho Man Randy Savage Ultimate Edition Series figure
• Edge 2020 Royal Rumble Ultimate Series figure
• Jake the Snake Roberts Legends Series figure
• Hall of Fame Ultimate Warrior Legends Series figure
• Eddie Guerrero Legends Series figure
• Mr Wonderful Paul Orndorff Legends figure
• The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase Legends figure
• Nikolai Volkoff Legends Figure
• Brutus the Barber Beefcake Legends figure
• Diamond Dallas Page Legends figure
• Mr. T Elite Series figure
• Mr. T and Roddy Piper Boxing Match double pack Elite Series figures
• Mr. T Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• The Fiend Bray Wyatt Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Seth Rollins Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Jake the Snake Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• NWO Macho Man Randy Savage Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Becky Lynch Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Ricky Steamboat Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Rowdy Roddy Piper Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Hulk Hogan Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Stone Cold Steve Austin Masters of the WWE Universe figure
• Chyna WrestleMania series figure
• Edge WrestleMania series figure
• Shawn Michaels WrestleMania series figure
• Goldberg WrestleMania series figure
• Paul Ellering WrestleMania series figure
• The WrestleMania Ring Cart from WrestleMania 3 with Andre the Giant or Macho Man Randy Savage

[poilib element="accentDivider"] Mitchell Saltzman is an Editorial Producer at IGN and is a life long fan of professional wrestling.

With more and more 2020 movies being pushed back to next year over coronavirus concerns, at least we can still count on the Great Ones. Orion Pictures will release Bill & Ted Face the Music simultaneously in theaters and On Demand. The news comes as Orion also debuted the full-length trailer for the long-awaited third movie in the Bill & Ted saga. Check that out below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/bill-ted-face-the-music-official-trailer-2"] The film's release date is being pushed back slightly, but only by a few days. Bill & Ted Face the Music will now debut on Tuesday, September 1 rather than Friday, August 28. This makes Bill & Ted 3 the latest major 2020 release to turn to streaming in the wake of widespread theater closures. Both Trolls: World Tour and Scoob skipped theaters entirely in favor of video-on-demand releases. And with Trolls outperforming the original, we've speculated this pattern could spell a worrisome trend for struggling theater chains. Still, a hybrid theatrical/VOD release may be the only way to give Bill & Ted Face the Music a wide release in the US anytime soon. Warner Bros. recently delayed Tenet indefinitely, a sign that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is making it very difficult for studios to plan their release schedules. Bill and Ted Face the Music again stars Keanu Reeves as Ted "Theodore" Logan and Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston, Esq. The sequel explores their struggle with middle-age and the pressures of fatherhood, with the two still trying to write the greatest song ever made in order to unite all of humanity in harmony. The new trailer sheds more light on the sequel's plot, as it seems the duo attempt to travel into the future to "steal" that song from their older selves. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Recently, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter joined the 2020 Graduation Commencement at San Dimas High School (the home of Bill & Ted) to congratulate the graduating class and remind them to be excellent to each other. Both Reeves and Winter will also take part in the Bill & Ted Face the Music panel at Comic-Con@Home, one of the 9 things we're excited to see at Comic-Con this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

UPDATE: Bill & Ted Face the Music is now releasing in select theaters and on-demand on August 28, one week ahead of its previously announced release date. Alex Winter shared the most excellent news in a tweet on Thursday. "Great news my excellent friends! @BillandTed3  is moving up a full week to release on August 28!", he wrote. "On demand and in select theaters in the U.S.!"

Great news my excellent friends! @BillandTed3 is moving up a full week to release on August 28! On demand and in select theaters in the U.S.! pic.twitter.com/1E00FREhQN

— Alex Winter (@Winter) August 6, 2020

In a follow-up tweet, Winter stated that international release date will be announced soon. It may be that August 28 is a US-only date and international audiences will be able to watch from a different day. [poilib element="accentDivider"] ORIGINAL STORY: With more and more 2020 movies being pushed back to next year over coronavirus concerns, at least we can still count on the Great Ones. Orion Pictures will release Bill & Ted Face the Music simultaneously in theaters and On Demand. The news comes as Orion also debuted the full-length trailer for the long-awaited third movie in the Bill & Ted saga. Check that out below: [ignvideo url="https://www.ign.com/videos/2020/07/23/bill-ted-face-the-music-official-trailer-2"] The film's release date is being pushed back slightly, but only by a few days. Bill & Ted Face the Music will now debut on Tuesday, September 1 rather than Friday, August 28. This makes Bill & Ted 3 the latest major 2020 release to turn to streaming in the wake of widespread theater closures. Both Trolls: World Tour and Scoob skipped theaters entirely in favor of video-on-demand releases. And with Trolls outperforming the original, we've speculated this pattern could spell a worrisome trend for struggling theater chains. Still, a hybrid theatrical/VOD release may be the only way to give Bill & Ted Face the Music a wide release in the US anytime soon. Warner Bros. recently delayed Tenet indefinitely, a sign that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is making it very difficult for studios to plan their release schedules. Bill and Ted Face the Music again stars Keanu Reeves as Ted "Theodore" Logan and Alex Winter as Bill S. Preston, Esq. The sequel explores their struggle with middle-age and the pressures of fatherhood, with the two still trying to write the greatest song ever made in order to unite all of humanity in harmony. The new trailer sheds more light on the sequel's plot, as it seems the duo attempt to travel into the future to "steal" that song from their older selves. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=every-delayed-movie-due-to-coronavirus-so-far&captions=true"] Recently, Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter joined the 2020 Graduation Commencement at San Dimas High School (the home of Bill & Ted) to congratulate the graduating class and remind them to be excellent to each other. Both Reeves and Winter will also take part in the Bill & Ted Face the Music panel at Comic-Con@Home, one of the 9 things we're excited to see at Comic-Con this year. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

An extremely rare Pokemon card has sold for over $200,000, breaking the previous record for most expensive sale held by none other than itself. This card, the Japanese "Pikachu Illustrator" card, is one of only 39 made and one of 10 left in the world. The previous record for most expensive Pokemon card sale was held by this card when it sold for $195,000 last October. When this card sold for $233,000 earlier this month, it broke its own record. "What makes it so rare is that it was not sold, but awarded as a prize in an illustration contest through CoroCoro Comic," an auction description from the $195,000 October sale explains. "This unique card was created specifically for the contest. In the January 1998 issue, three 1st Place winners had a copy of the card, as did another 20 2nd Place winners. With cards awarded in two more contests that year, there were a maximum of 39 copies released." This month's sale happened on ZenPlus and was purchased by an American customer through ZenPlus' Pokemonmania store, the company said. What makes this card so special beyond it being a part of a contest over 20 years ago is that it features art by the original illustrator of Pikachu, Atsuko Nishida. The $233,000 card was graded as a Professional Sports Authenticator Mint 9, which means the card is in superb condition with no more than one flaw. [widget path="global/article/imagegallery" parameters="albumSlug=top-10-cutest-pokemon-from-sword-and-shield&captions=true"] As for as why someone would want to spend that kind of money on a single Pokemon card, it isn't due to the card's competitive nature. The card doesn't really do much beyond authenticate its recognition as a winner in the 1998 contest. "We certify that your illustration is an excellent entry in the Pokemon Card Game Illustration Contest," the card reads, as translated by ZenMarket. "Therefore, we state that you are an Officially Authorized Pokemon Card Illustrator and admire your skill." It would seem that whoever purchased this card bought it for the collector's value as it won't be doing them any favors in future trading card battles. [poilib element="accentDivider"] Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.