1962 Topps Mars Attacks Checklist: All 55 Cards, Keys and What to Check

Quick answer: The original 1962 Topps Mars Attacks set has 55 cards: 54 numbered story cards, from #1 The Invasion Begins to #54 Mars Explodes, plus #55 Checklist. The keys are #1, #2, #54 and #55. All the others share one “commons” value in the PSA Price Guide (PSA Price Guide, accessed 2026-10-07).

For the story behind the set (the Bubbles, Inc. “Attack From Space” test issue, the 13 repainted cards and the Connecticut DA), see the Mars Attacks collector’s guide.

Full checklist

Card titles as listed in the PSA Price Guide, accessed 2026-10-07. The one exception is #36, where we corrected the guide’s “Destoying” to “Destroying”.

✓	#	Title	Notes
[ ]	1	The Invasion Begins	Key: first card. PSA guide well above commons
[ ]	2	Martians Approaching	Priced above commons in the PSA guide
[ ]	3	Attacking Army Base
[ ]	4	Saucers Blast Jets
[ ]	5	Washington In Flames
[ ]	6	Burning Navy Ships
[ ]	7	Destroying Bridge
[ ]	8	Times Square Terror
[ ]	9	The Human Torch
[ ]	10	Skyscraper Tumbles
[ ]	11	“Destroy the City”
[ ]	12	Death In The Cockpit
[ ]	13	Watching From Mars
[ ]	14	Charred by Martians
[ ]	15	Saucers Invade China
[ ]	16	Panic In Parliament
[ ]	17	Beast and the Beauty
[ ]	18	Soldier Fights back
[ ]	19	Burning Flesh
[ ]	20	Crushed To Death
[ ]	21	Prize Captive
[ ]	22	Burning Cattle
[ ]	23	The Frost Ray
[ ]	24	The Shrinking Ray
[ ]	25	Capturing a Martian
[ ]	26	The Tidal Wave
[ ]	27	The Giant Flies
[ ]	28	Helpless Victim
[ ]	29	Death in the Shelter
[ ]	30	Trapped!
[ ]	31	Monster Reaches in
[ ]	32	Robot Terror
[ ]	33	Removing The Victims
[ ]	34	Terror In Railroad
[ ]	35	The Flame Throwers
[ ]	36	Destroying A Dog	PSA lists it as “Destoying A Dog” (typo in the guide)
[ ]	37	Creeping Menace
[ ]	38	Victims Of The Bug
[ ]	39	Army Of Insects
[ ]	40	High Voltage
[ ]	41	Horror In Paris
[ ]	42	Hairy Fiend
[ ]	43	Blasting The Bug
[ ]	44	Battle In The Air
[ ]	45	Fighting Insects
[ ]	46	Blast Off For Mars
[ ]	47	Earth Bombs Mars
[ ]	48	Earthmen Land On Mars
[ ]	49	The Earthmen Charge
[ ]	50	Smashing The Enemy
[ ]	51	Crushing The Martians
[ ]	52	Giant Robot
[ ]	53	Martian City In Ruins
[ ]	54	Mars Explodes	Key: last story card
[ ]	55	Checklist	Key: checklist. Check for pencil marks

Key cards: PSA guide values (not sales)

#	Card	NM 7	NM-MT 8	MT 9
—	Commons (#3–#53)	$110	$300	$1,650
1	The Invasion Begins	$1,500	$6,500	$10,000
2	Martians Approaching	$150	$450	$2,200
54	Mars Explodes	$250	$650	$5,000
55	Checklist	$850	$2,750	$5,250

Source: PSA Price Guide, accessed 2026-10-07. Guide values are PSA’s estimates, not sale prices. One confirmed historical sale: a #1 in PSA 8 sold for $3,600 at Mastro Auctions in May 2008 (Den of Geek, Jun 30, 2016). That’s an 18-year-old result, not a current value.

Market data for 2026: pending verification. We haven’t compiled recent dated sold ranges yet.

Why #1 and #55 are harder

The first and last cards of a stack took the most handling and rubber-band wear, and kids often ticked off the checklist. Den of Geek gives this explanation for this set. On a graded checklist, a pencil tick shows up as the MK qualifier (PSA grading scale explained).

Condition checks for every card

• Corners and edges: 1962 cardboard dings easily. Check all four corners under a bright light.
• Centering: compare the border widths left/right and top/bottom.
• Surface: look for wax stains, gum stains, creases and print spots on the painted fronts.
• Backs: look for writing, tape residue and paper loss.
• #55 Checklist: look for pencil or ink ticks next to the numbers.

Original or reprint?

• 1984 Renata Galasso reprint: 55 cards plus a 56th wrapper card (Wikipedia). If your set has 56 cards, it’s the reprint.
• 1994 Mars Attacks Archives and 2012 Mars Attacks Heritage are modern Topps products with extra subsets. Check the copyright year on the back.
• More reprint tells will be added once we’ve photographed our own originals and reprints. Meanwhile, see Mars Attacks reprint or original?

FAQ

How many cards are in 1962 Mars Attacks? 55, including the checklist (#55).

Which cards are the keys? #1 The Invasion Begins, #2 Martians Approaching, #54 Mars Explodes and #55 Checklist. These are the cards the PSA guide prices above commons.

Should I grade my Mars Attacks commons? Run the numbers first. Grading fees can exceed a low-grade common’s guide value. See should I grade my card?