Players choose a mastermind villain (Magneto, Loki, Dr. Doom, etc.), stack that particular villain's attack cards underneath it, then modify the villain deck as needed based on that villain's particular scheme. Players then choose a number of hero decks – Spider-Man, Hulk, Cyclops, Wolverine, etc. In order to enlist more heroes and combat the villains who keep popping up to cause trouble, players need to build both their recruitment powers and their fighting ability.