Base Set Charizard #4 is an Iconic Piece of Pokemon History That Takes Me Right Back to Childhood

We’re launching a comic book and trading card vending machine (check it out here), providing our readers with a new way to grow their personal collections and discover new favorites. Every card and comic is sourced from a local shop, and today we want to highlight one of our favorite finds that we’ve included in the machine: Base Set Charizard #4 from the original run of Pokémon cards!

You can even check out our own Chris Killian buying this iconic card at The Game Cave:

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Not long ago, Pokémon TCG grading data proved that Charizard is on par with Pikachu for being the most well-known and most beloved Pokémon. In fact, Charizard’s card sales may soon eclipse Pikachu’s. And there’s a good reason for that. Charizard is, of course, the final evolution of one of the original Gen 1 starters. For those who began their Kanto journey with Charmander, Charizard would be the first partner they brought all the way to the Elite Four. And then, there’s also the fact that Charizard’s storyline with Ash in the original Pokemon anime is incredibly memorable, even compared to his other beloved Pokemon partners.

Naturally, that means that Charizard has appeared on its fair share of Pokémon cards throughout the long run of the Pokémon TCG. But few are as iconic as the Base Set shadowless holo that’s in the ComicBook vending machine right now. This was one of the very first Pokémon cards ever released in English, featuring one of the most beloved Pokémon starters of all time. And as a shadowless holo, this card is all the more unique, since subsequent printings updated the design to include a character shadow. It’s truly a rare piece of Pokémon history, and it takes me right back to my early days begging my mom to buy a pack of Pokémon cards from the toy store at the mall.

The Base Set Was Where the Pokémon TCG Began

The Base Set that includes Charizard #4 was printed back in 1999 and was the very first English print run for the Pokémon TCG. It proved so popular that it wound up getting multiple reprints. Yet the cards from the 1999 Base Set, and even its later reprints, remain rare and coveted simply because no one knew what the Pokémon franchise would become back then. For every sleeved PSA-graded copy of cards like this, there are many more that have come through their early days worse for wear.

Being a Pokémon fan of a certain age, I remember these early days of the Pokémon TCG well. I’m definitely guilty of having used early cards like this one as bookmarks, though my coveted holo Eeveelutions thankfully remained more intact than that ill-fated Pikachu that once lived between the pages of the latest Harry Potter book. I know I’m not the only one who sees these OG Pokémon cards with a wince of guilt for those collectors’ cards lost to the carelessness of childhood.

After all, there’s so much nostalgia in looking back on these early base set card designs, for me and many people my age. After all, the base set features artwork for the original 151 Pokémon many of us grew up with. It also shows how the art style for the TCG has changed over time. This Charizard, in particular, looks quite different from more modern representations of the Pokémon, with its simple pose and understated sparkly holo background. At the risk of sounding like an elder, they really don’t make them quite like that anymore.

Charizard Is a Beloved Pokemon Character for a Reason That Goes Back to the Original Anime

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I’ll be honest with you and admit that Bulbasaur was my Pokémon Blue starter of choice back in my early gaming days. I’ve never been much of a fire-type trainer myself, so Charmander never held much appeal for me. Yet even I can’t help but feel an extra wave of nostalgia when I see Charizard’s roar on its iconic Base Set Pokémon Card. I grew up with Ash Ketchum, after all, and few story arcs have lingered in my memory quite like Charizard’s.

Ash meets his Charmander under incredibly emotional circumstances. It has been abandoned by its trainer but stays waiting in the rain, hoping that its original partner will come back for it. When that doesn’t happen, Ash and friends work to save Charmander’s life, and eventually, it joins Ash’s team. Yet that strong relationship meets a test when Charmander evolves into Charizard, outpacing Ash’s prowess as a trainer. Charizard becomes a real challenge for Ash, often refusing his commands and doing its own thing. This makes it all the more rewarding when Ash once again earns Charizard’s trust and respect.

Though Ash has many heartwarming and heartbreaking stories with his first Kanto team, Charizard’s is among the most memorable. That is, no doubt, part of why so many people love Charizard to this day. And it’s what makes it even more special to see the fire-type Pokémon as it first appeared in the Pokémon TCG way back in 1999. Whether you began your own Pokémon journey with Charmander or not, it’s hard to deny that Charizard is truly an iconic piece of Pokémon history for the video games, TCG, and anime alike.

What do you think about Charizard’s appearance in the Pokémon TCG base set? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!