1980 Topps : Superman II Picture Cards

Superman II, starring Christopher Reeve, opened in theaters on June 19, 1981. Topps Chewing Gum issued a series of picture cards and stickers featuring scenes from the sequel. The cards are copyrighted 1980 and the stickers are copyrighted 1978. Director Richard Donner originally filmed both parts of the film simultaneously.

A complete Superman II set is comprised of 88 base cards and 22 stickers. Packs were originally sold for 25 cents each. A wax pack contains 11 cards, a sticker, and a piece of bubble gum. Boxes contain 36 wax packs. The series was also distributed in a cellophane "Rak-Pak" of 48 cards. The rack packs were sold in boxes of 24.

The designs are similar to the 1978 Topps series, replacing the shield emblem with a Superman II film logo. The base cards contain red outer borders. The "Kryptonian Crystal Bank Archives" ten-card subset showcases the main cast of characters.

The base card backs feature puzzle pieces, scene descriptions, and production factoids. The card puzzle pieces form three different 9-card images: a red bordered image of Superman, an orange bordered image of Zod, or a blue bordered image of Non. The backs of the "Kryptonian Crystal Bank Archives" cards contain a character profile.

The Superman II stickers have a yellow background. Sticker backs assemble a ten-piece blue bordered image of Superman or a purple bordered image of Ursa. The Superman emblem used for the films was designed by Bob Peak.

The 1978 Topps Series 2 release may be confused as Superman II due to the red border design and similar nomenclature. Topps issued a trading card set for the sequel Superman III in 1983.

The Topps Vault has released the original color proof sets to the public. Various cards from the 1980 series have been stamped in gold foil by Topps as buyback inserts in the 2011 Topps American Pie and 2013 Topps 75th Anniversary series.