The Marvel Super Heroes Adventure Game is a role-playing game

Role-playing game

A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...

 published by TSR, Inc.

TSR, Inc.

Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....

 that uses the SAGA System

SAGA System

The SAGA System is a role-playing game system that uses "fate cards" to determine the effects of actions. The cards have numbers, suits, positive and negative states, and role-playing cues that guide the gamemaster in telling the story and administering the game...

. It should not be confused with the earlier Marvel Super Heroes Game

Marvel Super Heroes (role-playing game)

Marvel Superheroes , aka "the FASERIP system," is a role playing game set in the Marvel Universe, first published by TSR under license from Marvel Comics in 1984. In 1986, TSR published an expanded edition, entitled the Marvel Superheroes Advanced Game. Jeff Grubb designed both editions and Steve...

(also published by TSR) or the later Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game

Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game

The Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game is a role-playing game set in the Marvel Universe. It was published in 2003 by Marvel Comics...

(published by Marvel Comics).

The game box contained a Fate Deck of 96 cards,each of which had a picture of a character, one of the 24 different Callings which fit the character, an Aura of either Positive (a + symbol), Negative (a - symbol), or Neutral (a . symbol), one of the five Suits, each of which was represented by a character. The Suits were Strength (color Green), represented by the Incredible Hulk, Agility (color Red), represented by Spider Man, Intellect (color Blue), represented by Mr. Fantastic, Willpower (color Purple), represented by Dr. Strange, and the Doom suit with villainous characters (color Black) represented by Dr. Doom; a roster book with 31 Heroes and 19 Villains, and a "game book" instruction manual.

The game rules were fairly simple. Each character had 4 abilities, which were rated from 1 to 30, with 10 being the non-powered human maximum. Abilities that were considered Superhuman (Hulk's Strength, Spider Man's Agility, Mr. Fantastic's Intellect, and Dr. Strange's Willpower) were rated between 11 and 20. Only Cosmic level characters, such as Galactus, could have an Ability between 21 to 30. Each character also had an Edge rated from 0 to 4, (Cosmic level characters could have an Edge of 5), which determined how many cards a character had in his hand at the start of the game. A character had a starting Hand Size equal to the character's Edge plus 2. The Edge was the character's level rating, a 0 was a supporting character (though there were villains who had an Edge of 0, such as the X-Men villain Proteus, or the Avengers villain the Super Adaptoid). Edge 1 was an inexperienced hero such as Jubilee of the X-Men. Edge 2 were experienced heroes, such as The Human Torch, Jean Grey, or Hawkeye. Edge 3 were expert level characters, such as Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Cyclops, and Professor X. Edge 4 characters were the very best at what they did, such as Dr. Doom, Magneto, or Captain America.
Characters also had 111 Powers and over 100 Skills to choose from, each of which had one of the Ability Suits as its Trump Suit.