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Pacific: Invincible

My Pacific: Invincible Collection (Updated December 23rd, 2021)

1996 Pacific Invincible: “Michael Brooks” #101

1996 Pacific Invincible: “Chris Warren” Chris Warren #8

1997 Pacific Invincible: “Carl Kidd” RC #109

I put the "Pacific: Invincible" title on its own page because, like the "Pacific: Aurora" title, it also had a 3-year life span and I was able to gather most of the product for cheap. Although the "Pacific: Invincible" title had 3 releases, they were not in a row. The Invincible title left the hobby for 3 years, (1998 through 2000), only to re-emerge again in 2001.

In 1996, the Pacific brass added another title to their belt without reducing the size of their flagship title, "Pacific". That new title was called, "Pacific: Invincible". The initial release was a paltry 150-card set, (See the 1996 Pacific Invincible: "Michael Brooks" #101 left), but they did manage to add 4 insert sets to the release. One of them just happened to be bigger than the base set itself, at 180 cards, (See the 1996 Pacific Invincible: "Gary Jones" Smash Mouth #122 right).   Another one of the insert sets to make the cut was a "Chris Warren" 10-card insert set. This set marked the 2nd time Pacific, (with their headquarters in Lynnwood, WA.), would create an insert set of one of their own hometown players. In 1997, a Mark Brunell, (who happened to go to Washington University), insert set would make it 3. 

I was not a big fan of this title. I had issues with all three of the aforementioned sets. The '96 base set was ugly, so much so, that even the cool see-thru close-up couldn't save it. And although the "Smash Mouth" set had some really cool player selections, (like the Gary Jones card above), nowhere on the card does it actually call itself "Smash Mouth". Oversight, maybe? The Chris Warren card on the left had one of the largest borders I've ever seen on a card. I mean, how much larger do you need it? It just took away from the actual photo.

"Pacific: Invincible" was back in '97 for another run at awkwardness, forget about invincibility. The base set was another small and ugly 150-card set, (See the 1997 Pacific Invincible: “Carl 

1996 Pacific Invincible: “Gary Jones” Smash Mouth #122

1997 Pacific Invincible: “Peter Boulware” Smash Mouth X-Tra RC #58

 Kidd” RC #109 below left). And just like last time, Pacific made up for it with a massive "Smash Mouth" insert set. This time, however, Pacific upped the set size to 220-cards. And if that wasn't enough, Pacific also added a 60-card "Smash Mouth X-Tra" set just in case they missed anything, (See the 1997 Pacific Invincible: “Peter Boulware”  Smash Mouth X-Tra #58 right).

For 3 straight years, (from 1998 to 2000), the "Pacific: Invincible" title was not part of the hobby landscape. I have never found out the reason as to why it disappeared but gone it was. However, in 2001, it was back.

2001 Pacific Invincible: “Corey Dillon” Widescreen #1

back. In 2001, Pacific went all in for the latest "Pacific: Invincible" title. The Pacific brass finally increased the base set size to 300 cards and they added more insert sets, as well. I actually liked the base set too, (unfortunately, I don't have a scan to show), and I liked the insert sets too. My favorite was a set called, "Widescreen",(See the 2001 Pacific Invincible: “Corey Dillon”  Widescreen #1 right).  Great photography. When I first saw them, they made me think of the old Fleer "Team Action" cards from the early '80s.

I'd also like to point out something about another set in the 2001 release. One of the insert sets from the 2001 release was a set called "School Colors", (See the 2001 Pacific  Invincible: “Freddie Mitchell”  School Colors #51 right).  I liked the set, it was really cool, but there was one problem with it. If a card manufacturer can't afford the licensing for the NCAA, then sometimes their cards just look silly. Collector's Edge had some really dumb-looking attempts at hiding all the NCAA logos and school names in one of their sets, (See the "Collector's Edge: Advantage" page). My advice to these companies would be, "Just don't do it!". Don't risk doing what Collector's Edge did in '99. I would just show the rookies in camp or at the rookie photo shoot.

In closing, I really didn't like the "Pacific: Invincible" title. I will point out that not one Invincible set ended up on my "Top 10 Least Favorite Sets" list, but they still weren't very good. On a positive note, Pacific did a very good job putting players in some of their sets that other card manufacturers totally ignored. Take the card above of Carl Kidd as an example; in 1997 Carl had 12 rookie cards, (Including parallels), Pacific had 9 of them. Pacific spokesman, Mike Monson once said, "We try to accommodate as many players as possible." And that, my friend, is what the hobby needs more of.

2001 Pacific Invincible: “Freddie Mitchell” School Colors #51

I have complete sets:
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Pacific Invincible Series:

1) 1996 Pacific Invincible Set

    A) Pro Bowl Insert

    B) Chris Warren Insert

    C) Smash Mouth Insert

    D) Kick Starter Die Cuts Insert

2) 1997 Pacific Invincible Set

    A) Pop Cards Insert 

    B) Canton, OH Insert

    C) Smash Mouth Insert

    D) Moments in Time Insert

    E) Smash Mouth X-Tra Insert

3) 1998 Pacific Invincible Set - Does Not Exist

4) 1999 Pacific Invincible Set - Does Not Exist

5) 2000 Pacific Invincible Set - Does Not Exist

6) 2001 Pacific Invincible Set - Do Not Have

    A) Afterburners Insert

    B) Fast Forward Insert

    C) New Sensations Insert

    D) Wide Screen Insert

    E) School Colors Insert

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