Missing in Action by Craig Petty & Mandy Roth

Missing in Action by Craig Petty and Mandy Roth

It starts as a gag. It ends as one of the most impossible, most personal, and most talked-about card moments you have ever created.

Missing in Action takes the classic fifty-two-on-one gimmick, one of magic's most beloved comic props, and supercharges it into a three-phase miracle that builds from a laugh all the way to a signed impossible souvenir the spectator keeps forever. Craig Petty and Mandy Roth have taken something audiences already recognise and love, and hidden real, devastating card magic inside it. The moment the selected card vanishes from the gag card is a double-take that nobody in any room has ever been prepared for.

Here is the full routine, phase by phase:
A prediction envelope sits in full view before anything begins. A card is selected, signed, and lost in the deck. The envelope is opened to reveal the prediction: it has all fifty-two cards on the back of it. The signed card rises to the top of the deck a few times, then vanishes completely. The fifty-two-on-one gag card is examined once more. The selected card has disappeared from it entirely. And in the impossible finale, the gag card is turned over to reveal the spectator's signed card has fused to the back of it.

Everything is examinable. The signed card is theirs to keep.

Three enormous moments, each one stronger than the last. Part gag, part Ambitious Card, part impossible souvenir, all completely commercial and all completely devastating for real audiences.

Every purchase comes with a deck of specially gimmicked cards, each one different, so you can perform Missing in Action repeatedly across a restaurant or social event without repeating the same card. If you want to open the routine with a specific card as the selection, that is covered too. Craig Petty's tutorial covers the complete main routine, six additional variations, and the deep performance thinking that he and Mandy have used to make this routine truly stand out in their own working shows.

"Tell me the last time ONE special playing card got SO MANY incredible moments of magic from it. I'll wait." Lloyd Barnes

"When it comes to commercial effects Missing in Action ticks the boxes. It's entertaining, has multiple moments of magic, a killer payoff and an incredible souvenir. I'll be using this!" Peter Nardi

"Missing in Action is the perfect example of how commercial and hard-hitting Craig Petty's magic is. It's truly mind-blowing." Pig Cake

"A wonderfully magical use of the 52-on-1 card. Three astonishing moments that build on each other to a stunning climax." Matthew Wright

"My favourite gag card has been supercharged into a powerhouse routine. Visual, impossible, surprising and packs a huge punch!" David Jonathan

What's included:

Full deck of specially gimmicked cards, each one different for repeat performances

Tutorial from Craig Petty covering the main routine, six variations, and performance insight

Difficulty: Beginner
Best for: Close-up, walk-around, restaurant magic, table hopping, social events