WHIP OF EREBOS Speaking of re-usable, Whip of Erebos makes the list as one of the best single-card value engine black mages have ever been blessed with
So you can upgrade it to a 0/40 while also nuking an opponent's life total down to 13, setting them to be taken out by another creature and your huge tree killing a different player
Its biggest tricks rely on making Illusion cards Vanish from the field, only to return to your hand, gain some insta-lore, or manipulate the board state
It is quite good with token creation, especially if you can repeatedly create them with mana
You can also trash a card from your hand to shut down your opponents On Play effects until the end of their next turn, preventing them from using the triggers they want and giving you an advantage
Charizard had to evolve from its first two forms, Charmander and Charmeleon, before it reached its ultimate form