Each Time Spiral card was an homage to at least one previously printed card.
The card represents Jaya Ballard (http://wiki.mtgsalvation.com/article/Jaya_Ballard), a player favorite for her humorous and sadistically to-the-point flavor text quotations throughout Ice Age block. For her card, she can spellshape three different spells she was quoted on: Pyroblast, Incinerate, and Inferno; this spellshaper turns any card in your hand into one!
After the events of Ice Age, she ascended into a planeswalker and helped found the pyromancer academy which Chandra trained at. This card represents her snatched out of her timeline prior to ascending to planeswalker status. Despite the seeming similarity between her three ability layout to modern Planeswalker cards, Wizards of the Coast has stated numerous times that this card was not a precursor to them.
Posted By:
Missile_Penguin
(12/9/2012 10:46:04 PM)
, 
, Discard a card: Destroy target Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Posted By:
TheWrathofShane
(8/2/2012 4:55:41 PM)
Because who hasn't fantasized about Lisa Edelstein wrapped in a flaming catsuit after watching an episode of House???
Posted By:
BegleOne
(11/15/2012 8:46:17 PM)
Shame Chandra is Wizard's red Planeswalker de rigueur nowadays, she can't hold a candle(oho ho ho) to the Original.
Posted By:
kajillion
(4/11/2011 10:35:01 PM)
I love Jaya for the following reasons:
1.) Power. Her card is very powerful, being capable of doing very good things, all for a fairly reasonable up-front price. Pyroblast is a fun card, but usually not worth playing. However, the fact that you can also play Incinerate or Inferno with the same card makes it worth playing, and when you're up against a blue deck, it just gets better.
2.) Flavor. This card represents a Planeswalker before she became a Planeswalker. The card is very similar to a Planeswalker before Planeswalker cards even existed. That's one of the most awesome parallels between lore and set design I've ever seen from this game.
3.) Character. Jaya Ballard quotes are among my favorite flavor texts. I wish she were on more burn spells, but alas, Chandra Nalaar is taking the spotlight now.
4.) Art. Honestly, look at her. I mean really. Mrawr.
Posted By:
SleetFox
(5/6/2010 8:34:00 AM)
The Complete Collection of Jaya Ballard, Task Mage's Flavor Text
Browse
Burnout
Chicken Egg
Flare (Ice Age)
Gorilla Chieftain (Alliances Variant 2)
Gorilla Shaman (Alliances Variant 1)
Gorilla War Cry (Alliances Variant 2)
Incinerate (Ice Age)
Inferno
Lava Burst
Melting
Meteor Shower
Mystic Compass (Alliances)
Panic
Pyroblast
Pyroclasm (Ice Age)
Pyrokinesis
Simian Spirit Guide
Sizzle
Wall of Lava
Word of Blasting (Ice Age)
Posted By:
TheWallinator74
(10/16/2012 9:02:10 AM)
Great stuff. She is, truly, the planeswalker before planeswalkers.
Posted By:
izzet_guild_mage
(2/8/2010 10:29:14 AM)
I remember seeing this card when Time Spiral was coming out and thinking "Wow, a versatile card that gets better abilities the more mana you have, later in the game it gets exponentially better"
Then they announced Planeswalkers, and I remembered this card. The planeswalker before planeswalkers existed.
Posted By:
JacksJokeShop
(8/14/2009 4:41:51 PM)
Another card that I use alongside Painter's Servant.
Posted By:
FirstPrime
(8/7/2009 4:24:50 PM)
Jace, the Mind Sculptor? loldie
Posted By:
SolidSoldier
(8/26/2010 2:39:21 AM)