Would you then consider these two cards the same card, or different cards
Even better, they managed to solve a second problem (inherent to the cardname-meld they're using) with the same solution: Having both halves of the pair in your Limited deck is tricky enough
Spells can let you get guys onto the table, make your guys better, alter the rules of the game or interact with your opponents spells. Each spell has a cost
Basically the card Disfigure is great but a little limited, having it in this modal form reduces the limitations of the effect
Illustrated by rk post Standard Not Legal Alchemy Not Legal Pioneer Not Legal Historic Legal Modern Legal Brawl Legal Legacy Legal Comp
But if there is one consistent thing that WoTC manages to do, it is that you can be generally sure that the card designs will always attempt to be as faithful to the material as they can realistically be, mechanically and art-wise