What if…? Is the latest Marvel show to grace our screens, continuing from the creation of the multiverse at the end of Loki Season 1, What if…? Explores these multiple timelines while asking the important questions you never even knew you had, like What if… Tony Stark was poor. You know how kids all go through that stage where they’ll ask you something like, what colour is the sky? And then, no matter what answer you give them, they instantly respond with, but why? Well, it’s that curiosity, that needs answers. This makes What if…? Work.
The Disney + What if…? Show is based on the comic series from 1977 with the same name. The What if…? Comics were there to explore alternate realities for the fun of it, and a lot of the ideas presented in their pages would go on to make their way into the actual comic runs. I’ve never really been one for anthology’s but What if…? Does them right, and they can be some of the most fun and crazy stories to come out of Marvel. If you’re enjoying the show and want even more, here are my top 3 favourite What if…? Stories to get you started.
Before you read on, just know – here be spoilers
What If Wolverine Had Killed The Hulk
This is one of my favourite What if…? Stories. So this takes place during the battle that happens between Wolverine and the Hulk. Only in this version of events Wolverine decides to disobey his orders and opts to kill the Hulk instead of just capturing him. Later that day, Wolverine heads to a bar to celebrate, but when a bar fight breaks out, Wolverines claws come out, and he ends up killing a civilian. When he finds out he will have to stand trial for this, Wolverine decides to flee and join up with Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants.
Wolverine ends up infiltrating the X-Men, which allows Magneto and the Brotherhood to invade the mansion. However, during Wolverines time with the X-Men, he ends up falling for Jean Grey, and when Magneto attacks her, Wolverine turns on him and stands with the X-Men. The X-Men end up killing the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, and when Wolverine sees an unconscious Magneto and hesitates, Magneto uses his powers to make Wolverine turn his own claws on himself, and he ends up killing himself.
Moral of the story? Kill the Hulk, and you’ll end up killing yourself as well.
What if Jane Foster Had Found the Hammer of Thor
This is one of the What if…? Stories that became so beloved and popular that they worked their way into the main storyline and it’s one that’s going to be coming to our screens pretty soon. In What if…? Jane Foster had found the hammer of Thor, Jane Foster finds the hammer of Thor… who would have guessed. After claiming the hammer and helping Asgard stand against both Loki and an alien invasion, Jane is promoted to a goddess and ends up gifting the hammer to Donald Blake, the person it was initially supposed to go to. Jane then ends up marrying Odin.
When this story made its way to the mainstream, it stayed pretty close to the What if…? Version. Jane claims Mjolnir and becomes Mighty Thor, who we will see in Thor: Love and Thunder later this year.
What If The Hulk Had the Brain of Bruce Banner
Once again, this What If…? Story ended up being such a hit that it worked its way into mainstream comics and the MCU. The Hulk we know the best today, thanks to the MCU, the massive, green-skinned creature that still has Bruce Banner’s memories, intellect, and personality exists only because of his introduction in What if…? The Hulk had the brain of Bruce Banner. For the first time, we got to see a version of Hulk that was more than just a monster. In this reality, we see Bruce first transform into the Hulk but with his entire mind intact. This leads to him becoming friends with the Fantastic Four and aiding them during emergencies. This version of Hulk also helps cure Ben Grimm of being “The Thing”. Things get weird when Galactus comes to destroy the earth, and the only way to stop him is for Charles Xavier, Bruce as the Hulk and Reed Richards to merge themselves into one single being known as the X-Man.
These three stories are all weird and wacky in their own way, but they are all a fun look at how one small thing can change everything. I love that Marvel has decided to showcase some of these stories in their What If…? TV show, and I think it’s a brilliant way to explore the multiple timelines and tie everything together. Do you have a favourite What if…? Story? Let us know in the comments below and if you want to pick up a few What If? comics and get answers to questions you didn’t even know you had, then be sure to head over to Critters and Comics or click here
