10 Amazing What If Ideas From the Comics the MCU Ignored

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What If…?, the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe project, has left the fandom with a bittersweet taste. The animated series had great episodes, like the buddy film episode with Red Guardian and Winter Soldier. However, the writers made questionable decisions, such as having Howard the Duck and Darcy Lewis fall in love and have a child together. These storylines had viewers wondering if Marvel didn’t have other great What If…? comics to adapt instead.

Contrary to the TV show, which has an overarching storyline, the What If…? comics serve as a sandbox for Marvel to experiment with the biggest plotlines in the comics’ universe. Anything can happen in a What If…? comic because it won’t last long. Since it’s a playful, non-commital enterprise, Marvel boasts some great What If storylines that would completely change the Marvel Universe if they were canon. Marvel Studios should have taken advantage of those stories and brought them into this animated universe. Unfortunately, they were completely ignored by the writers’ room.

By Gary Friedrich, Don Glut, Roy Thomas, Herb Trimpe, Pablo Marcos, D.R. Martin, and Tom Orzechowski

What If…? #14 follows a universe where World War II occurs in outer space due to a sped-up technological advance on Earth thanks to Leonardo da Vinci’s creations. Instead of fighting alongside the Allies, Nick Fury and the Howling Commandos battle the Bean Empire, a reptilian kingdom full of lizard men. Funnily enough, although they’re in space, they still don their standard military uniforms — but now with a space helmet.

“What If Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos Had Fought World War II in Outer Space?” is one of the most ridiculous What If…? comics ever, but that’s what makes it great. It’s campy, full of action, and features an obscure team that hasn’t had many chances in present comics: the Howling Commandos. Since the MCU’s What If…? is an animated series, adapting this comic would have been a bit simpler than giving it a live-action version, so it was really the best moment to adapt it.

By Rick Margopoulous, Bob Budiansky, Mike Esposito, Bob Sharen, and Karin Nemri

On a re-telling of Wolverine’s debut in The Incredible Hulk #180, “What If Wolverine Had Killed the Hulk?” is set in a universe where Logan killed the Green Giant instead of just capturing him, disobeying orders. This triggers a series of events that end up with Wolverine dead at the hands of Magneto during a fight alongside the X-Men. Although Logan’s fight with Hulk isn’t the story’s core, it still includes several action-packed panels.

Phase Five finally saw the debut of a Wolverine in the MCU during Deadpool & Wolverine, but What If…? completely ignored his presence, which was a shame. Since Logan’s rivalry with Hulk is a long-standing feud in comics, What If…? was the perfect project to feature the epic battle between these two, which fans have been waiting for almost since they debuted in live-action media.

By Jay Faerber, Gregg Schigiel, Jose Marzan Jr. Paul Tutrone, and Chris Eliopoulos

What If? #114 presents an alternate reality where Marvel’s mighty heroes never made it out of Battleworld during the first Secret Wars. Instead, they created a new society inside it, married amongst each other, and eventually had offspring. This one-shot specifically follows the kids: Bravado, the son of Thor and Enchantress; Crusader, the daughter of Captain America and Rogue; Mustang, the son of She-Hulk and Hawkeye; Torrent, the daughter of Storm and Wolverine; and Firefly, son of the Human Torch and Wasp.

“Brave New World” introduces half a dozen new, fresh characters existing in a different world, and it puts them through a fun adventure without committing to their existence in the future — in fact, none of these characters has appeared in comics again since this issue was published. Marvel Studios could have pulled off something similar by exploring, maybe, an alternate future for the remaining heroes following the Blip.

By Sarah Byam, Franchesco Bufano, Jeff Albrecht, Tom Smith, and Patrick Owsley

“What If Storm Had the Power of Phoenix?” follows a world where Storm, now possessed by the Phoenix, has created an organization whose main priority is to preserve nature, and anyone who opposes her is sent into space in suspended animation. Her followers soon become a fascist group, and the X-Men must defeat the Phoenix and bring Ororo back to herself.

The animated What If…? introduced a powerful variant of Storm, teasing fans to more mutants in the future. The debut of the Queen of Wakanda was an epic one. She wielded Mjolnir as the Goddess of Thunder, has her original mutant abilities, and works alongside other powerful heroes to stop incursions around the multiverse. The only thing that would have made her more impressive would be if she hosted the Phoenix Force, just like it happens in What If…? #79. However, maybe she wouldn’t be as great as she was since this comic depicts her as a villainous force.

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“What If The Skrulls Succeeded In Their Secret Invasion?” Could Have Given Fans Closure

By Kevin Grevioux, Karls Bollers, Pow Rodrix, Frank Martin Jr., and Jeff Powell

Following the success of Secret Invasion, Marvel released a What If…? issue on this event. “What If The Skrulls Succeeded In Their Secret Invasion?” ponders the most logical possibility: what if the heroes had lost this war? The comic does a time jump from the day of the actual conquest. A year later, Skrulls and humans coexist, and Norman Osborn is now married to Queen Veranke.

However, the Avengers Alliance for Freedom keeps fighting against them. Unfortunately for them, things take a violent turn very fast. The comic ends with Captain America beheading Osborn with his own shield. The MCU fandom agrees that Secret Invasion was a disappointing adaptation of this amazing event since it was underwhelming. What If…? could have fixed this with an episode that took the invasion to its last consequences, forever altering that alternate reality.

By Roy Thomas, Ron Wilson, Mike Gustovich, Tom Vincent, and Mike Heisler

In “What If the Avengers Had Lost the Evolutionary War?” the Avengers are incapable of stopping a genetically enhancing bomb sent by the High Evolutionary, so everyone on Earth changes both physically and mentally. This comic delves into the true consequences of this situation, with the boundaries between humans, mutants, and god-like entities being erased. This change eventually leads the universe itself to self-destruct.

The MCU didn’t have the Avengers fight the Evolutionary War, but the Guardians fought the High Evolutionary in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. He turned out to be one of the cruelest villains in the MCU — indulging in way too much animal abuse. It would have been interesting to see how different the Infinity Saga would be if this character were the main villain of the overarching storyline. He’s a mad scientist obsessed with evolving Earth in his own way, so he has a similar take to Thanos’ but very different means.

By Steven Grant, Gus Vazquez, Victor Olazaba, Frank Martin Jr., and Cory Petit

Aunt May’s death is one of the saddest moments in the MCU in recent years. It shocked everyone and is central to the fall of Spider-Man, so it would be a great event to ponder. How would the end of No Way Home change if Peter had lost MJ, his first love, instead of his beloved aunt? What If? Spider-Man Back in Black #1 delves into a similar story.

In the actual Spider-Man: Back in Black comic, Aunt May is shot by a mystery assassin, which leads Spider-Man to take a darker approach to his vigilantism (even though his aunt survives). In the What If? issue, Mary Jane dies, leading Peter into an even darker path — right where the Kingpin wanted him.

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“What If Venom Possessed Deadpool?” Merges The Mercenary With A Symbiote

By Rick Remender, Shawn Moll, Mark Irwin, Chris Sotomayor, and Clayton Cowles

“What If Venom Possessed Deadpool?” is a four-part series that explores the Venompool variant. The Merc-with-a-Mouth bonds with the symbiote for an adventure that’s equally full of action-packed panels, hilarious pop culture references, along with random gags about Marvel itself.

Everyone expected Deadpool to show up in What If…? following Deadpool & Wolverine, and an epic amalgamation with Venom would have been an amazing way of introducing the mercenary and the symbiote into the What If…? universe. Deadpool comics are a blast, and merging him with Venom amps things up, which would have made great television.

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“What If…? Dark: Moon Knight” Kills Marc Spector

By Erica Schultz, Edgar Salazar, Arif Prianto, and Cory Petit

“What If…? Dark: Moon Knight” wonders what if Moon Knight hadn’t survived his fight against Raoul Bushman at the beginning of his career. Without Marc Spector to act as the Fist of Khonshu, a new hero rises: Marlene Alraune, Marc’s lover, takes the matter into her own hands and becomes Luminary.

There are many ways in which What If…? could have explored Moon Knight’s fate — for instance, by bringing Jake Lockley into the mix. Introducing a completely new Avatar of Khonshu would have been just as epic. Although Marlene Alraune didn’t debut in the MCU, Marc and Steven have another ally who could have become Luminary if What If…? had chosen to adapt “What If…? Dark: Moon Knight”: Layla El-Faouly, who fans already saw as the Scarlet Scarab.

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“What If Loki Found Thor’s Hammer First?”

By Peter Gillis, Kelley Jones, Sam de la Rosa, Bob Sharen, and John Morelli

In “What If Loki Found Thor’s Hammer First?” the Watcher revisits an alternate reality where Loki was freed before Donald Blake found Mjolnir and became the God of Thunder. Loki uses his abilities to find the hammer and hides it even deeper. Since Donald can’t escape the cave, the Kronans kill him, and he never becomes Thor.

Odin fights Hela to recover his son, but this is only the beginning of a war that takes over both Asgard and Midgard. Loki went from Thor’s archenemy to the most critical being in the sacred timeline in the last few years. What If…? had the perfect opportunity to explore what would have happened if he never had a chance for redemption. For example, by actually killing Thor before his journey.

“}]] The MCU’s What If…? animated series featured quite a few fun takes on well-known stories, but a few great comics should have been equally explored.  Read More