11 of the Best Marvel What If...? Comics

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The son of a librarian, Chris M. Arnone’s love of books was as inevitable as gravity. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. His novel, The Hermes Protocol, was printed by Castle Bridge Media in 2023 and the subsequent e-book in that sequence is due out in winter 2024. His work will also be present in Adelaide Literary Magazine and FEED Lit Mag. You can discover him writing extra books, poetry, and appearing in Kansas City. You may also observe him on social media (Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram, Twitter, web site).

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As a child using his bicycle to the comedian e-book retailer, my pockets full of lawn-mowing cash, Marvel’s What If…? comics at all times held a particular fascination. Seeing Storm wield Mjolnir or Wolverine develop into a vampire meant that my associates and I sat round, studying these comics, after which spitballing our personal “what if?” situations. None of them have been any good, I’m certain. Many of them concerned dreaming up our final superhero groups, giving our favourite characters outsized roles, and plenty of imagining totally different characters swapping powers.

Sure, these mutant-focused points nonetheless ring via the years in my reminiscence, however then I began to marvel, what are the greatest What If…? comics? For me, the reminiscences of childhood can render every part via rose-colored glasses. After all, I actually bought into comics in the early ’90s, which was a wild time of astronomically excessive gross sales and rather a lot of middling storytelling. So as a substitute of counting on my recollections, I grabbed my iPad and my Marvel Unlimited account to dig via many years of What If…? tales.

Some of these go means again earlier than I began studying comics. Others are far more current, taking part in with multiverses like the Disney+ present of the similar title, and making me marvel how non-canonical they are surely. For my cash, listed here are the greatest What If…? comics that it is best to completely learn.

cover of What If Annihilation Had Reached Earth

What If…? Annihilation Reached Earth by David Hine, Mico Suayan, Rafael Kayanan

This e-book is a component of a newer sequence that reimagined the occasions of some main Marvel crossovers. In the unique Annihilation, Annihilus invades our universe. The combating is massive and epic and stays in the furthest reaches of area. In this story, the invasion reaches Earth in the midst of the Civil War occasion, and the loss of life is fairly catastrophic.

cover of What If Avengers Had Become Pawns of Korvac

What if the Avengers Had Become Pawns of Korvac? by Mark Gruenwald, Peter Sanderson, Greg LaRocque, Glynis Wein

Here’s a basic. In the unique Korvac saga, a person named Michael Korvac turns into mainly a god, however via his personal humanity, ends his menace and undoes the horrible destruction he wrought. In this What If…?, issues don’t go the similar means in any respect. Korvac kills the Avengers after which resurrects them as instruments. This story spins shortly out of management and is a heartbreaking story of final energy and destruction.

Cover of What If Bullseye Had Not Killed Elektra

What if Elektra Had Lived? by Frank Miller

Let’s go the wrong way with this subsequent basic and one other one of the greatest What If…? comics. In Miller’s unique story, Bullseye killed Elektra as a result of Kingpin put out a success on her. In this model, Elektra survives as a result of Matt and Elektra flee New York City to cover and create new lives.

What if…? Dark Reign by Jason Henderson, Sana Takeda

The unique Dark Reign story adopted Secret Invasion and depicted Norman Osborn rising to energy in the vacuum that inevitably adopted. In this What If…?, nevertheless, Hawkeye decides that Norman must die, and issues take an excellent darker flip than in the unique story.

cover of What If The Fantastic Four Had Not Gained Their Powers

What if The Fantastic Four Had Not Gained Their Super–Powers? by John Byrne

Here’s one other basic What If…? from the legendary John Byrne. The story is simply what you’ll anticipate, that the First Family of Marvel didn’t get their powers, however they’re heroes nonetheless. In reality, they battle Giganto similar to in the first problem of Fantastic Four, and nonetheless handle to beat it with teamwork and ingenuity.

What if…? The Men Behind The Mask by Lysa Hawkins, Eric Battle

This is a enjoyable story from the late ’90s, again when Peter and Felicia (Black Cat) have been collectively. Sort of like, um, proper now, truly. Anyway, when Felicia by chance endangers Flash Thompson, she sees the solely method to repair the problem is to unmask Spider-Man as Peter Parker. See how What If…? and canon can get so combined up over the years?

cover of What If Miles Morales Became Captain America

What if Miles Morales Became Captain America? by Cody Ziglar, Paco Medina, Sara Pichelli

A really current miniseries reimagined Miles Morales as a special Marvel superhero with every problem. My favourite of the bunch imagined him as Captain America. There’s one thing about the quippy, flippant nature of Miles donning the protect that’s hilarious.

Cover of What If The Phoenix Had Not Died

What if The Phoenix Had Not Died? by Mary Joe Duffy, Joe Bingham

In the unique Dark Phoenix Saga, Jean ultimately sacrificed herself to cease the Phoenix Force from overwhelming her and consuming, effectively, every part. In this various model, Jean was resurrected. While she begins effectively, stopping Galactus, the Phoenix Force is simply an excessive amount of, and issues finish much more tragically than in the unique story.

What if…? Spider-Man: The Other by Peter David, Khoi Pham

Here, one of my favourite comedian e-book writers reimagines the Spider-Man: The Other storyline. Instead of Peter embracing his spider aspect and getting back from the useless, Peter rejects it, although that implies that when he emerges from his cocoon, one thing much more bestial emerges.

cover of What If Spider-Man's Uncle Ben Had Lived

What if Spider-Man’s Uncle Ben Had Lived? by Peter Gillis, Ron Frenz

You might have seen a development in the previous What If…? comics by now. They both finish tragically or reinforce that heroes are at all times heroes, regardless of the circumstances. This is one other of the latter. Since Uncle Ben doesn’t die, these origin occasions unfold in a really totally different means, however of course, Peter finds his method to understanding the accountability of his powers.

(*11*)

What if Wolverine Had Killed The Hulk? by Rick Margopoulos, Bob Budiansky

Wolverine was truly launched as a one-off Hulk villain charged with capturing Big Green. In this basic, Wolverine disobeys orders and truly kills Hulk. On the run, Wolverine is initially picked up by Magneto and the Brotherhood and despatched to infiltrate the X-Men. He, of course, falls for Jean whereas undercover, and you’ll guess how the relaxation of this goes.

I’ve actually left off some of your favourite What If…? comics. What are they? Have any of them wound up nearer to canon than not as the years have gone on? How excited are you for season two of the Disney+ sequence?