The MCU has recently delved into the world of What If? which is a title Marvel Comics has been creating stories under since the late ‘70s. While the What If? banner is still going strong to this day (both in comics and the MCU), it’s fair to say that the ‘80s and ‘90s were when they were the most prevalent in the comic book community. Not because those stories were any better or more impactful than the ones told before or after, but because that’s when a great number of fans were not only more knowledgeable about these characters, but also the most passionate about them as well.
Interestingly enough, the same thing is happening right now in the film and TV side of Marvel continuity. Not only has the MCU launched the widely popular What If…? animated series, but the live-action side of the MCU has started experimenting with the same concepts. Every trip through the multiverse or variant introduction is essentially just a What If? story waiting to be told. And now, with the expansion of the MCU into the realm of X-Men, Daredevil, and Fantastic Four continuities, there are even more of these What If? stories at Marvel’s disposal. And the best part? Some of these stories have already been written! Here are the 10 ‘90s Marvel What If? stories the MCU needs to adapt.
10 Wolverine Becomes The Lord Of Vampires & Infects Marvel’s Greatest Heroes
What If? Vol. 2 #24 – “What If Wolverine Had Become The Lord Of Vampires” by Roy Thomas, J.M. Lofficier, and Tom Morgan
The X-Men were all nearly turned into vampires by Dracula after he turned Storm into one of his undead slaves. However, the X-Men proved victorious, and Storm was able to regain her humanity. But that was in the original canon, and this issue shows what would have happened if, instead of beating Dracula, the X-Men were turned on by him. In Wolverine’s case, it meant immediately challenging Dracula for the throne, killing him, and taking over as the world’s strongest vampire. Wolverine then implemented an aggressive strategy to turn everyone on the entire planet into a giant legion of undead blood-suckers, including some of Marvel’s most iconic heroes like Spider-Man, Moon Knight, and even the Hulk.
Fans already know how comfortable the MCU is with adapting tales of horror, especially in What If? storylines – proven true by the series’ season 1 ‘Marvel Zombies’ episode. This would be a perfect storyline to adapt with that same tone in mind, while also putting the X-Men front and center as they terrorize the rest of the MCU so soon after being introduced into the wider universe.
9 Punisher Kills Daredevil, Creating A Cascade Of Death & Destruction
What If? Vol. 2 #26 – “What If The Punisher Had Killed Daredevil?” by Kurt Busiek and Luke McDonnell
When the Punisher first met Daredevil in Marvel Comics canon, he shot the Man Without Fear with a tranquilizer, as he didn’t want to kill a fellow vigilante. While that was originally all well and good, this What If? issue shows what would have happened if – after Daredevil was tranqued – he fell off the roof they were standing on, and died upon impact. After that, the Punisher invoked the wrath of Spider-Man, who the Punisher was forced to kill as well in self-defense. This conflict led to Spider-Man’s identity being released to the public, which doomed Aunt May to death from mafia retaliation. So, to make sure all this was worth it, the Punisher sacrificed himself to kill the Kingpin, hoping that his last act of violence would have a positive impact on the city.
This cascade of death and chaos would be an awesome way to highlight the Punisher in the MCU in a way that would be tonally similar to when Hank Pym killed the Avengers in ‘What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?’.
8 Silver Surfer Becomes A God Upon Claiming The Infinity Gauntlet
What If? Vol. 2 #49 – “What If The Silver Surfer Possessed The Infinity Gauntlet?” by Ron Marz, Scott Clark, and Kevin West
In the original Infinity Gauntlet storyline, the heroes came up with a plan to have Silver Surfer snatch the Gauntlet from Thanos’ hand faster than the speed of light, before the Mad Titan could do any more damage to the universe. The Surfer missed, and Thanos retained his god-tier power until he was ultimately defeated. However, this issue tells the story of what would have been if Silver Surfer succeeded in snatching the Gauntlet. Much to the other heroes’ anxieties, the Silver Surfer decides to keep the power all for himself, and use it to become an omnipotent god with total control over every aspect of the universe. While he ends up destroying the Gauntlet with its own power for the sake of the universe’s safety, there’s a moment where the power he wielded nearly got to his head in a truly terrifying way.
This storyline is reminiscent of the What If…? episode, ‘What If… Ultron Won’, but with Silver Surfer, making this a perfect introductory story for the Silver Surfer in the MCU before their official inevitable debut.
7 The Hulk Beat Wolverine To Death During Their Epic Rematch
What If? Vol. 2 #50 – “What If The Hulk Had Killed Wolverine?” by John Arcudi and Armando Gil
During the events of The Incredible Hulk #340, when Storm went off with the then-mysterious Forge and the X-Men tried tracking her location across the United States, Wolverine and the Hulk engaged in an epic battle that narratively acted as their pseudo rematch from their fight during Wolverine’s debut. However, instead of being a simple ‘vs’ battle, this What If? turned the iconic fight into a thing of shock and horror, as the Hulk literally beat Wolverine to death.
With the recent complaints in the MCU fandom about the Hulk ‘going soft’ since his more recent depictions in Avengers: Endgame and She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, this would be an epic What If…? storyline to bring to the established canon. Plus, a ‘Hulk vs Wolverine’ story is always good, no matter what.
6 Tony Stark Went Public With His Iron Man Suits To Better Protect The World
What If? Vol. 2 #64 – “What If Iron Man Went Public?” by Simon Furman and Geoff Senior
After Tony Stark found himself in a POW camp suffering from an injury that nearly ended his life, he invented the first-gen Iron Man armor to not only escape, but also to keep him alive. The chest plate he made saved his life, and the Iron Man suit protected him during a time of extreme crisis. In Earth-616, Stark decided to keep this tech for himself and use it exclusively as the superhero Iron Man. But, in this reality, Stark decided to go public, and release his technology to the world with the hope that it’d be used to save countless lives, just as it saved his.
A major aspect of Tony Stark’s character in the MCU was his incessant guilt over the man he used to be before becoming Iron Man, and his need to ‘put a suit of armor around the world’. Indeed, that’s the same moral dilemma this version of Tony Stark wrestles with, and the conclusion he comes to is one that the MCU’s Stark could have easily come to as well, which could yield the same interesting outcome.
5 Rogue Stole Thor’s Power The Same Way She Stole Captain Marvel’s
What If? Vol. 2 #66 – “What If Rogue Possessed The Power Of Thor?” by Simon Furman and John Royle
When Rogue made her villainous debut in Marvel Comics, she stole Carol Danvers’ powers and used them to attack the Avengers – and that’s exactly what she does in this issue of What If? as well. Only this time, Rogue doesn’t stop with Captain Marvel, as she sets her sights on a literal god: Thor. Rogue absorbs Thor’s essence, which she uses to trick Mjolnir into believing she’s worthy of becoming Thor. This left the real Thor an empty shell as Rogue gained the Asgardian’s full essence, turning her into a corrupt God of Thunder.
Given that Rogue stealing Captain Marvel’s powers is such an integral moment in the comics, this would be a perfect departure from that in the MCU’s ‘What If…?’ continuity, as it would retain the spirit of that iconic storyline while changing the MCU Avenger involved.
4 Hulk’s Gamma Bomb Was Used During WWII, Creating Thousands Of Hulks
What If? Vol. 2 #71 – “What If The Gamma Bomb Spawned A Thousand Hulks?” by Ian Edgington and Larry Stroman
Bruce Banner became the Hulk after he was blasted by a gamma bomb of his own design during a test launch – a launch that solidified the U.S. military’s disinterest in pursuing further research or development. However, in this alternate continuity, the U.S. didn’t have a choice but to use the yet-to-be-tested gamma bomb during World War II, as the nuclear bomb hadn’t yet been developed. Rather than two nuclear bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, two gamma bombs were launched. This didn’t kill a vast majority of the people within the blast zone, but rather it mutated them into increasingly horrific Hulks.
The MCU hasn’t put much time into fleshing out the Hulk as an individual character, including his backstory. While there are behind-the-scenes reasons for that, this What If? story would be an interesting way to give Hulk that origin, while tweaking it enough to make it original (and horrific), though still true to the extent of Bruce Banner’s involvement in the gamma experiments that turned him into the Hulk.
3 The New Fantastic Four Become The Permanent Iteration Of The Team
What If? Vol. 2 #78 – “What If The New Fantastic Four Remained A Team?” by Chuck Dixon and Enrique Alcatena
For a time in the ‘90s, the classic lineup of the Fantastic Four was replaced by four other A-listers: Hulk, Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider. These four separate heroes became the new Fantastic Four, and though their tenure was short-lived, they certainly made their time filling in for Marvel’s First Family memorable – and that was just in the main continuity. In this alternate timeline, this version of the Fantastic Four never stopped being the Fantastic Four, as the original four died. Which was tragic, of course, but no tragedy is without its silver lining, and in this case, that silver lining was obvious.
This new Fantastic Four team was badass when it first debuted in Marvel Comics canon, it was badass in this What If? storyline, and it would be badass in the MCU. Plus, given that the Fantastic Four have yet to be properly introduced in the MCU, throwing this version of the team at fans would be an epic start to the team’s new MCU legacy.
2 Doctor Strange Trained Daredevil In The Ways Of The Chaste
What If? Vol. 2 #83 – “What If Daredevil Was The Disciple Of Doctor Strange” by Ian Edgington, Mike Baron, and Rafael Kayanan
Rather than seeking out the Ancient One to heal his hands and teach him the mysteries of the mystic arts, Doctor Strange seeks Stick and the Chaste in order to become whole again through mystical means. This time, however, those mystical means were rooted in ancient martial arts, of which Doctor Strange became a master. Then, Strange took on a student: Matt Murdock aka Daredevil, who became Strange’s one and only disciple.
Daredevil and Doctor Strange are two prominent Phase 4-5 MCU heroes who really don’t have any reason to interact. This, however, gives them that reason, and it would be an absolutely amazing multiverse story to appear in either one of the heroes’ franchises. Plus, it would be the perfect way to bring one of Daredevil’s coolest comic book costumes to the MCU.
1 Tony Stark Became Marvel’s Sorcerer Supreme Instead Of Doctor Strange
What If? Vol. 2 #113 – “What If… Starring: Iron Man” by Chris Duffy and Gregg Schigiel
In this alternate reality, Stephen Strange wasn’t responsible for the accident that irreparably injured his hands, Tony Stark was. They were together that night, and Stark was driving, making it his fault that Strange’s career as a neurosurgeon came to an end. Vowing to find treatment by any means necessary, Stark traveled the world, and eventually found the Ancient One who taught him the ways of the mystic arts. Tony Stark became the Sorcerer Supreme, though that didn’t stop him from being a technological genius as well. Stark’s Iron Man suits were imbued with magic, as he found a way to merge sorcery with technology seamlessly.
If the MCU wanted to bring back Iron Man in some form or fashion (within What If…?, a multiverse movie, or otherwise), then bringing him back as a Sorcerer Supreme would be one of the coolest ways to do it. Not only would it be unexpected, but it’d be worthy of the level of prestige a returning character like Tony Stark deserves in the MCU. Overall, it’s easy to see how this What If? storyline is one of the 10 best from Marvel Comics‘ ‘90s run that needs to be adapted by the MCU!
