The "What If?" story has long been a tradition for Marvel Comics. In these stories, writers take a look at some turning point in the life of a character, or a key event for the Marvel Universe itself, and ask , "What if this went another way?" The best thing about these stories is that they allow creators to go crazy, without having to worry about breaking Marvel's toys. In a "What If?" story, they can kill off characters, destroy planets, alter reality, or let the bad guys win.
Recently the folks at Marvel comics have unleashed a wave of "What Ifs" on readers, and they make for some interesting possible twists to recent Marvel history. The first off the block What if? House of M. Now, I admit that the idea of doing an alternate take on a story that already takes place in an alternate timeline may seem a little crazy, but the result is pretty nifty. Instead of wishing away mutants, that naughty Scarlet Witch gets rid of all powers, leaving a Marvel Universe with no super-powered heroes. This leaves technology-powered Iron Man as pretty much the only game in town, too bad for him that the Red Skull takes advantage of this power vacuum to whip out that annoying cosmic cube and start wreaking havoc. This issue also has the first installment of the serialised What If the Runaways became the Young Avengers?, so fans of those two teams will want to check this out.
Another interesting offering is What If? Newer Fantastic Four. Some readers may remember the Art Adams classic FF story in which Spidey, The Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider took over for the mising FF. This story shows what would have happened if this replacement team became permanent. Once Thanos gets his big purple mitts on the Infinity Gauntlet, most of the Marvel heroes are disappeared as Thanos tries to impress Death, his dream girlfriend, with a mass extinction of life across the whole universe. The team replaces the vanished Ghost Rider with Iron Man, and sets off to save all reality. While this issue has a pretty interesting premise, the best part of the book is the Mini Marvels World War Hulk: Final Showdown. I don't want to spoil anything, but Mini Hulk comes loaded with haikus and beatdowns for all!
Of interest to Spidey fans is What If? Spider-Man Back in Black. As someone who did NOT like One More Day or Brand New Day, I enjoyed this story more than the ones we really got. If MJ had been shot by the Kingpin's sniper, instead of the all-too-frequently victimised Aunt May, what would Spidey do? The answer may upset Peter's sweet old aunty, but at least it doesn't involve Mephisto, or a mass destruction of the character's history. (Sorry, I think the reviewer's bias is showing here! I'll behave now.)
So, if you want to see what could happen when creators don't have to worry about what's going to be in the next issue, you should check out any or all of Marvel's recent crop of What If? one-shots. What if you missed the chance to check these out while they are guaranteed at Four Color Fantasies? You'd be sorry then! Personally, I'm still hoping for What if Wolverine Got a Manicure? or What If Daredevil Ate Too Much Pie?, but those are probably never going to happen.
Recently the folks at Marvel comics have unleashed a wave of "What Ifs" on readers, and they make for some interesting possible twists to recent Marvel history. The first off the block What if? House of M. Now, I admit that the idea of doing an alternate take on a story that already takes place in an alternate timeline may seem a little crazy, but the result is pretty nifty. Instead of wishing away mutants, that naughty Scarlet Witch gets rid of all powers, leaving a Marvel Universe with no super-powered heroes. This leaves technology-powered Iron Man as pretty much the only game in town, too bad for him that the Red Skull takes advantage of this power vacuum to whip out that annoying cosmic cube and start wreaking havoc. This issue also has the first installment of the serialised What If the Runaways became the Young Avengers?, so fans of those two teams will want to check this out.
Another interesting offering is What If? Newer Fantastic Four. Some readers may remember the Art Adams classic FF story in which Spidey, The Hulk, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider took over for the mising FF. This story shows what would have happened if this replacement team became permanent. Once Thanos gets his big purple mitts on the Infinity Gauntlet, most of the Marvel heroes are disappeared as Thanos tries to impress Death, his dream girlfriend, with a mass extinction of life across the whole universe. The team replaces the vanished Ghost Rider with Iron Man, and sets off to save all reality. While this issue has a pretty interesting premise, the best part of the book is the Mini Marvels World War Hulk: Final Showdown. I don't want to spoil anything, but Mini Hulk comes loaded with haikus and beatdowns for all!
Of interest to Spidey fans is What If? Spider-Man Back in Black. As someone who did NOT like One More Day or Brand New Day, I enjoyed this story more than the ones we really got. If MJ had been shot by the Kingpin's sniper, instead of the all-too-frequently victimised Aunt May, what would Spidey do? The answer may upset Peter's sweet old aunty, but at least it doesn't involve Mephisto, or a mass destruction of the character's history. (Sorry, I think the reviewer's bias is showing here! I'll behave now.)
So, if you want to see what could happen when creators don't have to worry about what's going to be in the next issue, you should check out any or all of Marvel's recent crop of What If? one-shots. What if you missed the chance to check these out while they are guaranteed at Four Color Fantasies? You'd be sorry then! Personally, I'm still hoping for What if Wolverine Got a Manicure? or What If Daredevil Ate Too Much Pie?, but those are probably never going to happen.
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