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The Top 15 What If? Stories That Actually Occurred in the Mainstream Marvel Universe

The Top 15 What If…? Stories That Actually Occurred in the Mainstream Marvel Universe
© Marvel Comics/Robert Trate

 What If…? was a series conceived by writer Roy Thomas in the late 1970s with Uatu the Watcher showing readers what would’ve happen in an alternate reality if a key event went a different way in the mainstream Marvel Universe.

There’s been some phenomenal What If…? stories (a separate list will be coming soon), there’s been bad What If…? stories, and then there’s the ones that started out as What If…? stories that actually occurred in some way, shape, or form in the mainstream Marvel Universe when the House of Ideas apparently ran out of ideas at one point or another. Listed here is The Top 15 What If…? Stories That Actually Occurred in the Mainstream Marvel Universe.

15) What If…? Vol. 1 #28: What If The Ghost Rider Had Been Separated From Johnny Blaze? 

In Ghost Rider Vol. 2 #81, the series finale, Centurious stole Blaze’s soul and placed it into his soul crystal. Zarathos – the demonic entity that possessed Balze – was weakened from the ordeal and used the last of his strength to shatter the crystal, freed Blaze’s soul, amongst many others. Before the crystal was reformed, Centurious was absorbed into the crystal. Zarathos followed him, freeing Blaze from the curse, restoring his soul, and ending his time as the Ghost Rider, giving him a happy ending for the rest of 1980s (Blaze eventually becomes Ghost Rider again in 2001’s Ghost Rider: The Hammer Lane mini-series after years of fighting alongside the Danny Ketch version of the Ghost Rider throughout most of the 1990s).

14) What If…? Vol. 1 #37: What If The Thing and The Beast Continued to Mutate?

The Thing’s most notable mutation outside his definitive rocky form is the spiky form he had in Fantastic Four #310. In this form, he was much stronger and even beat the Hulk. Eventually, he returned to his definitive rocky form, although he turned back into his human form on several occasions throughout the years.

The Beast underwent a secondary mutation, going from his definitive ape-like blue and furry form to a more feline-like blue and furry form. The poor guy really had trouble adapting to his current form. This happened in Grant Morrison’s New X-Men run in 2001. This appears to be the new status quo for the Beast as he’s been in this form for 10 years now.

13) What If…? Vol. 2 #7: What If Wolverine Was An Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Another concept that’s happened a few times in the mainstream Marvel Universe. Wolvie has been a freelance operative for S.H.I.E.L.D. many times that are too numerous to name here, but most prominently and recently in the Wolverine & Spider-Man mini-series and Wolverine Vol. 3 #26-32 (“Enemy of the State Part II”) after he was rescued from the Hand.

12) What If…? Vol. 2 #28: What If Captain American Formed The Avengers?

Cap may not be a founding member of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but he was the first recruit and was retroactively given founder’s status, replacing the Hulk. He has been called the glue that held the Avengers together in the early days. In Avengers #300, he reformed the Avengers after it had been disbanded, recruiting Thor, Gilgamesh the Forgotten One, Mr. Fantastic, and the Invisible Woman.

In New Avengers #4, he formed a new incarnation of the Avengers after the tragic events of “Avengers Assembled” that consisted of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman (really a Skrull in disguise), Sentry, Luke Cage, and Wolverine. The majority of these heroes fought alongside each other in New Avengers #1 before things were made official. In the wake of “The Heroic Age,” Steve Rogers is now the Marvel Universe’s top cop and another incarnation of the Avengers – a few teams, actually – has been formed under his auspices.

11) What If…? Vol. 1 #12: What If Rick Jones Had Become The Hulk?

In Incredible Hulk #325, Rick becomes a Hulk-like monster after the events of the prior issue, where Doc Samson futilely tries to cure Bruce Banner. This brings him into conflict with the original Hulk, who’s now gray. Eventually, the gamma radiation that causes Rick to turn into the Hulk-like creature is siphoned into Samuel Sterns, who becomes the Leader once again. Currently, Rick is a Hulk-like creature called A-Bomb as of Hulk Vol. 3 #2.

10) What If…? Vol. 1 #8: What If The World Knew Daredevil Was Blind?

DD’s dual identity as blind attorney Matt Murdock has been outted in the media several times, such as the “Fall From Grace” storyline in 1993. But Marvel has always somehow managed to put that genie back in the bottle.

However, that’s not the case during Brian Michael Bendis’ critically acclaimed run that began in Daredevil Vol. 2 #26. His secret identity becomes an ongoing subplot throughout the Bendis era as DD winds up in prison to await trial. This leads into Ed Brubaker’s first story arc in Daredevil Vol. 2 #82-87 where Matt is still imprisoned but Iron Fist – dressed as Daredevil – patrols Hell’s Kitchen, attempting to establish that Matt and DD are two different people, creating some doubt in the public’s mind.

Upcoming Daredevil writer Mark Waid stated that with some people believing Matt is Daredevil, he cannot be a trial lawyer as his clients’ trial would suddenly be about him, so he’ll be practicing law in a different way.

9) What If…? Vol. 1 #1: What If Spider-Man Joined The Fantastic Four?

Spider-Man joined the FF as part of a new team with Wolverine, Ghost Rider II, and the Hulk in Fantastic Four #347-349, which later fought the original FF in Fantastic Four #374. Since the recent “death” of the Human Torch, Spidey – per the Torch’s wishes – joined the Future Foundation (which is the FF, despite the name change) in FF #1. This makes it the third team for Spidey, who’s currently a member of two teams of Avengers and now the FF. For a guy who always claimed to be a loner, he’s become quite the team player.

8) What If…? Vol. 1 #36: What If Richard Rider Had Not Lost The Power of Nova?

In Nova Vol. 1 #25, Nova reluctantly gives up his powers to return to Earth to his loved ones. It is later revealed that Richard Rider’s Nova powers were dormant and he needed his adrenaline levels to hit a high percentage. Being tossed off a building by Night Thrasher in New Warriors Vol. 1 #1 will definitely do the trick. Nova was an invaluable member of the New Warriors. In the last two decades, he has had three monthly series. He eventually became one of Steve Rogers’ Secret Avengers and a renowned cosmic hero in his own right in the Annihilation storyline and beyond before his alleged death in The Thanos Imperative.

7) What If…? Vol. 1 #35: What If Elektra Had Lived?

Turns out, Elektra did live. She was resurrected by Stone, but her good side and evil side were split into two. During the “Fall From Grace” storyline in Daredevil #319-325, Elektra is revealed to be alive. She kills her dark half, which once again becomes part of her. She later becomes a staunch ally of Wolverine. Her popularity was such that she starred in two eponymous monthly series, various mini-series, and was even played by Jennifer Garner in 2003’s Daredevil and 2005’s Elektra, although the movies aren’t considered very good, especially the latter.

6) What If…? Vol. 1 #44: What If The Hulk Went Berserk?

Gee, like the Hulk going berserk has never happened before in the mainstream Marvel Universe that Marvel needs an alternate reality to showcase this concept. Let’s count (some of) the ways it happened in the mainstream Marvel Universe.

In Incredible Hulk #300, Dr. Strange banished a mindless, savage Hulk to the Crossroads of Infinity because he posed such a threat to Earth. He returned to Earth and battled the Avengers in Incredible Hulk #316 and #321-322. Most recently, the Illuminati sent him off-planet for everyone’s own good, but he crashed on the wrong planet, became a gladiator in the Planet Hulk storyline, then returned to Earth in the World War Hulk storyline to exact his revenge, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.  

5) What If…? Vol. 2 #30: What If The Fantastic Four’s Second Child Had Lived?

In Fantastic Four Vol. 3 #49-50, after reality is restructured, Susan Richards, alias the Invisible Woman, is pregnant again thanks to Franklin’s reality-warping powers (a simplistic explanation, granted). She eventually delivers her second child, but it’s a difficult delivery and Dr. Doom is called in to help. Doom asks that Susan name her baby girl after a woman he once loved – hence, Susan christened her baby Valeria Meghan Richards. These days, Val is a toddler who possesses intelligence on par with her father, Mr. Fantastic.

4) What If…? Vol. 2 #20-21: What If The Amazing Spider-Man Had Not Married Mary Jane?

Thanks to the very controversial and poorly-executed “One More Day” storyline in 2007, Spider-Man didn’t marry Mary Jane. Mephisto offers to save a dying Aunt May in exchange for Peter and Mary Jane’s marriage. They agree with the deal and Mephisto warps reality, making it so that the loving couple never married in 1987’s Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21, creating quite the convoluted mess out of Spider-Man’s continuity and the most controversial Spidey story this side of the Spider-Clone debacle in order to reset the character.

3) What If …? Vol. 1 #27: What If Phoenix Had Not Died?

There have been several versions of what would’ve happened if Phoenix hadn’t committed suicide on the moon in the classic Uncanny X-Men #137 as seen in What If? Vol. 1 #27, What If? Vol. 2 #32-33, and Phoenix: The Untold Story #1. Phoenix’s death was a powerful tale and occurred in an era where killing off characters was rare and had a dramatic impact on the title – they didn’t come back a few months later like they do today.

Jean Grey was later resurrected in a storyline that ran through Avengers Vol. 1 #263, Fantastic Four #286, and X-Factor Vol. 1 #1, where it was revealed that Jean didn’t die in Uncanny X-Men #137, but rather it was the Phoenix Force which took on Jean’s form – along with her humanity – who died, thus absolving Jean herself of the genocide Phoenix committed during “The Dark Phoenix Saga.” This resurrection was very controversial with fans. Jean later rejoined the X-Men, married Cyclops, and was killed off (again).

2) What If…? Vol. 1#2: What If The Hulk Had The Brain of Bruce Banner?

He did – a few times, actually. In Incredible Hulk #272, Banner finally learns to control the Hulk under the pen of writer Bill Mantlo. Banner next receives a Presidentail Pardon for his crimes as the Hulk. Sadly, Banner loses control of his alter ego and is subsequently banished in Incredible Hulk #300.

In Incredible Hulk #377, writer Peter David – who expanded on several concepts Mantlo introduced – merges Banner’s split personalities into one being that possessed the strength of the green Hulk, the craftiness of the gray Hulk, and the brain of Bruce Banner. This remained the status quo of the character for years.

1) What If…? Vol. 1 #30: What If Spider-Man’s Clone Had Lived?

Spider-Man’s clone first appeared – and died – in Amazing Spider-Man #149. In What If? Vol. 1 #30, the clone survives and eventually cuts a deal with Peter Parker to be Spider-Man on alternate days (no, really) in what was one of the lousier stories.

Well, in the mainstream Marvel Universe, the Spider-Clone didn’t die, regardless that it was established he wasn’t a clone in Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 1 #149, which was written by Gerry Conway, the writer who conceived the original clone storyline in the first place.

That was later disregarded in the much-maligned, controversial, and convoluted crapfest called “The Clone Saga” (shudder shudder) that ran through the Spider-Man family of titles from 1994-96, where it was stated that the Spider-Man we knew and loved from Amazing Spider-Man #149 on (not to mention the same Spider-Man that appeared in various media adaptations and countless licensed products) was really a clone. In turn, the clone was really the original Peter Parker who adopted the alias Ben Reilly and eventually became Spider-Man. Got any Advil to alleviate the headache caused by this confusion?

Sales dropped 65 percent and Marvel was forced to re-establish Peter as Spider-Man, “de-cloning” him for want of a better word. Ben Reilly was revealed to be the clone and died (again) in 1996’s Peter Parker: Spider-Man #75. However, the Spider-Clone has showed up here and there in various flashback tales. Plus, his adventures have recently been collected in trade paperbacks. You’d think Marvel would learn to leave bad enough alone.