What If…?
Summary
wonder Comics’What If?banner is and has always been perhaps the gravid originative wall plug for mirthful book writer and artists , as they are able-bodied to take iconic , well - give characters and do whatever they want with them without fear of spay the continuity of the wider universe . This has led to a great phone number of exciting one - shot that dare to agitate the boundaries of what anX - Men , Spider - Man , orFantastic Fouradventure could look like when there are no rule to play by .
While manyWhat If?comics have stand out in the minds of fans since they were first published , many others have completely fallen into obscureness , particularly one publish in the ‘ 90s , as there were over one hundred issue print within that decade . And that ’s a shame , because most of them are well deserving fan ’ sentence and attention . Out of the more than one hundred , here are 10 of the most underratedWhat If?stories from the ‘ 90s .
Marvel print many What If ? comical books in the ' 90s , but only a few of them stood out as being utter for an MCU adjustment . Here are the Top 10 !
10Wolverine Becomes The Successor Of Conan The Barbarian
What If?Vol. 2 #16 - “What If Wolverine Battled Conan the Barbarian” by Glenn Herdling and Gary Kwapisz
After Wolverine incidentally gets mail to the Hyborian Age , he quickly encounters Conan the Barbarian , and the two warriors mesh in brutal combat . The very act of these two fighting is alone fabulously exciting , as both are take two of the greatest warrior within their respective continuities , though one proves to be good : Conan . Conan slash Wolverine ’s jugular , go away him to phlebotomise out and die . Though Logan ’s healing cistron would at long last redeem his life , Conan proved his high quality . But despite that , by the end of this tale , Conan would die , and Wolverine would be his successor .
This account not only elevated Conan the Barbarian ’s condition as a warrior , but also as a Italian sandwich , as he was significant enough for someone as outstanding in Marvel canyon as Wolverine to want to follow in his footfall .
9The Avengers Replace The Fantastic Four In Their Most Iconic Storyline
What If?Vol. 2 #41 - “What If The Avengers Had Fought Galactus?” by Jim Valentino and Sam DeLarosa
The Fantastic Four taking on Galactus is perhaps the team ’s most iconic storyline in Marvel Comics to date , yet in this reality , the FF did n’t just not agitate Galactus , they did n’t even live long enough to become superheroes at all . The Fantastic Four go during the mission that gave them their baron , causing a chain reaction that left only the Avengers as Earth ’s protectors . So , when Galactus inevitably come to Earth , the Avengers were the single to meet the Devourer of Worlds , and they were not up for the undertaking .
While Galactus was at long last defeated , it was n’t because of the Avengers , who effectively fail where the Fantastic Four once jubilate . It was because of the Watcher , who give himself to stop Galactus , bring yet another stratum of universe - altering import to this disjoined reality .
8The Punisher Gave Venom A Few Deadly Upgrades
What If?Vol. 2 #44 - “What If Venom Had Possessed The Punisher?” by Kurt Busiek and Luke McDonnell
Fans always get it on it when a Marvel Comics character acquire the ‘ Venomized ’ treatment , particularly if that reference is already hardcore , with the addition of the symbiote making them even more so - make the Punisher the perfect recipient role of a Venom raise . Or , perhaps it was the other mode around . With the Punisher as its host , the Venom symbiote had never been deadlier , as torpedo were integrate into its symbiotic arsenal as well as all of Frank Castle ’s tactical cognition and combat skills .
The Punisher enhanced Venom just as much as Venom raise the Punisher , making this one of the more badass instance of perfect mutualism in Marvel Comics . Plus , their chest symbolic representation was a compounding of the Punisher ’s skull and Venom ’s spider ( later retconned to be a firedrake ) , which is undeniably amazing .
7Doctor Doom Robbed Doctor Strange Of The Sorcerer Supreme Title
What If?Vol. 2 #52 - “What If Doom Became Sorcerer Supreme?” by Dan Slott and Manny Galan
In this realism , Doctor Doom hear from the Ancient One in the ways of the orphic arts , and finally became the Sorcerer Supreme instead of Doctor Strange . In fact , Doom was the one who met Strange when the former surgeon came to Kamar - Taj for help . Rather than teaching him magic , however , Doom used his technological genius to literally reconstruct his hands , replacing them with machines , allowing Strange to be an even better surgeon than he was before . With this act , Doom effectively replaced Strange as the Sorcerer Supreme , and it would n’t be the last fourth dimension in this story he ’d do so .
After Doom nearly choke crusade Dormammu , he cease up on Strange ’s run board . But , instead of allowing the doctor to do potentially life history - saving surgery on him , Doom allowed this physical structure to die and transferred his consciousness into the body of Doctor Strange . All those long time ago , Doom sense Strange ’s lifelike ability in the room of the mystic arts , and now that built-in connection to nonnatural powers was Doom ’s to keep in line , thereby rob Strange ’s potential yet again .
6Frank Castle Reverses The Story Of Marvel’s New Punisher
What If?Vol. 2 #57 - “What If The Punisher Became An Agent Of SHIELD?” by Chuck Dixon and Mike Harris
While normally ignored by much every prescribed agency , the Punisher is actually draw close by SHIELD in this alternate world , with Nick Fury himself propose Castle his own strike force and comparative self-direction in how he want to carry out his missions . The Punisher accepts , and with SHIELD resources fuse with his own proven science set , Frank all but wipes out Hydra on behalf of SHIELD . While this storyline is jolly much exactly what any rooter would expect from reading the title alone , there ’s an added layer of significance that makes this particularWhat If?that much more interesting : it ’s Joe Garrison ’s story in reverse .
Joe Garrison is the new Punisher in Marvel Comics ’ current continuity , and he is an old-hat - SHIELD agent . Frank Castle effectively countermand Garrison ’s tarradiddle years before it would be tell , which allow this particularWhat If?to have aged like ok wine .
5Stryfe & Apocalypse Won The X-Cutioner’s Song
What If?Vol. 2 #69 - “What If Stryfe Killed The X-Men?” by Mariano Nicieza and J.R. Justiniano
ThisWhat If?doesn’t hold much of a long-lived significance in Marvel canyon , but it was for certain significant at the time of its publication , since it flip one of the X - Men ’s biggest ( and cool ) plot line of the ‘ XC right after the master was relinquish .
4Daredevil Becomes Kingpin’s Top Lawyer & Enforcer
What If?Vol. 2 #73 - “What If The Kingpin Owned Daredevil?” by D.G. Chichester and Tom Grindberg
Daredevil is the sworn enemy of the Kingpin in Marvel Comics ’ select realism , but that can not be said of their relationship within the continuity of thisWhat If?storyline . After Matt ’s beginner was killed for not befuddle a fisticuffs lucifer , Wilson Fisk decided to take interest in Matt . Fisk became an influential part of Matt ’s life through his plastic years , even when Matt was on the QT take aim with Stick . The Kingpin saw potency in Matt , and that foresight paid off greatly . Not only was Matt Murdock the Kingpin ’s attorney , he would also become his top enforcer .
ThisWhat If?completely rewrites the iconic family relationship between two of the fiercest rival in Marvel Comics history , mark this as one of the most significant yet understatedWhat If?published in the ‘ 90s .
3Mr. Sinister Finally Gained Control Over Cyclops
What If?Vol. 2 #74 - “What If Mr. Sinister Formed The X-Men?” by Simon Furman and Nathaniel Palant
Throughout the ‘ ninety , Mr. Sinister was absolutely haunted with getting his handwriting on Scott Summers ( and Jean Grey , but acquire he could deputise her for a ringer , make Scott his more coveted target ) . The rationality being that water flea ’ DNA was idealistic for create the ultimate variation . However , no matter how hard he try , Mr. Sinister could never fully see to it Scott , and therefore could n’t conduct the experiment he want to . That is , until thisWhat If ? , which showed Mr. Sinister not only successfully recruited Cyclops before Charles Xavier , but it also detail Sinister form his very own tenner - Men .
Sinister ’s hooks were so implant within Cyclops that when Scott was finally recruited onto Professor X ’s tenner - human race , he was on the Q.T. an agentive role of Sinister , ready to plough on his newfound squad at the pearl of a lid . water flea became more than just Sinister ’s proverbial lab rat in this macrocosm , but a dependable adherent , and an vilification to everything the original Cyclops cultivate so hard to combat .
2The X-Men Kill Galactus During The Age Of Apocalypse
What If?Vol. 2 #81 - “What If The Age Of Apocalypse Had Not Ended?” by Mariano Nicieza and Kevin Hopgood
TheAge of Apocalypsewas Marvel Comics ’ biggest and most popular story to hail out of the ‘ 90s , so it only makes sensory faculty that aWhat If?would be written to explore that Earth further . This consequence takes position right after Magneto down Apocalypse , and most of the world is fail into oblivion . The surviving X - Men join a big radical of humans on the moon , where they hope to reconstruct civilization . But first , they have to deal with yet another threat , one that proved to be far more serious than Apocalypse ever was : Galactus .
In the last , the humans and the go - serviceman kill Galactus and carry through the mankind , thus giving theAge of Apocalypsethe happy conclusion it deserved . Not only that , but thisWhat If?literally up the ante on one of the most vicious events inX - Menhistory by wreak in Galactus himself , which only add to the already robust lore within theAge of Apocalypsecontinuity .
1Scarlet Spider Finally Did What The Clone Saga Didn’t: Permanently Replace Spider-Man
What If?Vol. 2 #86 - “What If Scarlet Spider Killed Spider-Man?” by Terry Kavanagh and Douglas Braithwaite
Nothing shout out the ‘ 90 like Scarlet Spider , and the prospect of him killing the original Spider - Man is whole on - make for the hardcore nature of the character reference . While Ben Reilly had to obliterate Peter for the sake of saving MJ ’s aliveness ( as the Jackal ’s mind - altering machine mesmerize Parker into wanting to bolt down her ) , the reason behind Peter ’s demise does n’t matter . It ’s the act itself that accommodate all the weight unit , as thisWhat If?actually does what theClone Sagateased throughout its run , but never actually did : replaced Peter Parker with Ben Reilly . The ‘ 90s were all about reimagining Graeco-Roman fighter in a more hardcore means , and the new and exciting Ben Reilly was Marvel ’s answer to the ‘ dead ’ and ‘ boring ’ Peter Parker .
TheClone Sagacouldn’t pull the trigger on a full - on replacing , but thisWhat If?certainly did , making it immensely significant to the storylines that were coming out in the main Marvel Comics canon at the time . ThisWhat If?added to the then - current narrative of Spider - Man traditional knowledge , which is why it ’s perhaps the great stand - out effect of these 10 underratedWhat If?stories fromMarvel Comicsin the ‘ 90s .
