For 50 years, Marvel Comics has dared to ask "What If...?", putting bold twists on major Marvel moments and opening the floodgates to the Multiverse. The premise has even inspired Marvel Animation's TV series on Disney+ (which, like the comics themselves, delivered mixed results).
Now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the original What If? series, Marvel will publish eight all-new What If...? one-shots this summer. Crafted by some of today's biggest talents, they promise to shake the foundations of every corner of the Marvel mythos, beginning with startling stories starring the X-Men and Thor and continuing with epic reimaginings of pivotal storylines like Secret Wars and Kraven's Last Hunt.
All of them sound pretty intriguing, particularly the one exploring what would have happened had the Ultimate Universe survived Secret Wars, likely making Earth-1610 the last reality standing in place of Earth-616.
Others sound just as intriguing, like Jessica Jones being bitten by the radioactive spider that gave Peter Parker his powers and a one-shot that revisits the New X-Men era by having Cassandra Nova kill her twin brother, Professor X (in the womb, presumably).
Theseries kicks off in June with What If...? Uncanny X-Men #1, where Gerry Duggan and Jan Bazaldua put a spin on one of comics' most tragic love stories. Then, we're getting What If...? Thor #1, which sees Torunn Grønbekk and Sergio Dávila shift symbiote history towards a mighty new destiny.
Here's a first look at what to expect, starting this June:
WHAT IF...CYCLOPS HAD STAYED WITH MADELYNE PRYOR?
Imagine a world where Madelyne Pryor, the Goblin Queen, had survived the Inferno. What would have happened if Cyclops had saved her soul. What would have happened if he and Maddie had raised their son, Nathan Summers? What would that world look like? And why would that be the most terrible thing to happen to mutantdom and Earth itself?
WHAT IF…? UNCANNY X-MEN #1
Written by GERRY DUGGAN
Art by JAN BAZALDUA
Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
On Sale 6/3
WHAT IF…THOR GOT SPIDER-MAN’S SYMBIOTE SUIT?
Amid the chaos, there comes a costume – but not to the hero you know! Legend has it that bonding with the symbiote suit made Thor mightier still. But what shadows lurking in the Ten Realms would take interest in such a powerful pairing?
WHAT IF…? THOR #1
Written by TORUNN GRØNBEKK
Art by SERGIO DÁVILA
Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
On Sale 6/17
WHAT IF…? SECRET WARS #1
Written by ALEX PAKNADEL
Art by CAFU
Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
On Sale 7/1
WHAT IF…? JESSICA JONES #1
Written by JUSTINA IRELAND
Art by DAVID MESSINA
Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
On Sale 7/15
WHAT IF…? SPIDER-MAN #1
Written by J.M. DEMATTEIS
Art by YILDIRAY CINAR
Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
On Sale 7/29
WHAT IF…? CAPTAIN AMERICA #1
Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM
Art by RON LIM
Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
On Sale 8/5
WHAT IF…? RUNAWAYS #1
Written by RAINBOW ROWELL
Art by ZULEMA LAVINA
Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
On Sale 8/19
WHAT IF…? X-MEN #1
Written by ASHLEY ALLEN
Art by SUMIT KUMAR
Cover by LUCAS WERNECK
On Sale 8/26