Favorite "What If...?" Issue
bralinator
Posts: 5,967
I've always been a fan of the What If...? Series from Marvel, especially the first volume. I'm fond of many of the stories, but my favorite issues are the two that feature Conan in the 20th century, issue #13 and its sequel, #43. I was wondering if anyone else was ever a fan of the series? If so, what were some of your favorite issues?
I liked a few of the stories from the second volume, but never was interested in the later volumes. As I was picking up some cheap back issues recently, I discovered one story I liked seems to be fetching a heftier than expected price tag in the back-issue market. It is issue #49 of the second series, "What if the Silver Surfer Possessed the Infinity Gauntlet?" from 1993 by Ron Marz. It's a great tale, but it's suddenly fetching around $15 for a VF+ copy! Any idea why that is? Just the sudden interest in the Infinity War movies? I'm curious if anyone knows.
I liked a few of the stories from the second volume, but never was interested in the later volumes. As I was picking up some cheap back issues recently, I discovered one story I liked seems to be fetching a heftier than expected price tag in the back-issue market. It is issue #49 of the second series, "What if the Silver Surfer Possessed the Infinity Gauntlet?" from 1993 by Ron Marz. It's a great tale, but it's suddenly fetching around $15 for a VF+ copy! Any idea why that is? Just the sudden interest in the Infinity War movies? I'm curious if anyone knows.
Comments
Here are two of my favorite issues.
The Nova issue had a cool Twilight Zone feel to it. Especially the story revolving around the world with no super heroes.
The Spider-Man story felt like a true "What If", one different decision and Spider-Man's world was completely changed.
This was my favorite.
This is my favorite, yes?
It also has two of of my favorite lines, ever.
"Have to understand the superhero mentality, yes? Give 'em a whiff of a good cause and they're in like Flint!"
As well as:
"It's strange, this hero thing. Whole lives devoted completely to helping others. For no financial reward whatsoever. Struggling ceaselessly against impossible odds, risking almost certain death to help those in trouble. I...I just hope it's not catching, yes?"
I loved loved loved the Gil kane artwork with Kalus Jansen inks. One of my all time favorite fight issues.
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That first run, though…Roy Thomas was the master of these stories, with his knowledge of Marvel history and ability to pull it into a good story on top of that, I loved the first issue, which both set the premise and then showed what one little change would do. Issue #4, which cleaned up all of the Marvel history between the end of WW2 and the first issue of the Fantastic Four, Kirby’s Bullpen romp in #11, and Miller’s brilliant Daredevil stories. Damn that was good stuff.
I remember being disappointed by the “What if the Phoenix hadn’t died”, since most of the details of Claremont’s original plan had leaked, and I still think that would have been a brilliant way to have him use the story and validate the idea of What If.
I’d love a new series that went into the past more…the new ones tend to do the event that just ended, which is fun and all, but doesn’t really get into the long term stuff that made Roy’s issues so great.
Probably just because I'm old.
The company's modern penchant for twisting current comic events is kind of boring to me. I like the idea of going back to the past more. I wonder if they've already told all the best stories though? However, volume 2 of this series did pretty much the same thing.
Here are some stand-outs from the second volume actually did stick out in my mind.
Great Ron Lim art in this story from the Inferno (1988) storyline, the demon S’ym succeeds in bringing Hell to Earth by executing the infant Cable and the majority of the X-Men die as a result, except Wolverine, whom S’ym turns into a soulless savage killer and henchman. Dr. Strange summons Daimon Hellstorm, Shaman of Alpha Flight and foe Baron Mordo, who betrays them and gets them all killed along with She-Hulk, Thor, Spider-Man, and the Captain. When Wolverine eventually murders Kitty Pryde, he comes to his senses for the "happy" ending :)
Speaking of Ron Lim art, this was also a great story... an alternate divergence from Silver Surfer volume 3 #1. Surfer decides to join the FF and it's told by the original creative team of Ron Marz and Ron Lim who was also the creative team on the Silver Surfer series of that era. Lim provides some phenomenal artwork of the Surfer taking on Mephisto in one of those rare instances where the creative team of a character’s book also does a What If…? story on the same character on which they had made a mark.
Then there's this awesome story, but I can't figure out why this book is suddenly getting $15 on the back-issue market... Someone please tell me why?!?!
For some reason, I loved my older brother's copy of #17 when I was a kid.
I don't think that means that the story is canon, but it is obviously referring to this awesome crossover.
And speculators will speculate.
The Hulk goes berserk. Kills 2 of the FF and Iron-Man. He Throws ICBMs at Gen. Ross; sets off a nuke. My 12 year old mind was blown! People did not die in comics. Here, I saw 3 heroes and Rick Jones buy it. Nostalgia has colored my opinion but it is still a fun read.
LOL
Basically, Namor zigs instead of zags and never comes across Cap frozen in the ice. A few years later, when Nixon goes to China, someone disgusted with state of the nation frees 50s Cap & Bucky from their suspended animation, and their particular brand of violent jingoism is embraced by 70s Cap villainous mainstays like the Committee to Regain America's Principles (CRAP), the Secret Empire, William Taurey, and the like. America becomes a fascist state, most of the super heroes are driven into obscurity, "retirement", or underground as revolutionaries.
And despite all that... the ending isn't entirely a bummer, because as the title promises, the real Cap does indeed return, and oh is he unhappy. :D
I find it interesting in retrospect that this cover is one of those classic misleading ones where nothing similar to the image actually takes place in the issue, although it does a good job in letting the reader see exactly what the differences are going to be for the FF in this issue.
The second one I feel compelled to mention because it sticks out as such an offbeat issue:
At the time, this seemed like one of the first stories where not only did the heroes lose, but basically the universe in question was annihilated because events of the Korvac saga took a different turn. I also enjoyed seeing all the Marvel cosmic characters react to this threat, and how their confrontation lead to the destruction.