The third instalment of Marvel’s What If…? takes a different turn than the first two. The third episode disguises its pivotal moment beneath a murder mystery rather than swapping characters like Captain Carter and T’Challa as Star-Lord. It’s an episode about the Avengers never existing, which has nothing to do with the What If the Avengers Had Never Been? comic book, and instead resembles Identity Crisis from DC Comics.
Hope Van Dyne ended up becoming into an Agent of SHIELD in this branch reality. She was probably killed in action by the Winter Soldier, based on the context (the location she died is the same place Bucky wounded Black Widow). Hank Pym, her father, went fully off the deep end as a result of this. He then murdered Iron Man, Thor, Hawkeye, Hulk, and Black Widow while dressing as Yellowjacket. He was finally overpowered by an angry Loki, who subsequently quickly seized control of Earth.
Also, kudos to Loki! Loki is right up there alongside Magneto and Kingpin as a villain who never prevails in What If…? scenarios. Sylvie’s choice was profitable for this realm.
We learn that Nick Fury has persevered in the epilogue. He’s still going to rebel against Loki with the aid of Captain America and Captain Marvel, even with all those Avengers dead. We might have a follow-up in the second season to see if Captain Marvel has the strength to contend with everything Asgard has to offer.
In the interim, I can’t help but consider the additional participants and elements in this brave new world. Another person who could aid the Captains and Fury?
Hulk’s Odds and Ends
In the big scheme of things, the Hulk is most significant for wielding the Infinity Gauntlet flawlessly and foiling Thanos’ plan. Other than that, he’s the main supporting figure in the MCU, so losing him won’t have a significant impact.
The fact that Incredible Hulk’s events are only partially resolved does indicate something. Although Emil Blonsky is a super soldier, the Hulk blew apart before he could kick Blonsky into oblivion. He might still mutate as a result of the serum he consumed, but he should at least help Fury. It would probably be better if Rogers was there.
Samuel Sterns is permitted to carry out more gamma experiments in the interim. Who knows if something like that will be profitable?
Iron Man’s Friends and Foes
War Machine will definitely be able to aid, at the very least. He might have fallen short in the regular continuity versus Loki, but he is still prepared to assault with…Hammer tech. Oh, sh*t. Yes, Justin Hammer will only end up being a liability in this circumstance.
However, one has to question what this means for Ivan Vanko. He desired Tony Stark’s destruction. He was helped by Hank Pym. No heroic murder or bloody atrocity can erase Stark’s legacy. What happens after Whiplash? We could certainly benefit from the expertise of someone who is knowledgeable about arc reactor technology.
Who else has angered Stark in the canonical continuity…? The Avengers’ events don’t do anything to dissuade The Vulture from leading a life in the working class, so he plays no role in this story. Aldrich Killian might take Loki on directly by dispatching explosive-equipped Extremis soldiers in the direction of Asgardian forces. I don’t anticipate any partnerships from his side.
Quentin Beck is a person who could now genuinely establish his value. It’s too flawless. A man utilising deception and illusion to challenge the divine master of deception and illusion. Mysterio might actually develop into the superhero from an alternate reality that his fictional counterpart claimed to be!
The Thanos Threat
Good news then! Thanks to Loki’s triumph, Thanos is presumably no longer going to be a looming threat. Thanos would still be interested in the Tesseract and it would still be on Earth, but he wouldn’t have discovered Loki floating through space and he wouldn’t have exploited him as a pawn. That implies that he would likely delegate to Ronan the Accuser, another one of his top goons.
By entrusting Loki with the Mind Stone in the standard timeline, Thanos risked on the mission and lost both. With Ronan, he would undoubtedly employ the same tactic. Recall what transpired when Ronan in fact obtained an Infinity Stone? RIGHT AWAY, he turned on Thanos. Given that his previous attempt at conquering Earth resulted in his escaping with urine dribbling down his leg, that is undoubtedly the simple option for him.
For the Nova Corps, Ronan and his mind-controlled Thanos pose a bigger challenge. Let them take care of that.
Where Does HYDRA Fall?
When Black Widow is first being carried away in handcuffs, the episode does a nice job at exploiting HYDRA as a red herring. Sadly, the fact that they are still part of SHIELD is definitely to Loki’s advantage. If the rulers’ egos aren’t too important to them, Loki’s dominion is all HYDRA could possibly hope for. What could be better for a Nazi offshoot to love than being dominated by Norse gods in addition to order through fear and control?
The Tesseract would be accessible to the corrupt portion of SHIELD, which is the true issue. Loki would therefore have access to the Tesseract. That is awful.
Darren Cross
Darren Cross is actually fascinating for once. Due to the way that Hank Pym turned out, he is the deciding element in everything. In Ant-Man, Cross played the role of the mad, disobedient son who was enraged when Pym wouldn’t allow him to interfere with God’s property. Does that mean he wouldn’t be as evil in this bright new world, one has to wonder? Would being compared to a lunatic normalise him or would he still be rebellious?
I contend that Cross is still unfavourable. Cross’s efforts to interfere with Pym Particles are likely to be welcomed by Pym. Pym is already in the wrong hands, so why would he care if the technology fell into the wrong hands? Cross may have previously participated in the murders of the Avengers. That would certainly explain Pym’s decision in costume design.
Ragnarok
The consequences of the events in Thor: Ragnarok are a major unspoken issue. Asgard, especially without Thor, is doomed, guys. Asgard has previously demonstrated how careless Loki makes it. Imagine how horrible it will be when he is overworked and Surtur is not being monitored. For that world, this is not going to end well.
It’s only a matter of time till Hela shows up. However, I’m not sure how her abilities and threat level would change if Asgard were to be destroyed.
The Heroes Yet to Appear
Most of the new Avengers: Age of Ultron characters are disputed. Without Ultron, there cannot be a Vision. The Mind Stone won’t come into contact with the Maximoff twins, and Stark’s death must have some effect on the twins’ desire for vengeance. However, is Wanda really off the table?
Wanda has that wonderful spark already. Does the Mind Stone HAVE to be what begins her journey toward becoming the Scarlet Witch? There is still the Aether. Perhaps Jane Foster still discovers it. possibly not It’s also conceivable that reality just finds a way to accommodate a person who unwittingly manipulates probability. It is far too obvious to ignore that Wanda is becoming one with a red energy that warps reality itself.
Falcon only became a superhero because he was coerced into it. Fury could still be aware of him and his abilities given his competence with wing technology. Sam might easily serve as one of Fury’s pinch-hitters.
Two incredibly strong parties are left. The first is Wakanda. I find it hard to believe that Asgard actually overcame them. Not if the entire disagreement was resolved in a single day. Loki probably lost interest in Wakanda because he perceived it as a helpless nation with no threats worth worrying about. He can see the surface, but it is below him. There is now something in Earth’s favour.
The sorcerers come next. How much these occurrences would impact Doctor Strange and his supporting cast is difficult to quantify. Strange had already proven to be pretty damn successful against Loki, but that was before Loki was in control of the entire Asgardian army. Is Doctor Strange even a sorcerer in this place? Would Loki’s supernatural despotism be able to stop the Kaecilius issue in its tracks? This aspect is difficult to predict.
Yes, there is a lot to do in the sandbox that is Loki’s world. The fact that Mjolnir is still there in the crater is crucial. There is no way Loki could move it. Someone needs to be deserving of using it, even if it isn’t Steve Rogers.
