What If...?: Episode 9

9. What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?

To fix up his mess, the Watcher gathers a group of warriors from various universes and calls them the Guardians of the Multiverse: Captain Carter, Star-Lord T’Challa, Dark Doctor Strange, Killmonger Black Panther, Party Thor, Gamora, and Natasha Romanoff from the universe Ultron destroyed. Now, he is out to destroy the remaining ones. The Watcher hatches a plan for all of them to divert Ultron’s attention as they try to retrieve the Mind Stone and obliterate it with the rest via Gamora’s Infinity Stone Crusher. They do succeed after putting up a fight, but Ultron reveals that the Infinity Stones from different worlds are all unique and that his could not be eliminated. With the help of Captain Carter, Natasha uses Hawkeye’s computer virus-infected arrow to shoot Ultron with it in the head, resulting in Zola’s trojan program taking over the body. With both Zola and Killmonger wrestling for control over the Infinity Stones, Strange traps them in a pocket dimension as the guardians return to their own worlds.

What If...?: Episode 8

8. What If... Ultron Won?

In an alternate universe, Ultron succeeds in getting a humanoid body via the Mind Stone, resulting in a world without Vision and a nuclear holocaust after he gets rid of the Avengers. Hawkeye and Black Widow are the only duo left fighting, planning on pitting Armin Zola’s analog configuration against Ultron's digital. Ultron gets a surprise visit from a gauntleted Thanos one infinity stone shy of completing his collection. Routing the Mad Titan without much effort, he then lays waste on Asgard, Sakaar, Ego as well as Xandar where he is met with failed resistance by Captain Marvel. Left without a raison d’être after establishing his vision of galactic peace, he senses the presence of Uatu (Jeffrey Wright), gives him a beating, and finds a new reason for his very existence. Unable to process the impossibility of everything that has just transpired, the Watcher ends up in Dark Doctor Strange’s pocket dimension. Left without a choice, he asks for his help to restore the now threatened balance of the Multiverse he has failed to protect.

What If...?: Episode 7

7. What If... Thor Were an Only Child?

In an alternate universe, Odin returns Loki to his frost giant parents, resulting in Thor growing up as a spoiled brat only child. While his exploits are mostly juvenile in nature as a party prince, he and his gang do leave entire planets in disarray after drinking and partying hard. Their latest venue is Midgard where he meets and is immediately smitten with Jane Foster. Worried about the planet’s safety, SHIELD, through Maria Hill as acting director, calls on the only power who can match the Asgardian Prince. Captain Marvel comes to the rescue and trades punches with the Thunder God but both seem evenly matched and end up in a stalemate. It doesn’t help that Carol seems to be gradually influenced by the levity and slowly shakes off her standoffish persona. In the absence of neutralizing force, Jane decides to call Frigga to discipline her son, which forces him to get his act together and clean up their mess. As he invites Jane to an official date, an army of Ultrons led by Vision land on the Mojave Desert with a sinister look on his face.

What If...?: Episode 6

6. What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?

In an alternate universe, Tony Stark is rescued in Afghanistan by Erik Stevens, resulting in Iron Man not being born and Killmonger manipulating everyone around him in pursuit of power. First, he gets rid of Obadiah Stane to gain a valuable position at Stark Industries. Next, he convinces Tony to build the Liberator drone machines he conceptualized in his thesis, equipping them with vibranium care of Ulysses Klaue’s illegal trade. There he manages to murder both his cousin T’Challa and James Rhodes as well as Stark himself eventually after his schemes are unveiled. What follows is a game of passing the blame: T’Challa’s death in the hands of the Americans; Stark’s assassination by Wakanda. A war ensues between the two nations, cleverly orchestrated by Stevens, earning him the admiration and loyalty of his countrymen. In the end, he is awarded the serum to assume the Black Panther mantel, but his triumph is short-lived as both Shuri and Pepper Potts catch up and put two and two together, promising to take him down.

What If...?: Episode 5

5. What If... Zombies!?

In an alternate universe, Bruce Banner is sent back to warn the Avengers about Thanos’ plans to a world dominated by zombies, including the Avengers themselves. As Hank Pym traveled to the Quantum Realm two weeks prior to rescue his wife, he was welcomed by a zombie virus-infected Janet Van Dyne. A surviving group of uninfected heroes head to Camp Lehigh in New Jersey where a cure is said to be waiting. One by one they fall along the way: Happy Hogan, Sharon Carter, Hope Van Dyne. The rest discover Vision at their destination who claims to have found a cure through the mind stone but can’t heal a zombified Wanda who is just too powerful, feeding her with human sacrifices instead. Kurt, Bucky, Okoye, and the Hulk sacrifice themselves as the Vision commits suicide and T’Challa is rescued. Peter Parker holds on to the infinity stone en route to Wakanda with Black Panther and Ant-Man’s severed but alive head. Outside Wakanda’s barrier stands a zombified Thanos with his infinity gauntlet in hand.

What If...?: Episode 4

4. What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?

In an alternate universe, Dr. Stephen Strange’s vehicular accident claims another life, that of Dr. Christine Palmer. With his hands remaining intact and functional, his longing to bring back his dead lover brings him to Kamar-Taj anyway to dabble into the mystic arts, becoming the Sorcerer Supreme after the Ancient One passes away. Still, his yearning for Christine leads him down a reckless path, seeking the Library of Cagliostro to gain the power he requires to bring her back from the afterlife. Days turn into centuries as he absorbs the force of mystic being after mystic being. Meanwhile, the Ancient One returns to intervene, splitting Strange into two different timelines existing in the same reality, culminating in a face-off between two opposing sides of the same persona. The obsessed defeats the reasonable and merges his two life forces, but the reversal of Christine’s death being an absolute point results in the dissolution of this parallel reality, it being reduced into mere nothingness.

What If...?: Episode 3

3. What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?

In an alternate universe, the Avengers initiative fails after a series of mysterious sabotage. Black Widow accidentally kills Tony Stark. Hawkeye unwittingly kills Thor before falling dead while in custody. Romanoff manages to escape and is asked by Fury to investigate. Her search brings her to Betty Ross who is hiding Bruce Banner. The Hulk does not stay alive for long as he blows up after succumbing to his anger. Meanwhile, Loki arrives with Asgard’s heroes to avenge his brother’s death, but Fury strikes a deal to deliver him his brother’s killer. Natasha finds out about the identity of the perpetrator before she bites the dust herself, which brings Fury to San Francisco to square off with Hank Pym. Donning Yellowjacket’s suit, he is revealed to be the culprit exacting revenge on Shield for the death of his daughter Hope while on duty. With no heroes left, Loki decides to extend his stay and rule Earth, but Fury has backup. He locates Captain America still buried in ice as Captain Marvel arrives asking where the fight is.

What If...?: Episode 2

2. What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord

Wakanda, 1988. In an alternate universe, Yondu Udonta relegates his mission of retrieving Ego’s son to his subordinates. They end up kidnapping the wrong boy. T’challa grows up as Star-Lord, a Ravager exploring the galaxy with a Robin Hood sort of raison d’être. His team includes Korath the Pursuer and a reformed Thanos who is still obsessed with his benevolent and efficient purpose. Star-Lord steals an orb from Morag and plans to sell it to the Collector. Nebula, who has a debt to settle, hatches a plan to get even through triple cross. She offers T’Challa to the Collector as payment, which just serves as a distraction so the rest of the group could steal the Embers of Genesis, a part of the Collector’s collection which can terraform entire worlds. The plan works and they manage to fight off the Black Order, who serve as the Collector’s bodyguards. In the end, T’challa pays Wakanda a visit and has a reunion with his family. Somewhere in the US, a clueless and grown-up Peter Quill working at DQ is ambushed by his Celestial father.

What If...?: Episode 1

1. What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?

1943. In an alternate universe, Peggy Carter stays in the room to watch Steve Rogers get injected with the super soldier serum and averts an enemy ambush, but not without leaving him injured and unable to continue with the process. She jumps in and becomes Captain Carter. Gifted with a shield emblazoned with the Union Jack as well as a costume, she squares off with Red Skull in Berlin to prevent him from utilizing the tesseract in Nazi Germany’s favor. Howard Stark creates an indestructible robotic suit for Steve which they call the Hydra Stomper, powering it up with the tesseract’s energy. Red Skull plans an ambush and captures Steve as a prisoner, retrieving the tesseract to bring forth a tentacled abomination from another world, which quickly devours him. Peggy sacrifices herself to shove the creature back into the portal, taking her along with it. Steve and Howard look on to a super soldier they have just lost. Captain Carter emerges on the other side of the portal, 70 years later, with Nick Fury and Hawkeye welcoming her to the future.