 | Publisher: Marvel Comics Type: Ongoing Series Genre: Super Hero | Status: Finished Publication Date: February, 1977—February, 2011 |
| 48 issues • 1504 images • 48 reprinted issues • 6 TPB editions | Next Volume  |
What If? was a series of Marvel comics running from 1977 to 1984, featuring stories taking place in alternate realities where significant moments in Marvel history occurred differently. Each comic issue would take a key moment from Marvel's main continuity, Earth-616, and alter it to show how the story would have gone with that aspect changed.
From issue #23 to issue #31, each main What If? story was accompanied by a second, shorter story in a section called the Untold Tales of the Marvel Universe. This mini-series of six stories took place in the main Marvel timeline, Earth-616, and was told from the perspective of the Watcher. The stories detailed the creation of the genetic offshoot race known as the Eternals by the cosmic Celestials, and how the race's early adventures led to them gaining immortality and inspiring the alien race of Kree to create their own genetic offshoot race of humans known as Inhumans. The final two Untold Tales of the Marvel Universe stories described an adventure had by the Inhumans.[1]
The What If? comics inspired a What If...? in 1989 that lasted until the end of the 90s, followed by a large number of standalone What If? comic books in every subsquent decade. In 2021, Marvel created a web series inspired by the comics titled What If...?, which took a similar anthology approach to telling stories taking place in alternate universes, except these stories diverged from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
What If? #1
"What If Spider-Man Had Joined the Fantastic Four?"
Release date: November 11, 1976
Cover date: February, 1977
"What If Spider-Man Had Joined the Fantastic Four?"
Release date: November 11, 1976
Cover date: February, 1977
What If? #2
"What If the Hulk Had The Brain of Bruce Banner?"
Release date: January 4, 1977
Cover date: April, 1977
"What If the Hulk Had The Brain of Bruce Banner?"
Release date: January 4, 1977
Cover date: April, 1977
What If? #3
"What If The Avengers Had Never Been?"
Release date: March 22, 1977
Cover date: June, 1977
"What If The Avengers Had Never Been?"
Release date: March 22, 1977
Cover date: June, 1977
What If? #4
"What If the Invaders Had Stayed Together After World War Two?"
Release date: May 24, 1977
Cover date: August, 1977
"What If the Invaders Had Stayed Together After World War Two?"
Release date: May 24, 1977
Cover date: August, 1977
What If? #5
"What If Captain America Hadn't Vanished During World War Two?"
Release date: July 26, 1977
Cover date: October, 1977
"What If Captain America Hadn't Vanished During World War Two?"
Release date: July 26, 1977
Cover date: October, 1977
What If? #6
"What If the Fantastic Four Had Different Super-Powers?"
Release date: September 27, 1977
Cover date: December, 1977
"What If the Fantastic Four Had Different Super-Powers?"
Release date: September 27, 1977
Cover date: December, 1977
What If? #7
"What If Someone Else Besides Spider-Man Had Been Bitten By The Radioactive Spider?"
Release date: November 22, 1977
Cover date: February, 1978
"What If Someone Else Besides Spider-Man Had Been Bitten By The Radioactive Spider?"
Release date: November 22, 1977
Cover date: February, 1978
What If? #8
"What If the World Knew Daredevil Was Blind?"
Release date: January 24, 1978
Cover date: April, 1978
"What If the World Knew Daredevil Was Blind?"
Release date: January 24, 1978
Cover date: April, 1978
What If? #9
"What If... the Avengers Had Been Formed During the 1950's?"
Release date: March 28, 1978
Cover date: June, 1978
"What If... the Avengers Had Been Formed During the 1950's?"
Release date: March 28, 1978
Cover date: June, 1978
What If? #10
"What If Jane Foster Had Found -- the Hammer of Thor?"
Release date: May 23, 1978
Cover date: August, 1978
"What If Jane Foster Had Found -- the Hammer of Thor?"
Release date: May 23, 1978
Cover date: August, 1978
What If? #11
"What If the Fantastic Four Were the Original Marvel Bullpen?"
Release date: July 25, 1978
Cover date: October, 1978
"What If the Fantastic Four Were the Original Marvel Bullpen?"
Release date: July 25, 1978
Cover date: October, 1978
What If? #12
"What If Rick Jones Had Become the Hulk?"
Release date: September 26, 1978
Cover date: December, 1978
"What If Rick Jones Had Become the Hulk?"
Release date: September 26, 1978
Cover date: December, 1978
What If? #13
"What If Conan the Barbarian Walked the Earth Today?"
Release date: November 21, 1978
Cover date: February, 1979
"What If Conan the Barbarian Walked the Earth Today?"
Release date: November 21, 1978
Cover date: February, 1979
What If? #14
"What If Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos Had Fought World War II in Outer Space?"
Release date: January 23, 1979
Cover date: April, 1979
"What If Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos Had Fought World War II in Outer Space?"
Release date: January 23, 1979
Cover date: April, 1979
What If? #15
"What If... Someone Else Had Become Nova?"
Release date: March 27, 1979
Cover date: July, 1979
"What If... Someone Else Had Become Nova?"
Release date: March 27, 1979
Cover date: July, 1979
What If? #16
"What If Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Had Remained Loyal to Fu Manchu?"
Release date: May 22, 1979
Cover date: August, 1979
"What If Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, Had Remained Loyal to Fu Manchu?"
Release date: May 22, 1979
Cover date: August, 1979
What If? #17
"What If Ghost Rider, Spider-Woman and Captain Marvel Had Remained Villains?"
Release date: July 24, 1979
Cover date: October, 1979
"What If Ghost Rider, Spider-Woman and Captain Marvel Had Remained Villains?"
Release date: July 24, 1979
Cover date: October, 1979
What If? #18
"What If Dr. Strange Had Been a Disciple of Dormammu?"
Release date: September 25, 1979
Cover date: December, 1979
"What If Dr. Strange Had Been a Disciple of Dormammu?"
Release date: September 25, 1979
Cover date: December, 1979
What If? #19
"What If Spider-Man Had Stopped the Burglar Who Killed His Uncle?"
Release date: December 4, 1979
Cover date: February, 1980
"What If Spider-Man Had Stopped the Burglar Who Killed His Uncle?"
Release date: December 4, 1979
Cover date: February, 1980
What If? #20
"What If the Avengers Had Fought the Kree-Skrull War Without Rick Jones?"
Release date: January 22, 1980
Cover date: April, 1980
"What If the Avengers Had Fought the Kree-Skrull War Without Rick Jones?"
Release date: January 22, 1980
Cover date: April, 1980
What If? #21
"What If Sub-Mariner Had Married the Invisible Girl? Chapter 1 Decline and Fall!"
Release date: March 25, 1980
Cover date: June, 1980
"What If Sub-Mariner Had Married the Invisible Girl? Chapter 1 Decline and Fall!"
Release date: March 25, 1980
Cover date: June, 1980
What If? #22
"What If Dr. Doom Had Become a Hero?"
Release date: May 27, 1980
Cover date: August, 1980
"What If Dr. Doom Had Become a Hero?"
Release date: May 27, 1980
Cover date: August, 1980
What If? #23
"What If Hulk's Girlfriend Jarella Had Not Died?"
Release date: July 22, 1980
Cover date: October, 1980
"What If Hulk's Girlfriend Jarella Had Not Died?"
Release date: July 22, 1980
Cover date: October, 1980
What If? #24
"What If Gwen Stacy Had Lived?"
Release date: September 23, 1980
Cover date: December, 1980
"What If Gwen Stacy Had Lived?"
Release date: September 23, 1980
Cover date: December, 1980
What If? #25
"What If Thor Fought Odin Over Jane Foster?"
Release date: November 25, 1980
Cover date: February, 1981
"What If Thor Fought Odin Over Jane Foster?"
Release date: November 25, 1980
Cover date: February, 1981
What If? #26
"What If Captain America Were Elected President?"
Release date: January 27, 1981
Cover date: April, 1981
"What If Captain America Were Elected President?"
Release date: January 27, 1981
Cover date: April, 1981
What If? #27
"What If the Phoenix Had Not Died?"
Release date: April 7, 1981
Cover date: July, 1981
"What If the Phoenix Had Not Died?"
Release date: April 7, 1981
Cover date: July, 1981
What If? #28
"What If Ghost Rider Were Separated from Johnny Blaze?"
Release date: May 19, 1981
Cover date: August, 1981
"What If Ghost Rider Were Separated from Johnny Blaze?"
Release date: May 19, 1981
Cover date: August, 1981
What If? #29
"What If Avengers Were the Last Superheroes on Earth?"
Release date: July 21, 1981
Cover date: October, 1981
"What If Avengers Were the Last Superheroes on Earth?"
Release date: July 21, 1981
Cover date: October, 1981
What If? #30
"What If Spider-Man's Clone Lived?"
Release date: September 15, 1981
Cover date: December, 1981
"What If Spider-Man's Clone Lived?"
Release date: September 15, 1981
Cover date: December, 1981
What If? #31
"What If Wolverine Had Killed the Hulk?"
Release date: November 17, 1981
Cover date: February, 1982
"What If Wolverine Had Killed the Hulk?"
Release date: November 17, 1981
Cover date: February, 1982
What If? #32
"What If Avengers Had Become the Pawns of Korvac?"
Release date: January 10, 1982
Cover date: April, 1982
"What If Avengers Had Become the Pawns of Korvac?"
Release date: January 10, 1982
Cover date: April, 1982
What If? #33
"What If the Dazzler Had Become the Herald of Galactus?"
Release date: March 16, 1982
Cover date: June, 1982
"What If the Dazzler Had Become the Herald of Galactus?"
Release date: March 16, 1982
Cover date: June, 1982
What If? #34
"What If The Fantastic Four were Bananas?"
Release date: May 18, 1982
Cover date: August, 1982
"What If The Fantastic Four were Bananas?"
Release date: May 18, 1982
Cover date: August, 1982
What If? #35
"What If Bullseye Had Not Killed Elektra?"
Release date: July 13, 1982
Cover date: October, 1982
"What If Bullseye Had Not Killed Elektra?"
Release date: July 13, 1982
Cover date: October, 1982
What If? #36
"What If The Fantastic Four Had Not Gained Their Powers?"
Release date: September 14, 1982
Cover date: December, 1982
"What If The Fantastic Four Had Not Gained Their Powers?"
Release date: September 14, 1982
Cover date: December, 1982
What If? #37
"What If The Thing Had Continued To Mutate?"
Release date: November 16, 1982
Cover date: February, 1983
"What If The Thing Had Continued To Mutate?"
Release date: November 16, 1982
Cover date: February, 1983
What If? #38
"The Leaving"
Release date: January 18, 1983
Cover date: April, 1983
"The Leaving"
Release date: January 18, 1983
Cover date: April, 1983
What If? #39
"What If Thor of Asgard Had Met Conan the Barbarian?"
Release date: March 15, 1983
Cover date: June, 1983
"What If Thor of Asgard Had Met Conan the Barbarian?"
Release date: March 15, 1983
Cover date: June, 1983
What If? #40
"What if Dr. Strange Had Never Become Master of the Mystic Arts"
Release date: May 17, 1983
Cover date: August, 1983
"What if Dr. Strange Had Never Become Master of the Mystic Arts"
Release date: May 17, 1983
Cover date: August, 1983
What If? #41
"What If Destiny Had Not Destroyed Atlantis?"
Release date: July 19, 1983
Cover date: October, 1983
"What If Destiny Had Not Destroyed Atlantis?"
Release date: July 19, 1983
Cover date: October, 1983
What If? #42
"What If Susan Richards Had Died in Childbirth?"
Release date: September 13, 1983
Cover date: December, 1983
"What If Susan Richards Had Died in Childbirth?"
Release date: September 13, 1983
Cover date: December, 1983
What If? #43
"What If Conan the Barbarian Were Stranded in the 20th Century?"
Release date: November 15, 1983
Cover date: February, 1984
"What If Conan the Barbarian Were Stranded in the 20th Century?"
Release date: November 15, 1983
Cover date: February, 1984
What If? #44
"What If Captain America Were Not Revived Until Today?"
Release date: January 17, 1984
Cover date: April, 1984
"What If Captain America Were Not Revived Until Today?"
Release date: January 17, 1984
Cover date: April, 1984
What If? #45
"What If the Hulk Went Berserk?!"
Release date: March 20, 1984
Cover date: June, 1984
"What If the Hulk Went Berserk?!"
Release date: March 20, 1984
Cover date: June, 1984
What If? #46
"What If Spider-Man's Uncle Ben Had Lived?"
Release date: May 15, 1984
Cover date: August, 1984
"What If Spider-Man's Uncle Ben Had Lived?"
Release date: May 15, 1984
Cover date: August, 1984
What If? #47
"What If Loki Found Thor's Hammer First?"
Release date: July 17, 1984
Cover date: October, 1984
"What If Loki Found Thor's Hammer First?"
Release date: July 17, 1984
Cover date: October, 1984
Special 200th issue
What If? #200
"What If...Norman Osborn won the Siege of Asgard?"
Release date: December 29, 2010
Cover date: February, 2011
"What If...Norman Osborn won the Siege of Asgard?"
Release date: December 29, 2010
Cover date: February, 2011
- ↑ What If? #23 What If? Vol 1 31