What if the Thing and the Beast Continued to Mutate
Some of the greatest comic book stories ever told can be found in the pages of Marvel Comics. Readers can find character-driven stories like Daredevil's "Born Again" or Spider-Man's "Kraven's Last Hunt." Writers like Jonathan Hickman and Dan Slott tell grand-scale, epic adventures like House of X or Spider-Verse. Despite the amazing stories that exist within Marvel's main continuity, some of the funnest stories exist in their What If...? series.
Marvel's What If...? volumes changed key details of popular comic book events. What if Silver Surfer obtained the Infinity Gauntlet instead of Thanos? What if Beast and Ben Grimm continued to mutate? In many instances, the scenarios depicted in What If...? were more wild, more intriguing, or more enjoyable than the original comic events.
10/10 "What If Beast & The Thing Continued To Mutate?"
In 1982, What If? #37 asked, "What if Beast and The Thing continued to mutate?" It's a little ironic that this possibility has since been explored in Marvel's main comic book continuity. Henry McCoy has undergone several further mutations in various X-Men comics, mostly accounting for his artistic changes.
What If? #37 is memorable for its striking cover and the story inside. Beast and Thing are two of Marvel's strangest humanoids, but despite their unusual appearances, they are two of the most compassionate, truly human characters. In this story, Henry and Ben's mutations are accelerated, turning them into actual monsters in a plot that reads more like a horror comic.
Galactus approached Earth with the intent to destroy and devour it. In Marvel's main continuity, the Fantastic Four teamed up with Uatu the Watcher and Silver Surfer to stop him. In What If? #2, Reed Richards asked Charles Xavier and Bruce Banner for assistance.
In this world, the Hulk possessed Bruce's brain, similar to the current MCU version of the character. Bruce, Xavier, and Reed combined their brains into one being, creating a new character called "X-Man" who was strong enough to defeat Galactus. The strange fusion resulted in the destruction of a cosmic threat but came at the cost of their powers.
8/10 "What If Spider-Man's Clone Lived?"
Diverging from the events of Amazing Spider-Man #149, What If? #30 explored the possibility of Spider-Man's clone surviving their encounter at Shea Stadium. In Marvel canon, Peter thought his clone died, so he disposed of the body in a smokestack. Ironically, the clone did indeed survive and returned as Ben Reilly years later.
In this alternate reality, the clone also survived, but resurfaced much sooner. Realizing two heads were better than one, the two Spider-Men teamed up to defeat the Kingpin, then agreed to share the lives of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. This divergence was interesting and would've made the events of the 90s Clone Saga far less confusing.
7/10 "What If Doctor Doom Became A Hero?"
In What If? #22, two of Marvel's strongest villains came face-to-face. In a world where Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom worked together, Doctor Doom became a hero, and ruled his homeland of Latveria. After Doom stole his mother's soul from Mephisto, the devil of the Marvel universe swore vengeance on Doom.
Doctor Doom is one of Marvel's richest characters. He can easily be waved off as a villain, but his motivations and allegiances are so much more complicated than that. He often becomes overwhelmed with power, as demonstrated in the Secret Wars 2015 event, but in What If? #22, he becomes a beloved ruler and a lifelong enemy of Mephisto. Although his ego still gets the better of him when he chooses his own life over the life of his wife, Valeria.
6/10 "What If Daredevil Had Killed The Kingpin?"
Matt Murdock is one of the most compassionate Marvel Comics heroes. He's a trusted ally of people like Karen Page and Ben Urich, and a mentor to younger heroes like Spider-Man. In What If...? #2, Daredevil crosses the line and actually murders the Kingpin. The events of the issue occur shortly after the famous "Born Again" arc, originally written by Frank Miller.
Whereas Daredevil spared Kingpin's life in Marvel's canon, in What If...?, he chose a more sinister route that tore him inside out. The story explored what committing murder would do to a caring person like Matt. It was a darker What If...? story, but one that's deep and character-driven.
5/10 "What If Thor Ruled Asgard?"
Written by Tom DeFalco and illustrated by Ron Frenz, What If? #107 explored an alternate reality where Thor became the ruler of Asgard. Many people have sat atop the Asgard's throne in Marvel's main continuity, but many more have sat on it in What If? stories.
After Odin abandoned the throne to take the fight to Mephisto and Loki, Thor became Asgard's newest ruler. The issue was extremely dense and action-packed. Thor married Sif and traveled to Earth to battle a Loki-controlled Destroyer. Meanwhile, Odin used the power of the All-Father to banish Mephisto to another realm. In one issue, Odin and Thor eliminated two of Marvel Comics' biggest threats.
4/10 "What If Spider-Man Married Black Cat?"
Mary Jane and Felicia Hardy were always two of the most popular Spider-Man love interests. Peter Parker married Mary Jane Watson in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21, but What If...? #21 presented a world where he married Black Cat instead. For many fans, this outcome was preferable to the outcome they received in Marvel's canon.
While MJ is such an important ally to Peter, some fans prefer Black Cat as her powers and dual identity fit Spider-Man's world so well. Although Peter chooses Black Cat in this reality, their relationship is doomed to fail. Black Cat's jealously of Mary Jane and Peter's lack of trust in her ultimately result in Black Cat's death.
3/10 "What If Silver Surfer Possessed The Infinity Gauntlet?"
To spare his world from destruction, Norrin Radd agreed to serve as the Herald of Galactus. The Devourer of Worlds gifted Norrin with the Power Cosmic, transforming him into the Silver Surfer, one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe. What If...? #49 gave this character even more power by exploring an alternate timeline where Silver Surfer possessed the Infinity Gauntlet.
Unlike Thanos, who tried to rule the universe and destroy its inhabitants to please Death, the Surfer attempted to make the universe into a paradise. Seeing the Silver Surfer wield so much power was very enjoyable. He would later obtain similar power in Thanos #15 where he became worthy of Thor's hammer.
2/10 "What If Magik Became Sorcerer Supreme?"
Illyana Rasputin was raised in Limbo, a magical dimension filled with demons and dark magic. It was there that Illyana first developed her magical powers. In Marvel's main continuity, she returned to Earth, reunited with her long-lost brother Colossus, and joined the X-Men and New Mutants — playing a prominent role on the team during Marvel's All-New, All-Different era.
However, in a special one-shot, What If? Magik, Illyana met Doctor Strange and Wong first. Strange trained Magik as his apprentice, preparing her to one day take up the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. Most What If? stories end in tragedies, but this one-shot gave Illyana a hopeful future as one of the most powerful magic-users in the Marvel universe.
1/10 "What If Spider-Man Had A Spider-Girl?"
During the canonical events of the Clone Saga, Mary Jane learned she was pregnant, but the baby sadly didn't survive. What If...? #105 explored a potential future where Peter and MJ gave birth to a daughter named May "Mayday" Parker.
The issue, written by Tom DeFalco and illustrated by Ron Frenz, was a huge success and led to a Spider-Girl spin-off series that fully explored this alternate MC2 universe. May became a costumed hero like her father and fought alternate versions of classic Spidey foes including Normie Osborn, Harry's son, who became the new Green Goblin.
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Source: https://www.cbr.com/what-if-comics-better-than-canon/
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