Что если?: Альтернативные истории Marvel

Comic book anthology series from Marvel Comics

What If, sometimes stylized as What If ?, is a comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics whose stories explore how the Marvel Universe might have unfolded if key moments in its history had not occurred as they did in mainstream continuity. Since What If debuted in 1977, the comics have been published in 14 series as well as occasional stand alone issues. In 2024, Marvel announced that What If ? would expand to include alternate explorations of continuity within other non Marvel Universe properties owned by their parent company The Walt Disney Company from its fifteenth volume onwards, beginning with Aliens: What If ?, based on the Alien franchise. In 2021, an animated series based on the What If comics premiered on Disney+, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse.

The stories of the inaugural series (1977–1984) feature the alien Uatu, the Watcher as a narrator. From his base on the Moon, Uatu observes both Earth and alternate realities. Most What If stories begin with Uatu describing an event in the mainstream Marvel Universe, then introducing a point of divergence in that event and then describing the consequences of the divergence. Some stories diverge from another divergence, such as What If Vol 1 #43 (Conan the Barbarian remains in the modern era), which diverges from #13 (Conan travels to then returns from the modern era). Uatu was used similarly in the second series (1989–1998) until a point where, in the Fantastic Four comic book, Uatu was punished for destroying another Watcher. This made the use of Uatu improbable, so the character was phased out to its last appearance in issue #76. Without a framing device, the stories themselves became the focus. In later series, some writers chose to introduce alternative narrators. For example, in volume 3, in What If Karen Page Had Lived?, What If Jessica Jones Had Joined the Avengers? and in Daredevil (2005), Brian Michael Bendis, the writer himself, makes a cameo as narrator. In the early 2006 series, a hacker, whose online alias is "the Watcher", opens each of the six issues. Marvel has given several What If stories official numerical designations to make them contiguous with the Marvel Multiverse and differentiate them from the main Marvel Universe of Earth 616. Marvel Comics occasionally issued backup features, Untold Tales from the Marvel Universe. These stories explained the origins of some of Marvel's superhuman species.

The initial 47 issue series ran from February 1977 to October 1984. The first What If story was "What If Spider Man had Joined the "Fantastic Four?". It presented an alternate version of events seen in The Amazing Spider Man #1 (1963). What If #24, which is titled "What If Gwen Stacy had lived?" and focuses on the consequences of Spider Man's secret identity being publicly exposed, is one of the most highly regarded What If stories.

Following the cancellation of the original series, Marvel published a one shot What If? Special (June 1988) with the story "What If Iron Man Had Been a Traitor?". It is collected in What If? Into the Multiverse Omnibus Vol 1.

From July 1989 to November 1998, Marvel published 115 monthly What If issues (114 issues plus a # 1 issue) the second series revisited and revised ideas from volume 1. In volume 2, stories could span multiple issues (every issue of volume 1 contained a complete story). Also, sometimes, the volume 2 stories would offer multiple plots and endings and the reader could decide which one to adopt. For example, in What If the War Machine had not destroyed the Living Laser?, three endings were offered. The humorous aspect of volume 1 was retained through volume 2, particularly in issue #34, an all humor issue containing a number of single page gags and two complete stories. Starting with issue #87, the issue titles stopped being questions that were answered by the story, and instead the covers were presented as "What If? Starring " whatever character was being highlighted in the given issue. In issue #105, What If introduced Spider Girl (Mayday Parker); the new character was popular enough for a spin off series. From this, the MC2 line of publications were developed. For a brief period between 1995 and 1996, all What If? stories were labeled as Marvel Alterniverse which included the likes of Ruins, The Last Avengers Story and Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe.

In February 2006, publication of volume 4 began. Again, there were six issues in the "one shot" format. However, rather than follow What if tradition of using a divergence from a specific plot point, Volume 4 more closely resembled the DC Comics equivalent, Elseworlds, which presents stories that are continuities based on alternate versions (in time or place) of canon (for example, Superman: Red Son is a story in which Superman was raised in the Soviet Union instead of the United States) all but one of the volume 4 issues uses this format, explained by Uatu the Watcher having discovered historical documents from an alternative dimension. From the Japanese feudal era, the divergence of a shared alternate universe, Earth 717, begins. This divergence is the time when a Daredevil hero known as "the Devil Who Dares" appears. It is also the realm where characters are given alternative life histories and where they proceed in alternative historical periods. Examples from volume 4 include Captain America battling the "White Skull" during the American Civil War; Wolverine taking on the role of the Punisher and fighting mobsters in 1920s Prohibition era Chicago; Namor the Sub Mariner being raised by his father on the surface during World War II; Thor becoming a herald of Galactus; and a Soviet version of the Fantastic Four, known as the "Ultimate Federalist Freedom Fighters" (consisting of Rudion Richards, Colossus, Magik and the Widow Maker), during the Cold War. What If Captain America fought in the Civil War? What If the Fantastic Four were Cosmonauts? What If Daredevil lived in feudal Japan? What If Namor grew up on land? What If Thor was a herald of Galactus? What If Wolverine was Public Enemy No. 1 in mob ridden 1920s Chicago?

In October 2018, Marvel released six more one shots under the What If? banner, as well as several $1.00 True Believer reprints of classic What If? issues. These included stories where Peter Parker became the Punisher, where the X Men existed in a Cyberpunk universe, where Thor was raised by the Frost Giants instead of his brother Loki being raised by Odin, and where Magik was trained from a young age by Stephen Strange rather than joining the New Mutants. What If? Spider Man Vol. 2 (2018)
What If? X Men Vol. 1 (2018)
What If? The Punisher Vol. 1 (2018)
What If? Ghost Rider Vol. 1 (2018)
What If? Thor Vol. 1 (2018)
What If? Magik Vol. 1 (2018)

In 2021, Marvel published a five issue miniseries titled Spider Man: Spider’s Shadow, detailing what if Peter Parker fully accepted the alien symbiote and became Venom. While it did not have the title of What If?, it did have the branding on the cover.

In 2022, Marvel published a five issue miniseries exploring what would happen if Miles Morales had acquired the powers of different Marvel super heroes. The first four issues saw him become Captain America, Wolverine, Hulk, and Thor, and the final issue was a team up of the four divergent Miles.

In 2024, Marvel announced a five issue miniseries exploring what would happen if the Venom symbiote had bonded with different Marvel super heroes. Over the course of the run, the symbiote will bond with She Hulk, Wolverine, Doctor Strange, Loki, and Moon Knight in a single continuity.

+ Title Material collected Published date ISBN Volume 1 What If? Classic Vol. 1 What If? #1–6 January 2005 What If? Classic Vol. 2 What If? #7–12 January 2006 What If? Classic Vol. 3 What If? #14–15, 17–20 January 2007 What If? Classic Vol. 4 What If? #21–26 December 2007 What If? Classic Vol. 5 What If? #27–32 January 2009 What If? Classic Vol. 6 What If? #33–38 December 2009 What If? Classic Vol. 7 What If? #40–42, 44–47 and material from #43 February 2011 What If? Classic: The Complete Collection Vol. 1 What If? #1 12 January 2019 What If? Classic: The Complete Collection Vol. 2 What If? #13–15, 17–23 November 2019 What If? Classic: The Complete Collection Vol. 3 What If? #24 35 February 2020 What If? Classic: The Complete Collection Vol. 4 What If? #36 47 July 2020 What If? The Original Marvel Series Omnibus Vol. 1 What If? #1 15, 17 22 August 2021 What If? The Original Marvel Series Omnibus Vol. 2 What If? #23 47 February 2022 Volume 2 What If? Into The Multiverse Omnibus Vol. 1 What If? Special #1, What If? (vol. 2) #1 39, Quasar #30 July 2023 What If? Into The Multiverse Omnibus Vol. 2 What If? (vol. 2) #40 75 August 2023 Subsequent Volumes What If? Why Not? What If Jessica Jones Had Joined The Avengers? #1, What If Karen Page Had Lived? #1, What If Aunt May Had Died Instead Of Uncle Ben? #1, What If Dr. Doom Had Become The Thing? #1, What If Magneto Had Formed The X Men With Professor X? #1, What If General Ross Had Become The Hulk? #1 March 2005 What If? Mirror Mirror What If: Captain America #1, What If: Daredevil #1, What If: Fantastic Four #1, What If: Sub Mariner #1, What If: Thor #1, What If: Wolverine #1 May 2006 What If? Event Horizon What If? Avengers Disassembled #1, What If? Spider Man: The Other #1, What If? Wolverine: Enemy of the State #1, What If? X Men: Age of Apocalypse #1, What If? X Men: Deadly Genesis #1 June 2007 What If? Civil War What If? Annihilation #1, What If? Civil War #1, What If? Planet Hulk #1, What If? X Men #1, What If? Spider Man vs. Wolverine #1 April 2008 What If? Secret Wars What If? Captain America: Fallen Son #1, What If? Spider Man: Back In Black #1, What If? Secret Wars #1, What If? WWH #1, What If? X Men: House of M #1, What If? Newer Fantastic Four #1 April 2009 What If? Secret Invasion What If? Secret Invasion #1, What If? World War Hulk #1, What If? Spider Man: House of M #1, What If? Daredevil vs. Electra #1 May 2010 What If? Dark Avengers What If? #200, What If? Dark Reign #1, What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor #1, What If? Spider Man #1, What If? Wolverine: Father #1 April 2011 What If? Avengers vs. X Men What If? AVX #1 4 October 2013 What If? Age of Ultron What If? Age of Ultron #1 5 July 2014 What If? Infinity What If? Infinity Thanos #1, What If? Infinity Inhumans #1, What If? Infinity X Men #1, What If? Infinity Guardians of the Galaxy #1, What If? Infinity Dark Reign #1 September 2016 What If? With Great Power What If? Spider Man #1, What If? X Men #1, What If? the Punisher #1, What If? Ghost Rider #1, What If? Thor #1, What If? Magik #1 March 2019 Spider Man: Spider's Shadow Spider Man: Spider's Shadow #1 5 November 2021 What If? Miles Morales What If? Miles Morales #1 5 September 2022