DC in particular periodically revisits the idea in major crossover storylines, such as Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis, where Marvel has a series called What If ... that's devoted to exploring alternative realities, which sometimes impact the " main " universe's continuity.

# 1 "( 2005 ) in the segment titled " What If Identity Crisis Happened in the Marvel Universe ".

What If, sometimes rendered as What If ...?, is the title of a comic book from Marvel Comics which was published in nine series ( volumes ).

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.

Following the cancellation of the series, Marvel published a one-shot What If?

From July 1989 to November 1998, Marvel published 114 monthly What If issues.

In February 2005, Marvel published a further six issues of What If.

In December 2008, Marvel published 5 What If specials which appeared weekly.

In September 2010, Marvel announced a ninth series of five What If issues in the one-shot format, to be released in December 2010.

Marvel has given several What If stories official numerical designations to make them contiguous with the Marvel Comics Multiverse and differentiating them from the main Marvel Universe of Earth-616.

nl: What If ( Marvel )

Unlike its Marvel Comics counterpart What If ...?, which bases its stories on a single point of divergence from the regular continuity, most Elseworlds stories instead take place in entirely self-contained continuities, with the only connection to the canon DC continuity being the presence of familiar DC characters.

* What If ...?, a similar concept at Marvel Comics

Hired initially as an assistant editor in January 1978, Gruenwald was promoted to full editorship by Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter in 1982, putting Gruenwald in charge of The Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Spider Woman, and What If.

During the year 1982 – 1984, Gruenwald did fill-in pencil work for a handful of Marvel comics, most notably the 1983 Hawkeye # 1 – 4 limited series, but also issues of What If ?, Marvel Team-Up Annual # 5, The Incredible Hulk, and Questprobe.

Shooter looked over John ’ s art and said: “ If you can come up to New York, I ’ ll give you a paid try out to work on .” In July 1980, John made the journey up and with the help of Mike Zeck got some gigs from both Marvel and DC.

Established as apparently the supreme power in the Marvel Universe, the character made several sporadic appearances over the years, including What If # 32 ( April 1982 ); Rom # 41 ( April 1983 ) and Secret Wars II # 6 ( Dec. 1985 ).

Stories in this category of AU follow the established canon before veering away at a crucial moment ( similar in concept to many entries in Marvel Comics ' What If series and DC Comics ' Elseworlds series ).

The race subsequently appeared and was further detailed in Adventures into Fear # 22 ( June 1974 ), Marvel Two-In-One # 19 ( September 1976 ), Marvel Premiere # 42 ( June 1978 ), What If # 35 ( October 1982 ), West Coast Avengers Volume 2 # 6-7 ( March-April 1986 ), # 15-16 ( December 1986-January 1987 ), Fantastic Four # 314 ( May 1988 ), Avengers Spotlight # 38 ( November 1990 ), Dr.

On November 1, 2006, Marvel released a " What If?

There have been examples of Uncle Ben remaining alive in alternative timelines, including stories featured in Marvel's What If ( one of which he forces Peter to unmask in front of J. Jonah Jameson ), and a storyline of the 1994 Spider-Man animated series featured a universe where Uncle Ben had never died, and Peter Parker became a successful industrialist, having never really bothered to use his powers responsibly as everything always seemed to work out for him.

2 # 20 ( December 1990 ) — In the story " What If the Amazing Spider-Man had not married Mary Jane Watson?

After agreeing to aid Spider-Man, he says " If I didn't know any better, I'd swear I've been punched ," to which Spider-Man ( who had punched him various times during their battle ) answers " Huh.

If the player chooses the Red Suit path, Spider-Man tricks Rhino into going back the way they came in order to get himself captured again.

If the player chooses the Black Suit Path, Spider-Man lets Rhino go through the exit and tells him to look for any flying super-powered characters stating to Rhino that he will need his help later.

The first What If story was What If Spider-Man had Joined the ' Fantastic Four '?.

A sixth, entitled What If: This Was the Fantastic Four, featuring Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ghost Rider, and Hulk, was to be released in November 2007, but was withheld due to the death of Mike Wieringo.

specials for " Civil War " and " X-Men: Rise and Fall of the Shi ' ar Empire " ( December 2007 ) and What If: Spider-Man vs. Wolverine ( January 2008 ).

If they succeeded in killing Spider-Man, they would be given their freedom.

In " What If The Punisher Had Killed Spider-Man?

Black Bolt's search for a new site for the city of Attilan ( eventually the Himalayas ) is detailed in a back-up feature of the alternate universe title What If, is rated with other powerful Marvel characters by Spider-Man in an " out of universe " conversation with the reader and another back-up feature in the title What If?

Black Bolt clashes with Attilan's Genetic Council when he conceives a child ( Ahura ) with Medusa, destroys the alien symbiote that Spider-Man bonds with in another issue of What If ?, and with the Royal Family encounters the hero Daredevil.

story " What If ... the Alien Costume Had Possessed Spider-Man?

storyline What If Spider-man had married the Black Cat ?, after Black Cat is accidentally killed by the Paladin, Silver Sable and Spider-Man enter into a romantic relationship due to their shared grief over the loss of their loved ones ; Uatu the Watcher leaves it ambiguous whether this relationship will work out or not.

" If I Didn't Have You ", " Vanilla Sky ", Chad Kroeger's " Hero " from Spider-Man and " Love of My Life ( An Ode to Hip-Hop )" from Brown Sugar opposed them.

If the player beats Kingpin, but not in time to save Mary Jane from falling into the acid pit, the police would arrest Kingpin and Spider-Man would vow to avenge Mary Jane.

If the player fails to defeat Kingpin ( or his bodyguards ), Spider-Man and Mary Jane would both be dropped into the acid pit.

In a parody issue of What If ?, the entry entitled " Spidey Intellectual Stories " ( a send-up of The Electric Company's Spidey Super Stories ) has Spider-Man defeating the Mad Thinker by debating philosophy, severely boring the observing Uatu the Watcher.

Spider-Man of House of M # 1 ( 2009 ), and What If?

If one passes with Wolverine, Spider-Man is unlocked ; if one passes with Juggernaut, Xavier is unlocked.

In addition to bringing the Punisher back into the forefront of the Marvel Universe after a several-year lull, Grant has written Avengers, The Hulk, The Defenders and fill-in runs on comics such as What If ?, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Marvel Team-Up.