What If (comics)

What if? est une série de comics créée en février 1977 par l'éditeur de super-héros Marvel Comics. C'est une uchronie par rapport aux événements de la Terre-616. Par exemple, le titre du premier épisode peut se traduire par : « Et si... Spider-Man avait rejoint les Quatre Fantastiques ? »

Ligne éditoriale

Le principe de la série consiste à revenir dans chaque épisode sur un moment clé des aventures d'un ou plusieurs personnages de l'univers Marvel, au cours duquel ils ont du faire un choix crucial, et de montrer ce qui se serait produit s'ils avaient choisi une autre voie. Par exemple, dans la continuité Marvel, Spider-Man a posé sa candidature pour intégrer les Quatre Fantastiques, ce qui lui a été refusé ; un What if? décrit ce qui se serait passé s'il avait été accepté. Le personnage d'Uatu sert de narrateur à cette série, observant des Terres aux futurs alternatifs qui permettent de comparer ce qui est et ce qui aurait pu être.

Les What if? ont rarement une conclusion heureuse et se finissent généralement de façon bien pire que dans la continuité des comics : soit le héros meurt, soit il est corrompu, etc. Néanmoins, le thème n'est pas toujours sombre, et il y a quelques fins positives à l'occasion.

Bibliographie

What if? Vol. 1

La première série a duré 47 numéros, de février 1977 à octobre 1984.

1. What if... Spider-Man Joined the Fantastic Four?
2. What if... the Hulk had Always had Bruce Banner's Brain?
3. What if... the Avengers Had Never Been?
4. What if... the Invaders Had Stayed Together After World War Two?
5. What if... Captain America and Bucky had Both Survived World War II?
6. What if... the Fantastic Four had Different Super Powers?
7. What if... Someone Else had Become -- the Amazing Spider-Man
8. What if... the World Knew Daredevil was Blind?
9. What if... the Avengers had been Formed During the 1950's?
10. What if... Jane Foster had Found the Hammer of Thor?"
11. What if... the Fantastic Four were the Original Marvel Bullpen?
12. What if... Rick Jones had Become the Hulk?
13. What If... Conan the Barbarian Walked the Earth Today?
14. What if... Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos had Fought World War II in Outer Space
15. What if... Someone Else Had Become Nova?
16. What if... Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, had Remained Loyal to Fu Manchu
17. What if... Ghost Rider, Spider-Woman and Captain Marvel had Remained Villains?
18. What if... Dr. Strange had Been a Disciple of Dormammu?
19. What if... Spider-Man had Stopped the Burgler who Killed his Uncle?
20. What if... the Avengers had Fought the Kree-Skrull War Without Rick Jones?
21. What If... Sub-Marriner had Married the Invisible Girl?
22. What if... Doctor Doom had Become a Hero?
23. What if... the Hulk had become a Barbarian?
24. What if... Gwen Stacy had Lived?
25. What if... Thor and the Avengers Battled the Gods?
26. What if... Captain America Were Elected President?
27. What if... Phoenix had not Died?
28. What if... What if Daredevil Became an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.? / What if... Ghost Rider were Separated From Johnny Blaze?
29. What if... the Avengers were the Last Superheroes on Earth?
30. What if... Spider-Man's Clone had Survived?
31. What if... Wolverine had Killed the Hulk? / What if... there Was No Fantastic Four?
32. What if... the Avengers had Become the Pawns of Korvac?
33. What if... Dazzler had become the Herald of Galactus? / What if... Iron Man had Been Trapped in King Arthur's Time?
34. What if?
35. What if... Bullseye had not Killed Elektra?
36. What if... the Fantastic Four Had Not Gained Their Powers?
37. What if... the Thing Continued to Mutate?
38. What if... Featuring Daredevil and Captain America, plus Vision and the Scarlet Witch
39. What if... Thor Battled Conan the Barbarian
40. What if... Dr. Strange had Never Become Master of the Mystic Arts
41. What if... Sub-Mariner Had Saved Atlantis From Its Destiny?
42. What if... the Invisible Girl Had Died?
43. What if... Conan the Barbarian were Stranded in the 20th Century?
44. What if... Captain America were not Revied Until Today
45. What if... the Hulk went Berserk?
46. What if... Spider-Man's Uncle Ben had Lived?
47. What if... Loki Found Thor's Hammer First?

Éditions suivantes

• What If Special #1 (juin 1988)
• What if? Vol. 2 #1-114 (juillet 1989 - novembre 1998)
• What if? Vol. 3 #1 (février 2005)
• What if? Vol. 4 #1 (février 2006)
• What if? Vol. 5 #1 (novembre 2006)
• What if? Vol. 6 (octobre 2007 - janvier 2008)
• What if... This was the Fantastic Four? (juin 2008)
• What if? Vol. 7 #1 (décembre 2008)

Trade Paperbacks

• What If?: Why Not? - recueil de What if? Vol. 3
• What If?: Mirror Mirror - recueil de What if? Vol. 4
• What If?: Event Horizon - recueil de What if? Vol. 5
• What If?: Civil War? - recueil de What if? Vol. 6
• What If?: Newer Fantastic Four (2009)

Nouveaux personnages

• Arlok (What if? #27, julliet 1981)
• Astron (What if? #27, julliet 1981)
• Adam II (What if? #4, 1977)
• Agents of Atlas (What if? #9, juin 1978)
• Jann of the Jungle (What if? #9, juin 1978)
• Spider-Girl (What if? #105)
• Spider-Ham 15.88 / Piguel O'Hara (What if? #26)
• X-People (What if? Vol. 2 #105, 1998)

Collaborateurs

John Romita Sr., Joe Sinnott, Roy Thomas, Jim Craig, Pablo Marcos, Dave Cockrum, Herb Trimpe, Tom Sutton, Art Adams, Art Thibert, Gil Kane, Sal Buscema, Frank Giacoia, Ross Andru, Mike Esposito, Don Glut, George Tuska, Rick Hoberg, Sam Grainger, Phil Rachelson, John Costanza, Scott Shaw, Alan Kupperberg, Bill Black, Ernie Chan, Rich Buckler, Marv Wolfman, Doug Moench, Gene Colan, Peter Gillis, Bruce Patterson, Steven Tice, Pat Broderick, Al Milgrom, Tom DeFalco, Marie Severin, Frank Miller, Mary Jo Duffy, Jerry Bingham, John Stuart, Ron Wilson, Michael Golden, Al Gordon, Tom Orzechowski, Bob Layton, Bill Flanagan, Jim Mooney, Joe Rubinstein, Ed Hannigan, Terry Austin, Arvell Jones, Alan Weiss, Bill Sienkiewicz, Ron Frenz

Liens externes

• (en) What If sur www.comics.org
• (fr) What If sur Uchronies.com

• Portail des comics