Werewolf by Night Review

I never saw the Universal Monsters movies before, but I know about their impact on pop culture. They provided the public with definitive versions of famous monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster. Now, even the MCU’s trying to emulate the classic monster movies for Halloween. The end result, Werewolf by Night, is a triumphant masterpiece. A perfect blend of classic horror and the often-overlooked horror elements of Marvel comics.

Monster Hunters Ain’t That Surprising

In a universe filled with heroes, gods, magic, time travel, does the existence of monsters come as any surprise for anyone? The answer is a resounding no: monsters exist in the MCU, and so do the people that hunt them. Thus, when the most famous monster hunter of all, Ulysses Bloodstone, dies, the best hunters in the world congregate to choose his successor via a trial. 

There are several candidates that show up, but the ones that should be the main focus are Jack Russell, an unassuming guy with a high kill count, and Elsa Bloodstone, Ulysses estranged daughter. It’s never explained why, but it seems that she left her home due to not being on good terms with her stepmother. To be fair, though, her stepmother is a very unpleasant woman! The only reason Elsa returned is so she can gain her father’s bloodstone, which provides longevity, among other powers. Thus, we get to the main event of the special: the monster hunt. Each hunter enters a maze to chase a monster with the bloodstone attached to it. The first one to kill it and get the stone wins.

On the surface, it seems like a simple premise. However, it soon becomes clear that it’s not so simple.

Not Evil, Just Misunderstood

As it turns out, Jack wasn’t interested in getting the bloodstone for himself. He just wanted to help out the monster, AKA Ted, AKA Man-Thing, a being that’s the product of a science experiment gone wrong combined with mystical energy. Despite his monstrous, plant-like appearance, though, Man-Thing’s a gentle giant, and a friend of Jack. He only acts threatening to those that seek to do him harm, as he chooses to spare Elsa when she chooses to not attack him. 

I picked up on it early on, but I want to say it anyway: most of the monster hunters are racist Van Helsings. They automatically assume that anything that looks like a monster is a threat and must die, regardless of whether or not it actually is a threat. In this case, Man-Thing’s not evil; just misunderstood, as is Jack. 

As it turns out, Jack is a werewolf, albeit one that goes out of his way to make sure he can’t hurt anyone when he turns into a werewolf. Despite this, Mrs. Bloodstone and the other hunters don’t care, since they capture him and Elsa and trap them inside a cage with the goal of having Jack, the Werewolf by Night, kill Elsa.

Sometimes, the biggest monsters in the universe are the ones who think they’re doing the world a favor. In reality, they’re just being bullies who need a swift kick in the butt. In this case, Jack delivers a well-deserved ass-kicking as he proceeds to break free as a werewolf and kills all the monster hunters. Except for Ulysses Bloodstone’s widow; she dies at the hands of Man-Thing. 

The Monsters Win!

Thus, the story ends with Elsa reclaiming her birthright, the bloodstone, and her dad’s home. As for Jack and Man-Thing, they get to walk away. Happy ending for the good guys!

Overall, I thought that this was a very fun Halloween special for Marvel to do. It pays homage to classic horror with its black-and-white appearance. It doesn’t go too heavy on CGI in favor of practical effects. There’s even a shout-out to The Cryptkeeper in the form of Ulysses Bloodstone’s corpse acting like an animatronic. It’s a lot of fun. Hopefully, Marvel will decide to do more horror-themed stuff in the future. I wouldn’t mind seeing this sort of stuff for Halloween.

I Give “Werewolf by Night” a 4.5/5

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Thor: Love and Thunder Review

No one wants to say it, but plenty know it’s true: the MCU lacks direction post-Endgame. With Phase Four focused on the post-Thanos world, it lacks an overarching narrative. For now, at least. While this has let Marvel explore different concepts and genres of storytelling, it makes the MCU seem inconsistent in tone. Case in point, we have the newest Thor film, Thor: Love and Thunder. It’s a really fun film, but if people expected it to be groundbreaking and innovative, prepare to be disappointed.

Gorr the God Butcher’s Coming

The MCU’s put Thor through the wringer, hasn’t it? He lost his Dad, mom, homeworld, and adoptive brother in a few years. In addition, failing to stop Thanos left him a broken man, and he’s only started picking up the pieces. At the end of Endgame, he went with the Guardians (and Korg) on a journey of self-discovery. This film picks up where they left off, and despite getting ripped again, Thor still hasn’t found inner peace. So they leave the Guardians and go on their adventure…right as a man who’s channeling his inner Kratos enacts a plan to kill every god in existence.

Yeah, they need to get on that.

More of the Same…

Tone-wise, the film’s consistent with its predecessor, Thor: Ragnarok, due to Taika Waititi returning to direct it. It’s very comedic and relies a lot on gags, hamminess, and lots of 80’s vibes. Guns N’ Roses songs get used a lot in this film. However, the problem with this is that it causes the lead character to suffer from Flanderization. Thor is far less serious and more comedic than when first introduced in 2011. In all fairness, this could be attributed to frequent exposure to modern Earth Culture and his newfound humility, but it’s still a sharp contrast from 10 years ago. It also doesn’t help that Thor’s hung up over his relationship problems. Not just Jane Foster, but with Mjolnir and Stormbreaker.

Love and Thunder takes the return of Mjolnir and frames it like Thor’s Ex getting together with his other Ex. In this case, Jane Foster. Thor’s clearly very confused about it, and not helping is that Stormbreaker seems to get jealous. Yes, the axe gets jealous of the hammer. It’s funny at first, but not so much by the film’s end.

…Some New Improvements

The film’s best aspects, though, are in Jane Foster and the main villain, Gorr.

Natalie Portman’s return as Jane Foster is a much-welcomed one by fans, and she doesn’t miss a beat. Now wielding Mjolnir and Thor’s powers, she’s no longer just Thor’s love interest but a hero in her own right. The films just as much about her as it is about Thor.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the villain, Gorr the God-Butcher, played by Christian Bale. Gorr is a man who’s utterly consumed by despair. His whole world died of famine, and the god he thought would save them didnt just do nothing; he laughed at their plight. This led him to conclude all gods are bad and need to go, and his weapon, the Necrosword, has the power to get it done.

The thing is, Gorr’s not wrong. The gods can be jerks. Thor was a big jerk before he learned humility, and Zeus is even worse. A lot of gods can be very cruel and callous, so one cannot help but sympathize with Gorr’s decision, even if he takes it way too far. Christian Bale still does a great job being a villain, and is a big highlight of the film.

Overall, this film isnt really groundbreaking or game-changing. It doesn’t have to be, though. It’s a Marvel movie. People will watch it either way. Whether that’s a sign that the MCU’s going downhill remains debatable, though. If you want a fun distraction for two hours, this is a film for you.

I Give “Thor: Love and Thunder” a 4/5

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America, Heck Yeah!

America, Heck Yeah!

— Read on thegameofnerds.com/2022/07/04/america-heck-yeah/

Something I wrote for the Fourth of July for the Game of Nerds.

Marvel What If…? Episode 9 Review

For nine weeks, Marvel’s given us our first look at the new MCU Multiverse with their animated series, What If…? At first, it looked like this show would be an anthology series. We’d look at an alternate version of the MCU every episode, then move on. However, all that changed when Marvel threw us a universe-sized curveball. In one universe, Ultron beat the Avengers, got the Infinity Stones, and killed almost everyone. Worse, he learned how to travel to other universes and stood poised to wipe out all life in the multiverse. Not even the Watcher could sit back and do nothing. It was time for him to step in and save the multiverse. But first, he was going to need a team.

Multiversal Avengers, Assemble!

The first few minutes of the episode pick up where we last left off: the Watcher and Strange Supreme need to assemble a team to stop Infinite Ultron. Thus, they recruit heroes from several of the worlds we’ve seen throughout the season. The exceptions being the universe where the Avengers all died, and the zombie universe. The latter for obvious reasons.

However, there’s one member coming from a universe we never got to see: one where Gamora somehow beat Thanos. Rumor has it that that story was supposed to be in the first season, but got pushed back, leaving fans left in the dark for the moment. After catching everyone up to speed, the Watcher dubs his new team…the Guardians of the Multiverse.

While I can understand why he’d give them that name, I don’t like it. It seems better to have something with the Avengers in it. Considering that this is the multiverse equivalent of the Avengers first assembling, it would be appropriate. Alas, there’s no time to worry about that, as the threat of Ultron comes knocking.

The Final Battle For the Multiverse Was…Okay.

The team’s fight against Infinite Ultron ends up taking them back to his original universe, where they’re joined by Black Widow, who’s now the last sentient being left on Earth. With her help, they come close to beating Ultron, but fail to destroy the Stones. Turns out, the MCU’s Infinity Stones don’t just work outside their universe; they’re unique, meaning any attempts to destroy them with another universe’s tech won’t work!

In the end, it doesn’t matter: Natasha fires a well placed arrow into Ultron, uploading Zola into him and ending Ultron for good. Then Killmonger pulls the classic double-cross, and he and Zola get sealed away in a pocket of reality, forever engaged in a tug of war for the Stones. Justice!

As far as battles go, this one met all the basic tenets of the MCU. Strange Supreme showcased how magically jacked he was several times, even opening a portal to the zombie universe! However, the overall final battle felt…meh. Considering how it’s supposed to be for the fate of the multiverse, we shouldn’t feel like that. Yet, the final battle of Avengers: Endgame carries more emotional weight. Marvel could’ve gotten a lot more creative with it, if you ask me.

What’s Next for the Multiverse?

With the battle over, the Watcher sends everyone back to their respective realities while Strange Supreme guards Killmonger and Zola. However, he gives Natasha a well-deserved reward. Rather than send her to her dead universe, he lets her move to the one where the Avengers never rose, letting her reunite with some of her old friends. As for Captain Carter? The post-credits scene teases that an old friend might be waiting for her.

Speaking of friends, a big highlight of the episode was the relationship Captain Carter and Natasha had. They were firm BFF’s in their universe, and certainly acted like it. However, there was also some romantic subtext going on between them that I think a lot of people will pick up on. I don’t know if we’ll see Captain Carter again, but if we do, I think I now ship her and Nat together.

As for T’Challa, this marks the final time we may see him in the MCU, due to Chadwick’s passing. The worst part is that there could’ve been a Star Lord T’Challa spin-off series, were he still alive. Maybe in another universe, they’re enjoying that right now. For the rest of us, though, we have to wait for season two to travel the multiverse some more.

As far as season finale’s go, I think the action could’ve been a lot better. Still, at least the show tied everything together, so I have to give it credit for that.

I Give “What If…The Watcher Broke His Oath?” A 3/5

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Marvel What If…? Episode 8 Review

So, I’m just going to get down to the nitty-gritty for this. The MCU multiversesa has just given us a villain capable of destroying it I’m the form of Ultron. Who, as you recall, was able to push the Avengers to the breaking point in his short existence. Whose legacy would fracture the Avengers and lead to their loss against Thanos. Now, the Watcher’s found a universe where Ultron’s become a mechanical god and defeated almost everyone. And as we saw at the end of last week’s episode, he’s not stopping there.

What if…Ultron Won and Became a God?

In this iteration of the MCU, the Avengers failed to stop Ultron. He managed to upload his mind into what should’ve been the Vision’s body, and curb-stomps humanity before bringing about Judgement Day.Then things get worse: Thanos shows up, and…see for yourself.

With all the Infinity Stones and an inorganic body immune to radiation, Ultron uses the Stones to curb stomp the rest of the universe. It’s a preview of just what would’ve been in store for the main timeline if the Avengers had lost.

Then, things get even worse. For the entire multiverse.

Black Widow is Last One Standing

As Ultron continues wiping out all life, we learn he missed Hawkeye and Black Widow. Back on Earth, they work together to find a secret weapon to help them destroy Ultron: Dr. Zola’s AI. However, due to circumstances beyond their control, the unlikely trio fails in even doing this. Worse, this universe’s Hawkeye, already broken by the loss of everyone he knows, sacrifices his life to give Nat and Zola a chance to escape.

This was a very tough moment to watch, even if it was visually stunning. It also represents a great parallel between the two characters fates in the main universe. However, while Black Widow fans might be happy, Hawkeye fans won’t be. Especially since he died once before in the comics.

All of that, though, is only secondary to the main focus of the episode. Ultron becomes the first multiversal threat that the MCU faces. And it’s partially the Watcher’s fault.

Peekaboo, Ultron Sees You

Having decimated his native universe, Ultron has a moment where he goes “Oh no, what do I do now?” However, thanks to the Stones (and the Watcher’s own narration), he becomes more aware of the universe around him. He can see the Watcher from behind the fourth wall separating him from the rest of the multiverse.

The idea of a character breaking the fourth wall isn’t a new concept, but rarely is it played so menacingly. The Watcher, for all his power, is terrified when he learns Ultron knows about him. That terror turns to desperation as he watches Nat and Barton almost give up, wanting to intervene so badly, but held back by his oath.

Then, Ultron does the impossible. He breaks the walls between universes and attacks the Watcher. In a treat for longtime Marvel fans, we see the Watcher unleash his full power against Ultron, and the fight is Shonen anime levels of action. This was my favorite moment of the entire episode, and we got to see the show’s animators use the medium to its fullest extent. The sight of Ultron growing large enough to devour an entire Galaxy is something I’d never thought I’d see, but was amazing to look at.

In the end, not even the Watcher can stop Ultron, leaving the AI free to wipe out all life in the multiverse. But all is not lost.

Multiverse Spanning Avengers, Assemble

There’s an underlying point to this entire MCU, one that was also made clear in Loki. If left unchecked, a threat in one universe could become a threat to the entire multiverse. Thus, the TVA was founded to keep the number of timelines down to a minimum. But the TVA’s methods weren’t right. Luckily, there is a better idea in place. An idea involving remarkable individuals and fighting battles others never could.

The Watcher knows that what’s at stake goes beyond his oath. However, he also knows he can’t make things worse. So, why not create a team of multiverse-spanning Avengers to protect it? Because that seems to be what we’re headed for. And the Watcher’s already got his first recruit: Strange Supreme, who we last saw getting his universe destroyed.

This has to be the best episode of What If…? thus far. The action was superb, and it’s bringing all the disparate stories together into one plot. I can’t wait for the finale next week! Multiverse Avengers, assemble!

I Give “What If…Ultron Won?” a 4.5/5

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Marvel What If…? Episode 7 Review

When I saw the premise of this week’s episode of Marvel What If…?, I thought that the show was joking. Having one based around Thor if he never had Loki as his brother? It was intriguing, but not the kind of thing that most people would want to watch. Especially when you consider how every episode of the show thus far has focused on big changes to the timeline. However, then we get to the ending, and we see that Marvel played us all with a bait-and-switch. The party god brings the thunder to Earth this week, people!

Party Hard With the Party God

In the main MCU, after fighting against the Frost Giants of Jotunheim, Odin ended up adopting Loki, the infant son of Laufey, King of the Frost Giants. However, in this universe, Odin somehow convinced Laufey to keep Loki and treat him right. As a result, he grows up a Frost Giant, and Thor remains an only child (as far as he knows). Unfortunately, rather than grow up to be the boisterous but lovable warrior we know, Thor becomes a…party god.

I’m serious. Rather than spending his days fighting, Thor and his Asgardian friends throwing the biggest parties in the Galaxy. And while Odin’s asleep for a week and Frigga’s visiting friends, Thor decides to do just that. And the place he chooses to go to? Earth, which he turns into a party planet.

It’s an absolutely silly premise. The first time extraterrestrials come to Earth (that the public knows about), and they come to party like college students. And it’s not just Thor. We got Yondu; Drax; Rocket; Nebula; Korg; Surtur; and the Grandmaster as a DJ!

As for Loki? He shows up with his Frost Giant posse, and it’s clear that Loki and Thor have a better relationship than they initially did in the MCU. It’s nice to see that these two, for better or worse, were always meant to be brothers.

Frigga Is Coming

So, S.H.I.E.L.D. has a big problem with Thor showing up and turning Earth into a frat planet. And when Jane Foster (who’s already met Thor partying), won’t help, they call in Captain Marvel. And she is not happy with Thor ruining her homeworld.

Since Avenger: Endgame, I’m sure plenty of people have wondered who would win in a fight between Thor and Captain Marvel. Spoiler alert: Captain Marvel would probably win, and this episode proves it. The two clash in a fight around the world, and it looks like Captain Marvel will likely come out on top. Until, that is, Thor gets a call from his mother.

Jane managed to get in contact with Lady Frigga, and told her just what her son’s been up to. As a result, Frigga decides to come to Earth, leading Thor to panic. What follows is pure hilarity. Once Thor tells everyone that his Mom’s coming, they panic and proceed to fix all the damage they’ve done to Earth. It’s honestly like one of those teen party scenarios we see in sitcoms and movies, and I loved it.

But I think I loved what happened next even more.

A Multiversal Threat Emerges

In the episode’s closing moments, Thor, the audience, and even The Watcher are all surprised when an army of machines steps in through a portal. And at their head is what looks to be an Infinity Stone powered Ultron with the body of Vision. Uh-oh.

So, maybe the TVA was right about keeping the Multiverse down to a bare minimum to prevent the rise of threats like this. My current theory? In one universe, Tony and Bruce succeeded with Ultron as they meant to, only for him to go rogue and seize the Infinity Stones, leading him to becoming a universe-hopping conqueror. Or he succeeded in taking Vision’s body for himself, wiped out humanity, got the Stones, and did all of that. Either way, this is bad news for everyone.

The teaser for the second half of season one of What If…? has hinted at some sort of crossover between the different variations of characters we’ve seen thus far. Now, with the threat of a super Ultron to contend with, The Watcher may have no choice but to intervene for the sake of the Multiverse. Either way, I expect the next episode to set us up for the season finale, and the birth of a Multiverse-spanning Avengers.

Here’s hoping Party God Thor can be of some help.

Also, Darcy and Howard the Duck have a Vegas Wedding!

I Give “What If…Thor Was an Only Child?” a 3.5/5

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Marvel What If…? Episode 6 Review

Who’s the best villain in the MCU? Given how most of the MCU baddies are forgettable, there are only three real choices right now: Thanos, most versions of Loki, and Erik Killmonger. Erik Killmonger may not be a demi-god like Loki or a universe-altering warlord like Thanos, but he’s still one of the best villains in the franchise. His backstory elicits sympathy. His motives, while violent, are understandable given what he went through. And though he lost, he ended up changing the Black Panther’s view on the world. So, when I saw that Killmonger would be coming back for Marvel What if…?, I was excited to see how things would turn out for him in this part of the Multiverse.

Having seen the episode, though, I am…a little let down.

What If…Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?

In the latest alteration to the MCU timeline, the fateful attempt of the Ten Rings to capture or kill Tony Stark fails, thanks to the intervention of Erik Killmonger. According to him, he was in deep cover with the Ten Rings when he got word about the attack, and thus saves Tony from the events that make him Iron Man. Then, to further ingratiate himself (and show just how far above he is over most of the MCU villains), he ousts Stane as the mastermind behind the attack.

That is only step one of Killmonger’s master plan. From here, he orchestrates a Machiavellian chess game that would make Littlefinger and Tywin Lannister jealous. Firstly, he talks Tony into building mini Gundam drones (he likes anime, just like his actor). Then, he offs both Rhodey and T’Challa and frames both sides for the other’s deaths. Tony follows suit, along with Klaw (Andy Serkis was great as him), and uses it to get himself into Wakanda where he “heroically” saves the day from the drones he helped to create.

On the one hand, this just hammers home how dangerous Killmonger really was, rivaling even Loki in terms of manipulation. On the other hand, it feels like they wasted him this time around.

What the What If…? Should’ve Been

When I first saw the teaser for this episode, I hoped that things would take a far different turn than what they did. Saving Tony Stark could’ve been Killmonger’s start to a better life, one where he could actually do some good for the world. He could’ve turned his back on his violent past, become a better person, and become the Prince he could’ve been if T’Chaka hadn’t left him behind. If he did that, then he could’ve entered Wakanda under much happier circumstances.

Instead, they wasted one of the MCU’s best villains just to hammer home how dangerous he really is by playing everyone like a fiddle. Almost everyone, really; Pepper and Shuri team up at the end to stop his plans for good; that seems like even more of a cop-out than it did when Hank Pym killed the Avengers. Even the Watcher disapproved of how things turned out.

The Watcher May Not Watch for Much Longer

Speaking of the Watcher, this episode dropped a subtle, yet important, clue about his role as the show continues. When we started out, we never saw the Watcher; only his silhouette. Then, we saw him cloaked in shadow. The story with Dr. Strange had him directly interact with events in the show. And this week, we see him in full view as he watches everything with disgust.

Those who read the comics will know the Watcher’s history, and that despite his oath to not interfere, he ends up breaking it many times for the greater good. My guess is that as these alternate timelines in the MCU continue to grow worse, it gets to the point where the Watcher says “Screw it. I need to fix this mess!”

I would not blame it. There’s a time to observe and a time to take action. And something tells me the Watcher will take action soon. Until then, Disney should go back and use an alternate Killmonger better.

They did, however, hit home with this scene of T’Challa’s funeral.

I Give “What If…Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” a 2/5

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Marvel What If…? Episode 5 Review

Ahh, the zombie apocalypse. It’s a classic horror film scenario, or the premise behind a long-running show like The Walking Dead. For superhero comics that use the concept of the multiverse theory, though, it’s all but mandatory to have one universe filled with zombies. Case in point, in 2005, Robert Kirkman of The Walking Dead wrote a mini-series titled Marvel Zombies. In this alternate universe, a zombie apocalypse occurs and threatens to kill everyone in that universe. So, with the MCU now tapping into its own Multiverse, it was inevitable that What If…? would cover this. It ends up being one of the goriest things the MCU’s shown us; and that includes the Netflix series!

What If…? Zombies!?!

In the MCU film Ant-Man and the Wasp, Hanky Pym traveled to the Quantum Realm to find his long-lost wife, Janet. However, in this timeline, Janet got infected by a quantum virus that turned her into a zombie. Hank got infected, and when he got back, he spread it to the entire west coast of the US. The Avengers reunite to stop it, but…you can guess what happens.

Fighting a zombie apocalypse is already a terrifying prospect, but Marvel cranks it up to 11. While the MCU zombies are mindless beings driven only to multiply, they retain all the skills and abilities they had in life. Dr. Strange and Wong can use magic; Tony Stark’s got his armor. And Wanda? You don’t want to face her!

Considering how the last two episodes of the show have shown us universes where things don’t end well, this episode ups the ante. However, it stops short of being as dark as the story with Dr. Strange, as that episode ended with the entire universe being destroyed. Additionally, the story with the alternate Strange hit harder as it felt far more tragic with almost no humor. In contrast, Marvel balances out the horror with their trademark humor. It works, but a little too well at times.

Spider-Man Is the Smartest Survivor of the Zombie Apocalypse

In world-ending events like this, usually it falls on the oldest and most experienced to help everyone survive. However, in this zombie apocalypse, it’s the youngest member of the surviving heroes who proves to be the smartest: Spider-Man.

MCU Spidey’s repeatedly proven to be very pop-culture savvy, and while some may find it annoying, that knowledge has proven invaluable on numerous occasions. In this case, watching enough zombie films taught him how best to survive the undead. Which only makes it more frustrating to see the adults ignore his advice, which leads to several of them dying.

Spider-Man’s really the MVP of this entire episode (along with the Cloak of Levitation), giving the team sound advice that even Okoye admits she should’ve listened to. Moreover, his optimism in such a bleak scenario makes him all the more endearing. There’s a reason why he’s Marvel’s greatest hero, and this is why.

I’d Bail On this World, Too, Watcher!

Unlike last week, which saw the Watcher indirectly interact with that universe, here he maintains his distance. And you know what? I don’t blame him. While he could end up helping the heroes (if he could), he probably knows that it’s best not to make things worse. If he got infected, it would spread to other universes, and then the Multiverse would be screwed!

While by the end of the episode, the survivors have a ray of hope for a potential cure, the Watcher makes it clear that their odds aren’t great. A threat just as big has just made its way to Earth, only to get infected. As a result, this whole universe looks to be screwed. If they can’t cure the virus, then it’s best to get out of that universe quick!

This episode doesn’t reach the emotional highs as last week’s, and gets hampered at times by it’s own need to balance out the bleakness with comedy. However, it also makes up for it by being fun to watch. Also, it gave us this:

And this.

I Give “What If…Zombies?!?” a 3.9/5

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Marvel What If…? Episode 4Review

It finally happened. After four episodes, our trip into the new MCU Multiverse has taken viewers to a Universe where there’s no happy ending. No light at the end of the tunnel! Everything that can go wrong does go wrong! And this week, the Watcher shows us a reality where Doctor Strange loses it, and everyone suffers as a result.

Doctor Strange, Minus the Dose of Humility

Whereas every episode of What If…? has started out following the main MCU only to branch off, this week’s Universe sees it having branched off before hand. In this universe, Doctor Strange and his colleague, Christine, are dating and going to an award show together. Then comes the car crash that changes his life. However, instead of losing his hands, Strange loses Christine instead. And somehow, this still motivates him to learn magic and become the next Sorcerer Supreme. The real problem comes afterwards, where his inability to accept Christine’s death leads to horrific consequences.

While I think the concept of the episode is hampered by the fact that no explanation is given as to why Strange and Christine were dating, I quickly ignored that in lieu of how this affected the plot of the episode. Having kept his hands intact, Doctor Strange never gets that dose of humility that he needed to become the hero he was meant to be. As a result, he arrogantly tries to use the Time Stone to try and prevent Christine’s death, only for the universe to keep willing it to happen.

And, being Strange, he doesn’t accept this, and tries to undo this event anyway. And this leads him down the path to becoming a monster.

Strange Supreme

Using the Time Stone, Strange spends centuries learning magic to bring Christine back. More terrrifying, though, is the fact that he spends that time absorbing all manner of supernatural creatures to increase his power. As a result, he gradually becomes less human and more of a humanoid abomination.

Doctor Strange is one of my favorite characters in the MCU, and Benedict Cumberbatch brings so much life to him. Needless to say, seeing the snarky but good-natured Doctor fall down this dark path was hard to watch. Even more so when an alternate, good version of him created by the Ancient One tries, and fails, to defeat his dark counterpart. By the time the episode ends, he’s barely even human anymore!

And he does bring Christine back, but as Mordo would say, the bill comes due. With Christine now alive, Strange had no reason to study magic. The resulting paradox then causes the entire universe to implode, killing Christine again and leaving only Strange himself, alone in the void.

The Watcher Begins to Interact

As heart-breaking as that ending was, it’s nothing compared to the Watcher’s role in this episode.

Until now, the Watcher has kept to his role, merely observing events as they happened, like a stand in for the audience. However, at one point in the episode, Strange seems to become aware of the entity’s presence when he remarks how he’s tempted to intervene and warn him about the folly of his actions. Yet the Watcher decides to keep to his decision to not intervene, as he knows that that will only make things worse.

This then comes to a head in the episode’s final moments when the Watcher confronts Strange directly, with the maddened sorcerer pleading for help. While a part of us wants to fix Strange’s mistake, the Watcher rightfully calls him out on his decisions, and leaves him to face the consequences. It may seem terrible to abandon an entire universe, but this was the result of what Doctor Strange did. His hubris destroyed his entire universe.

Regardless, this marks a notable shift for the Watcher. Fans of the comics know that he has repeatedly intervened in universe-threatening events in the comics. Given the threats that this new multiverse may unleash, the MCU Watcher may soon have no choice but to intervene. Either way, it’s likely that these one-off episodes are building up to something bigger.

This was the darkest episode of the series thus far, and it’s only a fraction of what the series can give us. Definitely a step up from last week’s story.

I Give “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” a 4.5/5

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Marvel What If…? Episode 3 Review

We all know the story of the Avengers by now. A group of remarkable people come together to become Earth’s Mightiest Heroes and fight the battles others never could. That’s how it goes in most of the comics, and how it went in the MCU.

At least, in the main MCU timeline. But in the Multirverse, anything is possible. Like, for example, a timeline where someone offs the Avengers before they even have a chance to assemble. This week, What If…? asks the question of what would happen if Earth’s Mightiest Heroes never got off the ground.

Fury’s Worst Week Ever

Fun fact: in the MCU, the events of Thor, The Incredible Hulk, and a good part of Iron Man 2 all took place in the span of a single week. That week wound up proving key to the creation of the Avengers, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Or, it was supposed to.

In this week’s dive into the Multiverse, the Watcher shows us a universe where that never happened. Instead, Tony Stark suddenly croaks in the donut shop while talking to Fury and Black Widow. Thor gets shot by an arrow that Hawkeye supposedly misfired. And then Hawkeye’s found dead, too!

It soon becomes clear that someone’s going around targeting all the names on Fury’s list for the Avengers Initiative, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Loki shows up with an army demanding justice for his brother’s death and wants Earth to either pay up, or burn!

Who is killing the heroes, though? The answer…will be told right here and now. It’s Hank Pym.

Why Hank Killed Earth’s Mightiest Heroes

There’s a reason why I just spoiled who the killer is, but we’ll get to that in a moment. For now, I think it’s worth talking about why Hank went nuts like this, and how it’s not as jarring as you might think.

In this universe, Hank’s daughter, Hope Van Dyne, wound up becoming a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, only to die on a mission. Coupled with the seeming loss of his wife, this was enough to send Hank over the edge. And instead of getting revenge on Fury himself, he just went around killing people who had nothing to do with his daughter’s death. Hank claims it’s because he wanted Fury to suffer like he did, but in truth, it’s nothing more than a jerk move. He’s spitefully robbing Earth of its mightiest heroes and risking everyone, a fact made all the more clear when, after all’s said and done, Loki conquers the planet.

Again, this is not surprising when you look at Hank’s comic book history. He’s had years of mental instability. He even hit his wife at one point. So, him being a serial killer here is, ironically, bringing him more in line with his comic book history.

Weakest Episode To Date

Whereas the two previous episodes were fun and imaginative, this episode was, in a word, dark. Everything that could go wrong for Nick Fury did go wrong, with him losing most of the Avengers roster before they ever meet up. If it had ended like that, then it might have been slightly better. However, Disney then reminds us of the fact that the Avengers were just a few heroes in a universe that would soon be sprawling with them. Captain America was still on ice, Captain Marvel returns from deep space, and I’m pretty sure War Machine could fill in for Iron Man at this point. Bottom line, the Avengers would assemble, albeit with different members.

It doesn’t change the fact that this was my least favorite episode of the series to date. Then again, in the Multiverse, we were bound to find versions that would suck like this. Regardless, this is one branching timeline I don’t think I’ll want to re-visit anytime soon.

I Give “What If… the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” a 2/5

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