What If...? Episode 3: What If... The World Lost It's Mightiest Heroes? (Spoiler Review)

Yet another week has passed alongside a new episode of What If. However, episode 3 really left a bad taste in our mouth with this particular graphic scenario. In a good, shocking way, of course. This all-new episode introduces an alternate universe where members of the Avengers were all murdered before they ever assembled. Yes, I am not kidding here. Marvel Studios went there. The Avengers are murdered one by one throughout what fans call 'Fury's Big Week' in the most brutal ways possible. 

The episode is the show's most original after last week's T'Chall's focused episode, considerably a better treat for the fans who refuse to ever live in a scenario where they died early on. This shocking entry attempts to show us a world where our OG six... well, five get killed off right before they reach the level they were supposed to be at by the time they assembled in 2012's Avengers movie that kicked off the possibility of crossing over such larger than life characters. A.C. Bradley did not hold back as to how dark the episode could become and I'm glad it turned out great.

The most memorable parts of episode 3 are the murders. So, let's recount them, shall we?

1. Tony Stark 

The episode starts with Monday, where Nick Fury goes to see Tony at Randy's Donuts after his birthday party that took place at his Malibu home where he fought his best friend, Rhodey. The animated scene plays out just like it is in the movie, from the way Tony hikes down his glasses to Fury basically reminding Stark that he isn't the only pain in the ass he's dealing with at the moment. Also, like in the movie, Natasha Romanoff walks in with the antidote to the 'road rash' he keeps getting from his burning palladium disks in his Arc Reactor. Instead of the antidote working,  Tony loses his breath, collapses, and dies. Arrested by SHIELD, Romanoff is sent to be questioned by Alexander Pierce, a member of the world council (whom we meet Captain America The Winter Soldier played by Robert Redford). Fury believes Romanoff has been framed and tells her to head to Virginia to Dr. Ross, providing her a location to head to after successfully escaping before ever reaching Washington as well as learning what they are possibly up against. 

2. Thor and Hawkeye

Now that Fury isn't busy babysitting Stark, he heads to New Mexico to deal with the containment unit that Coulson is in charge of AKA Mjolnir, Thor's hammer. Like the movie, Thor attempts to break in and steal the hammer knowing he is worthy. Clint Barton is ordered to shoot him down if he kills any more of the agents. As Thor reaches the hammer, Barton's arrow flies as thunder strikes and kills Thor. Barton is contained for further questioning as he wonders what went wrong. Coulson and Fury debate whether to interrogate him but once a decision was made, they find Barton dead as well. Through this, Fury learns that this series of murders are not coincidental and indeed is due to the connection between them. The Avengers Initiative. 

3. Bruce Banner

In Virginia, Romanoff heads to Culver University and meet up with Dr. Betsy Ross, Banner's love interest whom we haven't seen since The Incredible Hulk movie released in 2010 which is considered MCU canon due to its introduction of General Ross who is Betsy's father and Tony's cameo in the post-credit scene. And now, Kevin Feige has teased that Emil Blonsky, The Abomination, the villain of that movie is returning to the MCU through the upcoming Shang Chi and She-Hulk Disney Plus series. With that in mind, Marvel Studios is finally acknowledging this underrated movie. 

Anyways, Betsy checks out the antidote canister Romanoff injected into Tony and see's that the bevel of the injection needle had looked like it exploded as the antidote was pushed out. Fury calls her and lets her know that the targets are members of the Avengers initiative which includes her and Banner. After realizing Betsy was hiding Bruce this whole time, Romanoff hears General Ross and his Hulk Buster squad ready to take apprehend Bruce. 

In the process, Banner gets shot but not by the General's soldiers. Banner then transforms and attempts to fight the Hulk Buster unit and just as he was about to Hulk Smash once again, Hulk starts expanding, his body growing over his head and morbidly explodes in front of everyone leaving a huge puff of green smoke. 

4. Natasha Romanoff

While Bruce was murdered, Loki and Asgard's army alongside the Warrior's Three and Lady Sif drops in Midgard (Earth) to avenge their fallen prince and future King. After Loki attempts to attack Fury and the SHIELD agents, Fury makes a deal with him to find the murderer and Loki gives him till sunrise to learn the identity of his brother's killer which leads to Fury getting a voice message of Natasha leaving a clue as she is being murdered after learning that someone had been hacking in SHIELD files for the last two days using the account that belonged to a deceased Maria Hill. "It's all about Hope," she says in the message. 

The Murderer 

Fury has run out of options and is about to call Carol Danvers for help via a 90's pager she had designed and gave Fury after their first mission together when it finally clicks as to who the killer is and asks aid from Loki to catch him. He waits for the killer at a cemetery in San Franciso, in front of a grave with the headstone written Hope Van Dyne. Behind him, a shadow appears in what looks like the Yellow Jacket from Ant-Man worn by Darren Cross in the movie but we hear Michael Douglas' voice instead. 

What If...? decides to adapt a Hank Pym storyline from the comics and the animated tv show where after he fakes his death, Pym dons the Yellow Jacket mantle and becomes a sort of anti-hero and now, kills criminals instead of being the pacifist he is known to be by trying to talk to them. 

Hank Pym murders the potential Avengers as revenge for Nick Fury encouraging Hope to join SHIELD and wasn't there to stop her from sacrificing herself for the sake of 'the mission'. This motto was SHIELD 101 basically, always brought up in Agents of SHIELD where agents come out of it traumatized. To put more salt in this fresh wound within Marvel-ites, we learn subtly through Fury that Van Dyne had been murdered by The Winter Soldier in Ukraine. As Hank confesses, Fury unbelievably beats him in combat and then multiplies into many Fury's, meaning that this was an illusion by Loki allowing SHIELD to apprehend him. 

Burying the Avengers and Loki taking over the United Nations due to his deal with Fury leads the Director of SHIELD to want to assemble a new set of Avengers as he sets out to find frozen Steve Rogers and Carol coming from space to help him with the episode ending there.