SPOILERS AHEAD FOR EPISODE 5 OF MARVEL’S WHAT IF…?
“Even in the darkest of times, humans will give all to save their planet.”
— The Watcher
I was worried about the concept of zombies within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I do think the showrunners of What If…? did well in executing the idea. Within the timeline we’re familiar with, this episode occurs at the start of Avengers: Infinity War (2018). While this does mess up the events that preceded this, I was not too worried about it. As Hank Pym rescues his wife, he accidentally brings a quantum virus back with Janet van Dyne. Just as any unchecked and mishandled virus goes, it spreads around the world and takes countless lives.
The episode starts with Bruce landing on Earth after getting his green ass handed by Thanos, only to find New York a barren wasteland. Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian arrive; Maw gives his speech, except nobody is around to hear it except a mystical garbed Bruce Banner. Eventually, zombie Tony Stark, Stephen Strange, and Wong take out Thanos’ Black Order members only to scare Bruce once they reveal their undead status. Spider-Man swings in to save Dr. Banner, and the context about how the zombie apocalypse began and who has survived is given.
On top of Bruce Banner and Spider-Man, there is Okoye, Hope van Dyne, Happy Hogan, Kurt, Sharon Carter, Bucky, and the ever-sentient Cloak of Levitation. This ragtag group from around the Marvel Cinematic Universe works together to try and find a cure for this virus and save the world. They discover that the original SSR and SHIELD headquarters, called Camp Lehigh, in New Jersey hosts some technology and resources that can help out their cause. On this journey, they go through Grand Central Station to catch a train, but there is a cavalry of zombies waiting for them inside. Unfortunately, the heroes lose the lovable Happy Hogan to the virus while the rest barely escape.
On their way to New Jersey, zombie Captain America ambushes the train, transforms Sharon Carter into a zombie, but is mercifully brought to the end of his line by Bucky. Hope van Dyne is the White Wolf’s backup as she flys into Sharon’s mouth before going to normal size and ending the zombie version of Peggy’s niece. As she does this, she becomes infected and has one final sacrifice to ensure the heroes can enter Camp Lehigh since there is a horde of zombies around the former SHIELD base. The Wasp goes giant, stomps her way through the undead army, drops the heroes in the base, and falls to accept her viral fate.
The group is now down three members as they arrive at Camp Lehigh, and they find The Vision is running things there. Because the virus is mental, The Vision’s mind stone keeps the zombies away; it is deducted that the infinity stone could be the source of the cure. It appears to have worked since Scott Lang is also in New Jersey with Vision, albeit it is just his head in a jar. The heroes are excited about this cure since it means there is hope for a future without zombies.
Eventually, the traveling heroes discover The Vision has been up to some dark actions. Bucky finds his friend in T’Challa bandaged and cut up. It comes out that The Vision has been feeding warm-blooded humans to his beloved Wanda since her powers are rejecting the cure. This is so on-brand for The Vision since Wanda is his only weakness, as seen in Civil War and Infinity War. As the
This episode was a lot of fun since it was a comedy
Marvel’s What If…? is now streaming exclusively on Disney+.
