CGC Comics Registry Featured Set: What If? (1977) - otto

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Marvel's 1977 comic book series "What If?" offered readers an imaginative glimpse into alternate realities within the Marvel Universe. Narrated by the enigmatic cosmic entity known as The Watcher, the series explored hypothetical scenarios where pivotal moments in Marvel history unfolded differently. By posing questions like "What if Spider-Man had joined the Fantastic Four?" or "What if the Avengers had never been?", the series provided fresh perspectives on familiar characters and events. The Watcher's role was to observe these alternate realities without interference, allowing readers to witness the vast, untapped potential of the Marvel Universe.

The innovative concept and enduring appeal of "What If?" eventually inspired a popular animated television series on Disney+, which brought these alternate realities to life with stunning animation and voice performances.

“The What If series was my favorite comic growing up. I vividly remember reading #31 ‘What If Wolverine Had Killed the Hulk?’ The Hulk was my favorite character and seemingly all-powerful. Seeing him dead and defeated was just unthinkable to my mind. I loved to see other alternative possibilities in the series,” ottodidact said on the collection page.

Some of the comics in this month’s featured collection include:

• “What if Spider-Man Joined the Fantastic Four” (What If? #1)
• “What if Jane Foster had Found the Hammer of Thor?” (What If? #10)
• “What if Conan the Barbarian Walked the Earth Today?” (What If? #13)
• “What if Dr. Strange Were a Disciple of Dormammu?” (What If? #18)
• “What if Spider-Man had Rescued Gwen Stacy?” (What If? #24)
• “What if Captain America had been Elected President?” (What If? #26)
• “What if Wolverine had Killed the Hulk?” (What If? #31)

These books, and many more, helped earn this collection the Best in Set Type Award in 2023.

“Collecting 'What If' comics from the original series comes with some challenges, which can be frustrating at times, but also fun!” ottodidact said. “The low census numbers for 9.8 and 9.6 makes them somewhat difficult to find. Thank you to those who have helped contribute to this set and aided my search for these treasures.”

About the CGC Comics Registry

The CGC Comics Registry is a place where comic book collectors come together to share their collections and knowledge with one another. It's a valuable resource for new collectors and experienced fans alike, with a wide range of collections on display. To participate, all you need is a free CGC Collectors account. The resource is an online community developed to increase the choices, convenience and education available to collectors.

The CGC Comics Registry has grown to over 100,000 registered sets in the last year! There are now more than 625,000 books registered and it is thrilling to see the steady, continued growth of the CGC Comics Registry. To learn more about how to navigate the CGC Comics Registry, click here.

About CGC

Since revolutionizing comic book grading in 2000, CGC has grown to include certification services for many other types of pop culture collectibles. These divisions include CGC Cards, CGC Video Games and CGC Home Video. CGC Cards provides expert card grading for TCGs, sports cards and non-sports cards. CGC Video Games is dedicated to video game grading for the most popular consoles, including Nintendo, Sega, Atari, PlayStation and more. The newest division of CGC, CGC Home Video, provides expert VHS grading in addition to other types of home media, including Betamax, DVD and Blu-ray.