would expand to include alternate explorations of continuity within other non-Marvel Universe properties owned by their parent company The Walt Disney Company from its fifteenth volume onwards, beginning with Aliens: What If…?, based on the Alien franchise.

In 2021, an animated series based on the What If comics premiered on Disney+, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse.

For example, in volume 3, in What If Karen Page Had Lived?, What If Jessica Jones Had Joined the Avengers?

and focuses on the consequences of Spider-Man's secret identity being publicly exposed, is one of the most highly regarded What If stories.

16; Daredevil by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson; and What If: Dark Avengers Collected in Fantastic Four by John Byrne Omnibus Vol Collected in Nova: Richard Rider Omnibus Collected in Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol 5 Collected in Conan the Barbarian: The Original Marvel Years Omnibus Vol 6 Following the cancellation of the original series, Marvel published a one-shot What If?

Also, sometimes, the volume 2 stories would offer multiple plots and endings and the reader could decide which one to adopt.

In issue #105, What If introduced Spider-Girl (Mayday Parker); the new character was popular enough for a spin-off series.

However, rather than follow What if tradition of using a divergence from a specific plot point, Volume 4 more closely resembled the DC Comics equivalent, Elseworlds, which presents stories that are continuities based on alternate versions (in time or place) of canon (for example, Superman: Red Son is a story in which Superman was raised in the Soviet Union instead of the United States) all but one of the volume 4 issues uses this format, explained by Uatu the Watcher having discovered historical documents from an alternative dimension.

Examples from volume 4 include Captain America battling the "White Skull" during the American Civil War; Wolverine taking on the role of the Punisher and fighting mobsters in 1920s Prohibition-era Chicago; Namor the Sub-Mariner being raised by his father on the surface during World War II; Thor becoming a herald of Galactus; and a Soviet version of the Fantastic Four, known as the "Ultimate Federalist Freedom Fighters" (consisting of Rudion Richards, Colossus, Magik and the Widow Maker), during the Cold War.

A sixth, "What If: This Was the Fantastic Four", featuring Spider-Man, Wolverine, Ghost Rider and Hulk, was to be released in November 2007, but it was withheld due to the death of Mike Wieringo.

They included: Fallen Son: The Death of Captain America, House of M, Spider-Man: Back in Black, and Secret Wars.

In addition, a story line featuring the Runaways as the Young Avengers ran throughout Volume 7.

Volume 8 focused on three recent events in the Marvel Universe, including the Spider-Man: House of M miniseries and the "World War Hulk" and "Secret Invasion" story lines.

[9] In September 2010, Marvel announced a ninth series of five What If issues in the one-shot format, to be released in December 2010.

It presented an alternative for the Siege Marvel Universe event, asking what might have happened if the Sentry had not lost control and Norman Osborn had conquered Asgard.

The second story examined "The Galactus Trilogy", and was written by Stan Lee, the author of the original.

[10] On March 22, 2013, Marvel's editor-in-chief Axel Alonso revealed to Comic Book Resources that What If…?

Avengers vs. X-Men, a four-issue limited series written by Jimmy Palmiotti and illustrated by Jorge Molina.

Each issue explored what a new universe would be like which arose from the removal of another core Avenger, with the Wasp in #1, Iron Man in #2, Thor in #3 and Captain America in #4.

banner, this time focused on the 2013 story line "Infinity", which saw the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Inhumans and other groups dealing with a combined threat of a universal incursion by the race the Builders, and an attack on Earth by Thanos and his forces.

These included stories where Peter Parker became the Punisher, where the X-Men existed in a Cyberpunk universe, where Thor was raised by the Frost Giants instead of his brother Loki being raised by Odin, and where Magik was trained from a young age by Stephen Strange rather than joining the New Mutants.

In 2021, Marvel published a five-issue miniseries titled Spider-Man: Spider’s Shadow, detailing what if Peter Parker fully accepted the alien symbiote and became Venom.

would move beyond solely the Marvel Universe to explore alternate takes on the continuities of other franchises owned by their parent company The Walt Disney Company, beginning with Aliens: What If…?, based on the Alien franchise, the first five-issue arc of which would explore the scenario "What If… Carter Burke had lived?

", exploring what would happen if the character of Carter Burke had survived the events of the 1986 film Aliens, with the series to be written by the character's actor Paul Reiser, his son Leon Reiser, as well as Adam F. Goldberg, Brian Volk-Weiss, and Hans Rodionoff, with art by Guiu Vilanova.

Over the course of the run, the symbiote will bond with She-Hulk, Wolverine, Doctor Strange, Loki, and Moon Knight in a single continuity.

[13] What If serves as inspiration for media set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU):