Marvel’s “What If…?” is back with its third and final season. This animated anthology series has been a breath of fresh air for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, offering new, fun, and imaginative stories. It presents alternate realities where different choices lead to surprising outcomes.
This season brings even more unexpected twists, and Episode 1, titled “What If the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers”, kicks things off with an exciting adventure. The episode is full of action, with high stakes and surprising moments.
The Premise: Hulk’s Rage Unleashes a New Threat
The episode starts differently from the usual animation style of the series. Instead of the usual animation, it uses a retro look inspired by 1960s cartoons, with an old-school announcer voice narrating the story. The show within the show is called Go-Avenger: Heroes of the Gamma War.
It follows the Avengers, including Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, who were protecting the world. However, the Hulk, in his rage, caused huge monsters, similar to Godzilla, to appear. These monsters could only be fought with giant mech-suits that Tony Stark created.
The scene is a fun way to explain the backstory, though we don’t get too much detail. The explanation is interrupted when a teenage girl, watching this show, experiences a Wi-Fi outage.
This Wi-Fi issue isn’t something small like a modem reset, though. The monsters she just saw on the cartoon show are now attacking her city. The girl’s situation becomes much more serious. If you’re confused, don’t worry, because the Watcher (voiced by Jeffrey Wright) is here to explain what’s going on. He takes us back to the beginning of the Gamma War.
The Beginning of the Gamma War
The setting looks similar to scenes from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Instead of Steve Rogers running near the Washington Monument, we see Bruce Banner (voiced by Mark Ruffalo) jogging, trying to stay calm and deal with his stress.
Sam Wilson (voiced by Anthony Mackie) jogs past him, and they talk after they finish their runs. Bruce says running is his way of relieving stress. Sam suggests Bruce should try therapy as another way to cope with his problems.
Bruce opens up during his therapy session. He admits that he’s afraid of becoming the Hulk and causing harm to those around him. He feels lonely because others are scared of him. Sam decides to take Bruce on a boat trip with his sister, Sarah, to cheer him up.
However, while on the boat, a dangerous situation occurs when a mast falls. Bruce pushes Sarah out of the way but gets knocked down instead. The stress is too much for Bruce, causing him to transform into the Hulk. He quickly regains control, but when he sees the fear in Sarah’s eyes, he becomes even more upset and runs away.
Bruce’s Decision: More Gamma Radiation
Bruce’s fear and shame after the incident with Sarah lead him to a dangerous decision. He tries to eliminate the Hulk by using more gamma radiation on himself. Although this might seem like an odd solution, Bruce believes it will help.
However, instead of getting rid of the Hulk, this act creates something much worse: a new monster, called The Apex. This creature is all of Hulk’s rage, but it doesn’t have any of Bruce’s control or conscience. It’s enormous, lizard-like, and can even spawn smaller versions of itself.
To fight the new threat, Tony Stark builds giant mech-suits for the Avengers. Unfortunately, the original Avengers are killed during the battle against these creatures. Those who survive are able to force the monsters into retreat, but they believe the danger is over.
However, we are now in the present day, a decade after the Gamma War. Sam Wilson leads the new Avengers, which include Monica Rambeau (voiced by Teyonnah Parris) and Bucky Barnes (voiced by Sebastian Stan).
The New Avengers Face the Apex
The new Avengers are tasked with stopping the Gamma Beasts, which are once again threatening the world. Sam, Monica, and Bucky are working together to track down the Apex.
They learn that the creature has been spotted in the Arctic. Monica and Sam head to the Arctic to investigate, while Bucky is assigned to find Bruce. Sam is hesitant to call Bruce for help because of their past, but Monica insists they need him.
In the Arctic, Sam and Monica find a field of ice, where three of the Apex’s creatures suddenly appear and attack them. The fight is intense, and they can barely hold their ground. The battle only stops when a huge explosion knocks them underwater.
They manage to stay safe thanks to their suits, but while descending to the ocean floor, they see thousands of the creatures heading to the surface. The monsters are preparing for something big: The Apex is planning to lead an invasion on the world.
Repairing the Mech-Suits and Finding Bruce
While Sam and Monica are dealing with the creatures, Bucky finds Bruce’s location. He tells Monica that Bruce is hiding in a black site, a secret and remote place. Monica understands that Bruce went there for a reason, but Sam refuses to involve him. Sam’s anger towards Bruce stems from his own guilt.
He tried to help Bruce in the past, but it didn’t work, and he feels responsible for what happened. Monica convinces Sam to go speak with Bruce and try again.
Sam finally agrees to find Bruce, and they travel to a remote island. There, Sam and Bruce meet after ten years. Bruce takes Sam to his home, which is an old nuclear bomber on top of a ruined government building. Bruce shows Sam around his unusual home, and Sam explains the problem with the Apex.
Bruce refuses to get involved, saying he hasn’t had an incident in years and doesn’t want to risk it. Instead, he gives Sam a plug-in for the mech suits that could help defeat the Apex. Sam calls Bruce a coward for not joining the fight, but Bruce explains that the plug-in is designed to fight any unstoppable monster, including himself.
Sam’s Realization and Final Decision
Sam leaves Bruce’s home, but not before telling him that he never saw Bruce as a monster, only as a friend. He had hoped Bruce would join the fight, but it seems like that won’t happen. On his way back, Sam tells Monica that Bruce won’t help. However, he also shares the plug-in with her, so they can try to use it in the battle.
The team faces the Gamma Beasts in New York, with the new mech suits. The team struggles to defeat them, but they try to hold the line until Sam arrives. When Sam gets there, he gives the order to assemble the giant mech suit, combining all their smaller suits into one massive machine, similar to the Power Rangers. Together, they fight off the beasts and focus on the Apex.
Bruce Makes a Big Decision
The battle takes an unexpected turn when Bruce arrives in his nuclear bomber with an upgraded nuke that contains a fresh gamma core: himself. Bucky worries about the consequences of using so much gamma radiation, but Monica guesses that Bruce plans to absorb the radiation to defeat the Apex.
Bruce launches the nuke into the city, and the explosion turns him into a monstrous version of the Hulk. However, unlike before, he now has control over his actions. He faces the Apex in battle, with both monsters fighting for dominance.
In the end, Bruce wins the fight and gains control of all the Gamma Beasts. He turns his attention to the Avengers, who are ready to attack him. However, Sam orders them to hold back. He believes a peaceful conversation with Bruce can solve the problem.
Surprisingly, Bruce listens to Sam’s kind words and realizes they are still friends. Bruce decides to lead the Gamma Beasts back into the ocean and return to his island. The Watcher ends the episode with a reflection on how friends can help us through difficult times, even in the darkest moments.
What If…? Season 3 Episode 1 brings a thrilling start to the final season, blending action with emotional depth. The story shows the consequences of Bruce Banner’s uncontrollable rage, which leads to the creation of a terrifying new creature, The Apex.
As the new Avengers struggle to contain the threat, they must confront their past, especially Sam Wilson’s complicated relationship with Bruce. The episode emphasizes the power of friendship, as Sam’s determination to help Bruce ultimately brings them together to defeat the Apex and the Gamma Beasts.
Bruce’s decision to embrace his monstrous side, while maintaining control, shows his growth and the strength of his bond with his friends. With high-stakes action, emotional moments, and surprising twists, this episode sets the stage for an exciting conclusion to the series, proving that sometimes it’s not just strength, but friendship, that saves the day.
