What If... the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?
Marvel’s animated alternate universe series returns as the MCU continues to look at scenarios where aspects of the main comics universe are slightly changed. Marvel continues to ask the question: What If…?
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Sam and Bruce
After a cold open focusing on an Avengers cartoon, the episode gives a backstory behind a friendship between Sam Wilson and Bruce Banner. It plays on the Captain America and the Winter Soldier dynamic between Sam and Steve Rogers, except this time Sam is playing the Steve Rogers role while Bruce is the one being passed on his left.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Sam works as a counselor and sees Bruce as a hero and friend in need of help. Sam and Bruce bond on Sam’s sister’s boat until an accident causes the Hulk to come out and start trying to destroy the boat. Sam talks the Hulk down but Hulk/Bruce flees fearing how his actions could be affecting his relationship with others.
Godzilla Hulk
Bruce decides to nuke himself with gamma rays to try to combat the unstoppable rage monster inside of him. Gamma radiation exposure created the Hulk, and Bruce is hopeful it can end the Hulk. Unfortunately, for Bruce and the world, it separates the monster from Bruce and allows it to become the Apex, a giant Hulk that looks and acts a lot like Godzilla.
The Apex starts what’s known as the Gamma Wars. The original Avengers crew starts using Mechs, that look awfully similar to Transformers and the Dinozords from Power Rangers, to combat this Godzilla Hulk. The original team fell, but a new team of Avengers band together to defeat the Apex… or so they thought.
The Apex Returns
The new Avengers team learns of a massive Gamma signature not far from where they believe they defeated the Apex ten years prior. Sam Wilson and Monica Rambeau travel to the area where they see the Apex but also learn of an army of smaller Hulks ready to follow the Apex into battle. They realize this isn’t an infestation. It’s an invasion.
During this time, Monica had been trying to convince Sam to talk to Bruce Banner, but Sam refused. Bucky Barnes tracks down Bruce’s location, so Sam can talk to him. Sam and Bruce have it out as two frustrated friends often do. Bruce gives Sam a plan to stop any monster, including himself, setting up what’s perceived to be the ultimate Hulk-busting weapon.
The Megazord… I mean, the Avenger
Bruce’s master plan is to have all the Mech Avengers band together into one giant mech called the Avenger, which looks exactly like the Megazord if you’re a Power Rangers fan. This team features Sam Wilson as the new Captain America, Bucky Barnes as Winter Soldier, Monica Rambeau as Spectrum, Shang-Chi, Marc Spector as Moon Knight and Red Guardian and Melina Vostokoff.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
The team works together, but even the Avenger is defeated by this new Apex. Bruce Banner arrives with his Gamma nuke and re-infects himself turning himself into Mega Hulk. This sets up a battle between the Apex and Mega Hulk with all of the smaller Hulks waiting to see who they will follow. This battle feels like an old Kaiju film as both monsters look like Godzilla. In the end, Bruce is able to win but then turns his attention to the Avengers.
Sam Saves Bruce
Most of the Avengers prepare to fight Bruce as Mega Hulk. Marc Spector’s avatar, Khonshu, tells him they must fire on Bruce. However, Sam knows that will only set off the Hulk into a fit of rage the team might not win. He walks out to face the monster alone, much like Steve Rogers was willing to do against Thanos, and just talks to Bruce. This allows Bruce/Mega Hulk to understand that Sam still sees him as a friend and not a monster. Bruce leads the smaller Hulks away and the world is saved.
Wrong Allusion
What If…? as a concept has to have allusions to other things we’ve seen either in the comics or in the MCU. However, this episode didn’t hit right. Trying the “on your left” friendship with Sam and Bruce felt very forced. I understand they want the focus to be on the current Avengers roster headed into Doomsday, but Sam and Bruce don’t work for that allusion. This is a case where they should’ve built a friendship between Bruce and another original MCU Avenger. Maybe use that to build a relationship with Sam that gets fractured, but “on your left” doesn’t work.
Waste of the New Team
While it was great to see members of the current Avengers roster, many of them felt wasted in this episode. Sam, Monica and even Bucky had roles to play, but the rest were just kinda there. Shang-Chi used the 10 Rings a little bit but not much. Marc Spector referenced Khonshu, but there wasn’t much of Moon Knight. And Red Guardian and Melina only halfway referenced how shocked the Russian government would be that they are Avengers. Hopefully, they get more to do in later episodes.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Rating
I like the What If…? concept in general, but it almost always has a disappointing episode, even for the most diehard fans of the series. Usually, that episode is somewhere in the middle of the season and feels like filler. This, on the other hand, was the epitome of a disappointing season opener. It’s the last season of this show, and I hope it delivers more than this did. It was really below average all the way around.
Check out What If…? exclusively on Disney Plus
Article Written By: Jeremy Brown for Stelmach Brown Media 2024
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