What If... the Emergence Destroyed The Earth?
Tiamut’s emergence severely damaged the Earth, but some heroes and villains still inhabit it in the latest episode of What If…? Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, is the best chance to save what’s left of the Earth from Quentin Beck’s Mysterio.
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Riri Joins the Alliance
The episode starts with Riri Williams buying an EZ Bake Oven from Sharon Carter, also known as the Power Broker. Carter believes Williams is using parts from the children’s toys to build a weapon. Carter warns “The Federation” is waiting on Williams but also decides to betray Ironheart and turn her over to The Federation.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Ironheart continues her battle taking out some very real and very fake Sentinels before ending up on the roof of the building. Here Vision reveals he’s working for the Federation and intends to kill Ironheart. He is ready to throw her off the roof of the building, without her armor, when gunshots force him to drop her instead. She ends up landing in a passing vehicle below that is filled with MCU heroes: Wong, Valkyrie, Ying Nan and Okoye all working together to save what’s left of the Earth.
Mysterio’s Illusions
It’s revealed that Quentin Beck managed to complete his attempt to take over Stark Industries in this universe thanks to the emergence of Tiamut. Beck used the chaos caused by the Celestial’s emergence to take over the inhabitable fragments of Earth left behind. He created the Iron Federation as a way to push back resistance fighters as his power grab led to war among Earth’s survivors.
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Time and the use of his own technology has taken a toll on the former Mysterio. He’s now using his illusions to put an end to the Alliance and is fully in control of Vision to meet this end. The Alliance reveals to Riri they’ve been watching her for a while and they believe the weapon she’s building can help them defeat the Vision.
Riri vs. Vision
Riri is reluctant to trust anyone until she finds out the Alliance is just a small group of people trying to make their way in the world. She agrees to build her weapons at the Alliance’s headquarters but they receive a report that Vision is on his way. The Alliance investigates to find half the team is already dead. Vision isn’t on his way, he’s already arrived.
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Riri says she needs 12 hours to build the weapon, but Wong tells her his protection spell will last seven and a half minutes. Riri builds the weapon quickly while complaining every step of the way. Vision approaches her, but Riri has finished the weapon. Her first shot doesn’t work but the second shot does. The familiar superheroes find Riri has defeated the Vision. Unfortunately, Vision killed what was left of the fighting force meaning the Alliance is down to just five members.
Mysterio’s Illusions Trick Riri
The Alliance plans to take the fight to Quentin Beck. Riri uses part of Vision to make her own suit that allows her to see what is real and what is fake when they plan on attacking Beck. The team seems to be making headway as they easily recognize illusions compared to real fighters. Ying Nan joins Riri to help her reach the Nanite mainframe, however when she wipes away the illusions, it wipes away everything revealing she is trapped in a room and the entire battle was an illusion.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
Quentin Beck trapped Riri Williams in a room while revealing she completed her mission. Beck uploaded the nanite technology into himself, making himself the mainframe. This wreaked havoc on his body as he has aged quite rapidly. However, he wanted Riri to make the suit from Vision. He will use the parts of Vision to help himself live longer.
The Watcher Breaks His Oath… Again
The Watcher has been dark and dismal throughout this entire episode. He hints this will be the end of this particular universe. He says he’s seen too many universes die in this manner. Riri Williams is the best hope and she keeps fighting. But it’s the fight that kills her, and once again Quentin Beck has bested her and sucked the fight out of her.
Courtesy of Marvel Studios
The Watcher turns away prepared to let this universe die until he steps in and encourages Riri to keep fighting. The unexpected support gives Riri the motivation she needs to fight off Quentin Beck and save the universe. Unfortunately, the other Watchers have been watching and now are keeping a closer eye on this Watcher whose oath says he watches and doesn’t interfere.
Rating
The series is coming to a close with only three episodes left, so it’s time to start wrapping up some story threads. While this is a mostly anthology series, each season has narratives woven throughout that help tell a more cohesive story with some wild and zany elements. It’s been clear since Ultron realized the Watcher’s existence that the Watcher would be interfering and have to battle the other Watchers. The question is how will they battle?
Still, the best part of this series is reaching into some of the less popular properties in the MCU and redeeming them, or working in characters who haven’t been seen in a while. In this episode alone, we have characters from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Dr. Strange, the Thor films, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Meanwhile, there are also references to Eternals. I can’t wait to see how they continue to build this for the ending.
Check out What If…? streaming exclusively on Disney Plus.
Article Written By: Jeremy Brown for Stelmach Brown Media 2024
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