Best of "What If...?": #20

Special (1988)
What if Iron Man had been a traitor?

Written by Peter Gillis
Drawn by Steve Ditko and Pat Redding

Anthony Stark is brilliant, and he is dying. Days ago, American soldiers were escorting him through the jungles of Vietnam, where he was observing tests of weapons which he himself had designed. Then, one errant footstep set off an anti-personnel mine, killing Tony’s guards and embedding shrapnel in his chest.

A band of guerrillas soon stumbled upon the unconscious weapons designer and carried him off to their leader, Wong Chu. This mountain of a man informed Tony upon his revival that the metal buried in his breast would reach his heart in under a week. But until that time, his considerable intellect would not be wasted.

Commanded to invent an awesome new weapon, Tony spends what could be his final days designing something truly amazing: a suit of armor fitted to double as his life-support. With the pull of one final switch, Tony shall become invincible.

But before Tony can power his armor on, he is set upon by Wong Chu and transported to the headquarters of a superior officer. When this man learns of the dual purpose of Tony’s armor, he modifies it so that it can be powered off at the push of a button. And then, he offers Tony an ultimatum: betray America or die…

“You will go along-- and try to find a loophole. Think of it as a battle of wits…”

Best of "What If...?": #23

Volume 1 #40 (1983)
What if Dr Strange had never become Master of the Mystic Arts?

Written by Peter Gillis
Drawn by Butch Guice

Prior to the debut of modern superheroes, our planet had but one great protector: the legendary Ancient One. For years, this wizened mage groomed a man named Mordo to succeed him as Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme. One day, however, a more promising pupil named Stephen Strange arrived on the Ancient One’s doorstep.

Despite his efforts to the contrary, Mordo shortly found his inheritance snatched away from him. But if he had proved himself worthy to the Ancient One sooner, Mordo might have secured his place such that none could have unseated him.

In a universe not so different from our own, Mordo accomplishes this and more, in time growing so confident that he decides to hunt the Ancient One’s most powerful nemesis: the dread Dormammu. Aware that he shall never surmount the Lord of Chaos in a battle of mystical might, Mordo defeats Dormammu by a trick.

“Begone, wretch! You have earned your world’s freedom-- but also my undying hatred! BEWARE!”

Although Dormammu promises never again to invade Earth’s dimension, he places no limits on the pawns that he might deploy in order to exact revenge. One such unwitting ally just so happens to be Stephen Strange…