BRONZE AGE MINUTE: What If? #6

Marvel; December 1977
Cover by Rick Hoberg

Title: “What If the Fantastic Four Had Different Super Powers?”
Synopsis: Cosmic rays give birth to a team of heroes known as the Fantastic Four: Big Brain, Dragonfly, Mandroid and Ultra-Woman!

Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Jim Craig and Rick Hoberg
Inker: Sam Grainger

Review: Alternate takes on classic stories and characters are like crack to comic book fans. And, for many years, Roy Thomas was the form’s preeminent dealer. His deep knowledge of continuity provided a firm foundation, while his love of such tales imbued his efforts with energy. A prime example is What If? #6, featuring Thomas’ remix of Marvel’s first family. This foursome is fantastic in their own right, with well thought out powers and a strong team dynamic. The art is solid, too, though a mid-issue switch of pencilers is jarring. While most What If? worlds were clearly throwaways, this one deserved another visit.

Grade: A-

Cool factor: Big Brain’s Baxter Building full of pneumatic tubes is soooo Reed Richards

Character quotable: “It is counter to Latverian protocol to mock one’s betters!” – Doctor Doom, a jerk on this Earth, too

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