Season 2 Episode 2 of Marvel’s What If follows the story of a young Peter Quill (Mace Montgomery Miskel) if he was delivered to his father, Ego (Kurt Russell). In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the story as we know it sees Peter Quill get taken by a group called The Ravagers led by Yondu (Michael Rooker). Yondu raised Peter as his own, but in this alternate universe, Yondu returns him to his father.
Ego shows Peter the power that he possesses inside him, and he sends Peter to earth, threatening all life on the planet. This forces Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Howard Stark (John Slattery), to put together a team to try and stop Ego and Peter. This team includes, Dr. Hank Pym/Ant-Man (Michael Douglas), Dr. Bill Foster/Goliath (Laurence Fishburne), Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), King T’Chaka/Black Panther (Atandwa Kani), and Wendy Lawson/Mar-vell (Keri Tombazian). The team also receives help from Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and a young Hope van Dyne (Madeleine McGraw).
After Peter crash lands on Earth, the team finds him at Coney Island, where Peter just seems to be enjoying himself. The team attempts to attack Peter but he proves to be too strong, fighting them off, forcing them to retreat, and that’s when Thor comes in and apprehends him. Thor tells the rest of the team that Ego and Peter destroyed Asgard and the other realms and that only Earth remains. Ego has been doing this with his celestial seedling, which he uses to implant his essence into the world, but the seedling is a fuse that needs to be lit by Peter since he has the powers.
After this discovery, Hope van Dyne is minding her business when she comes across a captured Peter. Hope is able to recognize that Peter is just a kid, like her, and they bond over the fact that they’ve both lost their mothers. Hope frees Peter, forcing the team to have to capture him again. However, this is when Ego comes to earth to finish what he started. The team of Thor, Peggy, Goliath, and Black Panther try to fend him off.
Meanwhile, Hank, Bucky, and Lawson all go to Peter. Bucky has his sites on him, ready to fire, but Hank tries to get through to him, understand him, thanks to his daughter. Howard Stark tries to talk down Bucky from shooting Peter, and is successful, and Peter joins the team to try and stop his father. The crew flies to where Ego is, and just as all hope seems lost, Hank and Peter fly in and save the day, as they defeat Ego.
This episode has just about everything you could ask for in a What If episode, and it encapsulates multiverse storytelling so well. It takes a familiar character, and shows us how one small decision could’ve impacted his life greatly. However, it also doesn’t forget who Peter Quill is as a person, and they stay true to that.
This episode also uses the character of Bucky Barnes extremely well, when Howard mentions Steve Rogers, it’s a very humanizing moment for the Winter Soldier, and Bucky chooses not to shoot Peter. This was another great example of Marvel staying true to their characters, even in the multiverse.
In conclusion, Season 2 Episode 2 of Marvel’s What If gives us a new perspective on the life of Peter Quill, while also staying true to his character, giving us an alternate Avengers, good action sequences, a heartwarming story, and engaging plot.
Rating: 8/10