The second season of Marvel’s What If…? is here. The animated series will once again take us through various hypothetical situations that put some of our favorite characters in completely new circumstances. And to kick things off, we get an answer to the question, “What If… Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?”
The episode opens with a group of fighter jets tailing some kind of flying object. Peggy Carter gives orders to the pilots to shoot down the object, which crashes in New York City. We also learn that this episode is set in 1988. Police surround the object, which we can now see is some kind of ship. A child emerges and The Watched explains that this is Peter Quill, who uses celestial abilities to destroy all of the cop cars surrounding him.
After the title sequence, The Watcher explains that, in this universe, Yondu delivered Quill to his father, Ego, who taught him how to be a celestial being. Ego began using Quill to launch “the expansion,” his plan to reshape the universe in his image, like we saw in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Back on Earth, Carter and Howard Stark watch as Quill wreaks havoc in New York. Peggy pitches the idea of assembling a team to stop Quill, without ever actually calling them the Avengers. Stark asks who is on the roster, and we cut to a younger Hank Pym caring for his daughter Hope at home. The phone rings and Pym hangs up on Stark immediately. When he calls back though, he tells Hank to turn on the TV and he sees what Quill is doing and reluctantly agrees to come in.
Now on the base of Project Pegasus, which we know from Captain Marvel, Hank meets the rest of the team that’s been assembled: Bill Foster AKA Giant Man, King T’Chaka AKA Black Panther and the Winter Soldier. A few continuity tidbits are thrown into this scene. First Hank references the fact that Hope’s mother, Jan Van Dyne, has been killed during their work with Project Pegasus. Then, Stark thanks T’Chaka for his father assisting them with World War II and mentions the vibranium he donated that they used to make a shield, which has since been lost in the arctic – of course a reference to Captain America. And finally, when the Winter Soldier enters, Peggy points out to Howard that he looks just like Bucky and Stark refers to a rumor which he now believes to be true.
The group is briefed on what they need to do before being introduced to Dr. Wendy Lawson, who we know from Captain Marvel to be Mar-Vell, the Kree scientist. Now assembled, the team heads to Coney Island to try and stop Quill.
While Lawson secures the ship that brought Quill to Earth, the rest of the team confronts Quill. In a reference to Ant-Man and the Wasp, Pym comments on Foster being bigger than his previous max size and T’Chaka wonders aloud if they’re finished “measuring their statures.” They move in on Quill but are quickly overpowered by his celestial abilities. Lawson arrives in Quill’s ship just in time to keep the Winter Soldier from firing a kill shot, but Quill destroys the pod and Foster dives to save Lawson as a bit of the Avengers theme plays.
The team tries to retreat but Quill uses his powers to stop them. Their struggle is interrupted though and lightning strikes and Thor arrives. The God of Thunder knocks Quill unconscious we cut to him being locked in a cell at Pegasus. Thor explains Ego’s plan to the group and reveals that Asgard and the other realms have already fallen, with Earth being the only one remaining. He also shares that he has Ego’s seedling, which he uses to launch the expansion, as he has recovered it from Missouri. Thor explains that they need a celestial to destroy the seedling and Pym wants to make Quill do it.
Hope dances and sings as she listens to a walkman. She dances past Quill and tries to get him to sing with her. He doesn’t know the words but he explains that his mom loved the song and he just wants to go home to Missouri. An alarm sounds as Hope springs Quill from his cell.
Hope explains to the team of heroes that Quill isn’t the problem and that it’s Ego who is the real threat. Thor starts to storm out, exclaiming that the boy needs to face Asgardian justice. Foster argues that they need to study him but the Winter Soldier says they need to kill him. The group argues a bit before Hope explains that Peter needs their help and she makes Hank promise to help him.
Ego learns that Quill crashed on Earth and he heads there to meet him and finish the expansion. The heroes see that the seedling begins to glow as Ego approaches. With Ego now on Earth, T’Chaka proposes they need Quill to face off against his father and Lawson and Hank head off to recover him. Meanwhile, Peggy, Foster, Thor, T’Chaka and an army stand in the desert to meet Ego.
Thor makes the first move against the celestial but he is easily turned away. Ego explains his plan to essentially engulf the planet and recreate it in his image before creating an army of himself to attack the heroes. Eventually, Ego creates a mountainous statue of himself as the fight continues.
Peggy tells Stark to evacuate the seedling and he calls the Winter Soldier to do it but gets no response. We see that the assassin is also in Missouri and has Quill in his crosshairs. Pym approaches the boy and tries to convince him to help them. Meanwhile, the fight in the desert starts to go south for the heroes. The Winter Soldier receives orders from his handler to kill Quill, but Stark intercepts the signal and talks him down. Hank convinces Quill to help them and the Winter Soldier drops his gun.
Ego uses his powers to grab the seedling from the base and begins pulling it back toward the mountain of himself before Lawson, Pym and Quill arrive just in time to stop him. Pym grabs the seedling and takes Quill inside the mountain to confront his father. After a debate between the two, Ego reveals that he killed Peter’s mother, which sets him off, just like it did in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Peter absorbs the seedling and uses Ego’s own power against him, putting an end to the fight.
Back in the Pym home, the heroes have assembled once again for a victory party. Lawson gives Goose to Hope and Quill, who appears to be a part of the Pym family now. Stark explains that the Winter Soldier is in the wind and that he thinks he got through to him, breaking at least a piece of Bucky Barnes free. Thor puts an end to the celebration by explaining that he needs to destroy Ego’s planetary form to truly remove the threat. Pym tells him they’re a team now and Thor tells them to suit up. As the episode comes to a close, we see the full group deliver a perfect 80s slow motion walk as they get ready for their next fight.
Another strong episode from the second season of What If…?. While the season premiere gave us a mystery/thriller, this one was much more of a classic Marvel action film. Still, it managed to feel as though it had the weight of a full blown Avengers film and that is quite an accomplishment for a half-hour episode. Here’s hoping this installment plays a role in the future of the series because there are plenty of characters here I would love to see again.
New episodes of Marvel’s What If…? season 2 will debut daily between now and December 30 on Disney+.