Marvel Comics, February 1977
Cover uncredited

Title: “What If Spider-Man Had Joined the Fantastic Four?”

Synopsis: In an alternate universe observed by the Watcher, a young Spider-Man becomes a paid member of the FF.

Writer: Roy Thomas
Penciler: Jim Craig
Inker: Pablo Marcos

Review: What If #1 offers compelling evidence that the inmates really were running the Marvel asylum during the ’70s. Roy Thomas has never denied his fanboy roots, but rarely has he embraced them to this extreme. There’s little question the “What If?” concept has potential, but the execution, at least here, is wanting. This issue features too much insider baseball; the story fixates on small details of Marvel continuity instead of finding a voice of its own. Later issues would be better — check out Thomas’ outstanding What If? #6, for example — but this debut is a bit of a dud.

Grade: B

Cool factor: The “What If?” concept. While the series often didn’t reach its potential, the concept had a high cool factor.

Not-so-cool factor: Spidey’s Fantastic Five spider logo.

Character quotable: “But there are worlds within worlds — and worlds which exist side by side with your own, separated from it only by the thinnest web of cosmic gossamer.” – Uatu, the Watcher

A word from the writer/editor: “… I decided I wanted to deal with the kinds of stories we just couldn’t do in our ‘normal’ books (if there is such a thing around mixed-up Marvel).” – Roy Thomas, from this  issue’s “Why Not?” letters page.

Collected in: What If? Classic Vol. 1

Each week, Andrew Wahl takes a look at a Bronze Age Fantastic First. This week, it’s the first issue of Roy Thomas’ labor of love, What If? For more reviews like this one, check out Wahl’s website, ComicsBronzeAge.com, which features a new review of an old comic every weekday. Bronze Age Fantastic Firsts reviews © 2010 Off the Wahl Productions. All rights reserved.