What's a dead universe look like?

[thanekos]

Somewhere in the multiverse, a Michael Korvac found out.

Before he nullified his universe, though, he'd made sure to remove every possible obstacle that could impede him; to that end, he'd cosmically exiled that universe's Doctor Strange, Silver Surfer, and Phoenix.





Deciding to work at restoring their broken reality, they soon find the thing that made it happen:



and recap the What If that chronicled Korvac's end.

Then something comes to their mind: if nullifying everything creates nothing, then nullifying nothing should create..?

But before they can, a voice interferes:



dead bit of Eternity looks like a coloring book page. Makes sense.

And lays some truth on them:



So convinced, the latter two leave while Doctor Strange stays behind in the universe that he is ultimately still Sorcerer Supreme of, becoming one with it in time.

Comments

[nothingbutcake]

nothingbutcake likes this.

[iskander]

This was an odd little sequel to the best what if? Marve lever did :)

[nezchan]

Steve Strange's carpet don't match his drapes, it would seem.

[cainofdreaming]

That part with Strange always makes me wibble a little. It's so Strange.

Jean, however, is somewhat out of character. But guess she just has a bit different personality in this alternate.

[jlroberson]

My reaction to this was also...well, it was very typical of Silver and Bronze age heroes to go, "Whole universe gone? Ah well, let's get something to eat." More of a god's reaction than a human's, and I found the absolute lack of any feeling of loss in them a little weird.

I mean, I know that's true of the story this follows, too, but that thing is just such a total berserko epic jam(literally--that mid-80s Marvel phenomenon of books done by the whole Bullpen, which particularly popped up in WHAT IF around this time; also books with white panels or minimal backgrounds like this, which saves LOTS of time) that it doesn't really have any room for characterization. This does. But given how they were removed from the other story--basically, they each get a mug-shot panel and then Korvac says "It is done."--I suppose they have reason to not care. "Well, hell, WE were afterthoughts. Fuck 'em."

I also thought that this story provided an excellent backdoor way of bringing Phoenix back, though they did it differently when they did: this one, coming to 616. I wonder, were any stories ever done about these three? I smell potential.

[aegof]

Huh. And here I figured Bird pulled that situation out of thin air.

[proteus_lives]

I have this issue. I love it.