What If…? was a comic that ran for years, showing different versions of major events in the Marvel Universe. It had some great stories, and some kind of forgettable ones, but offered writers a chance to put their own spins on great stories in comic book history. When Disney+ starting making shows set in the MCU, they included an animated version of What If, which featured many of the stars of the movies coming back to reprise their roles. It was so successful, it became the second Marvel series on Disney+ to get more than one season, just behind Loki. Returned for a new series of could-have-been tales, What If started off with an out of this world story.

Xandar, home of the Nova Corps (a very, very different thing in the MCU than in the comics) was seen briefly in two of the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Now it’s the setting for a sci fi/noir ala Blade Runner. In this story, we get to see What If… Nebula joined the Nova Corps.

The major turning point in this world is that Ronan not only never fought the Guardians, but somehow or other managed to gain enough power to slay Thanos and all the Black Order. So while The Snap never happens, things get really grim as Ronan’s forces lay siege to Xandar, forcing the planet to retreat behind a force field that keeps out the invading army, but also the majority of the system’s sunlight, giving everything that dark, noir look.

Here, following the death of her sister Gamora, Nebula ended up being inspired by Nova Prime and joining the Nova Corps. She starts off investigating the death of a familiar character, and is very much the outsider in the Corps, looked down on by most of her fellow peace officers. Following the trope of refusing to give up on a case, she finds the murder was part of a much larger scheme, and pits her against a wide array of foes, gives her unexpected allies, and even the signature weapon of another character for a time. There are plot twists, a shady bar owner, an unexpected betrayal, and for me at least, a fair amount of “Hey, how’d that character end up here?” that’s never addressed.

Eventually, Nebula bounces back from nearly being killed herself, assembles a rag-tag crew of unexpected helpers, and does what she feels is right, no matter who is standing against her. There were a lot of reveals I didn’t see coming, and I enjoyed the story. By the end of the episode, Xandar is a very different place than it was at the start, and Nebula pulls off a very clever trick to save her adopted world and deal with a mass of deadly would-be conquerors.

What I Liked: I’m impressed with how many of the movie actors retuned to voice their characters for this show. I really enjoyed the story, and they got the noir feeling really well. Karen Gillan did a great job with this very different version of Nebula. All the voice actors did well. The major twist I did not see coming. I enjoyed Nebula’s creative use of someone else’s weapon and the way she got control of it. The trick to end the threat to the planet was really nicely done.

What I Didn’t: A powerful weapon got destroyed far too easily. I really don’t get how so many characters ended up on this planet, at least one without their almost-always-seen partner. I wasn’t really clear on how Ronan managed to kill Thanos.

I thought this was a great episode and I am looking forward to the rest of the season. I’ll give this a 4 out of 5. We’ll see what the Watcher serves up next episode.