Post edited 2:22 pm – 02/22/2011 by Ian

Most of what’s currently tagged as “What If,” to be honest. Banner, the “The End” books, Peter Porker, 1985, Iron Man: Crash, the movie stuff, etc. Basically, my thought is that if it’s a trade with “What If” in the title, or it contains one or more issues of “What If” in the contents, it should have the tag. Otherwise, “Non-Canon.”

The reasoning, in case I didn’t explain this clearly enough, is that “What If?” a specific thing with its own feel and its own purpose. Stories with the “What If” brand are, traditionally, stories narrated by The Watcher, who usually explains that the story you’re about to read takes place in an alternate universe or whatever. It’s kinda campy, but in a fun, Twilight Zone kinda way. They’ve done that from the very first issue in the ’70s all the way through the most recent issues today.

Something like Earth X, on the other hand, takes itself pretty seriously and doesn’t rely on its non-canon status for rhetorical effect.

Also, Iron Man 2020 shouldn’t be “What If” OR “Non-Canon.” It takes place in an alternate universe, but that alternate version of Iron Man later shows up in the Marvel Universe proper.