What If? episode 9 features the debut of the Guardians of the Multiverse in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, who are united by The Watcher in order to take on Ultron. In the animated series, Ultron breaks through into the multiverse after acquiring all of the Infinity Stones, with The Watcher enlisting the help of various superheroes to save all remaining life. But do these Guardians of the Multiverse exist in Marvel comics, or are they a new group created specifically for the animated series?
Who are the Guardians of the Multiverse in Marvel?
The Guardians of the Multiverse, as presented in What If? episode 9, consists of the following superheroes:
- Dr. Strange
- Captain Carter
- Thor
- Star-Lord/T’Challa
- Black Panther/Killmonger
- Gamora
The Guardians of the Multiverse do not exist in Marvel comics, though they do have a relatively close comparison in the form of the Council of the Guardians of All Galaxies. This group consists all members of the Guardians from across various universes, which is similar to the Guardians of the Multiverse, albeit without the GotG moniker. This group first appeared in 2010, and has only briefly been touched upon in the Marvel comics.
However, while the Council of the Guardians of All Galaxies may not be a hugely impactful group in Marvel comics, it’s clearly served as some form of inspiration here. While Star-Lord (albeit T’Challa’s version of the character, not Peter Quill’s) and Gamora are the only links to the actual Guardians of the Galaxy, it’s clear that the superhero group were the What If? creators’ inspiration behind this newly developed team.
While the Guardians of the Multiverse do their job in protecting the various multiverses from Ultron (almost too easily, as our review notes), they don’t quite work perfectly together, given Killmonger’s decision to betray the superhero group. While his plan doesn’t work out, with all the Guardians eventually returning to their own universe anyway, it remains to be seen if they’ll return in What If? season 2.
