“What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” is the sixth episode of Marvel’s What If? series, which explores alternate realities. In this episode, Killmonger rescues Tony Stark from captivity and helps him to create a new Iron Man suit.
The what/if season 1 episode 7 recap is a review of the What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? episode.
What If…? – Season 1, Episode 6 “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” REVIEW: What If…? – Season 1, Episode 6 “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?”
“To assassins.”
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Is “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” the end of Marvel’s new animated series’ winning run, which began with that awful second episode? Both yes and no. It’s not terrible by any means, and it tackles some intriguing concepts with the What If…? hook. The issue is that it has too much on its mind for a half-hour program and neglects one of its two major characters, thus stopping its investigation into manufactured heroics.
When Tony Stark is attacked in Afghanistan, Killmonger saves him at the last minute, rescuing him from his own weapons and the militants who wield them. When they return to the United States, the two form a collaboration to create even better weaponry for the US military, with Tony Stark leaning more heavily towards weapons production rather than leaving it. Has Killmonger’s path changed as much as that of his new closest friend?
Once again, the real alteration to the MCU narrative is not what the episode’s title suggests. Killmonger is tasked to infiltrate the Ten Rings group in “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” (which, thanks to Shang-Chi, is allowed to be a thing again). The first significant consequence of this shift is Tony Stark’s rescue. And it leads to a fast conclusion of Iron Man’s plot: Killmonger exposes Obadiah Stane very immediately and makes such an impact on Tony that he becomes the new COO of Stark Industries approximately thirty seconds after Tony appoints him as his security chief. The world’s most renowned weapons inventor has teamed up with one of the world’s most ruthless murderers, setting the scene for a dramatic leap forward in contemporary warfare.
*SPOILERS*
The true question in “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” is how and if this new route affects both men. Tony Stark loses the experience that catapulted him to heroism, and he reverts to the squishy millionaire businessman he was before to his encounter with the Ten Rings. Rather of experiencing the agony and misery of his weapons himself, he just watches them being taken over by terrorists. He concentrates entirely on rage and moves ahead with his company’s most renowned product without that experience. Tony also fails to learn responsibility, ultimately handing over his new combat technology to the military rather than utilizing it to rescue lives. He isn’t wicked; he’s simply naive and detached from reality, thinking he’s making a difference when all he’s doing is keeping the wheel turning.
At first glance, Killmonger seems to be heading in the same path, but in reverse. He has a chance to devote himself to something other than murdering on behalf of others thanks to Tony Stark. Now he has the ability to change the way battles are conducted and fulfill the potential he was denied as a kid. But there’s a catch: although “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” takes away Tony’s defining moment, it doesn’t take away Killmonger’s. He still had to see T’Chaka murdering his father and endure being abandoned by his own people. Tony isn’t a new buddy to him; he sees him as a chance to fulfill his dream of reclaiming the country that has thrown him out like trash. And this is how he wins: he murders T’Challa and uses Stark Industries and the US military to seize the Wakandan kingdom and the Black Panther mantle for himself. Taking away Tony Stark’s epiphany has ramifications, even for individuals he would never have met otherwise.
Killmonger’s storyline proves to be much more significant than Tony’s, to the point that he is the main emphasis of the episode. This isn’t necessarily a negative thing; Killmonger is a fascinating guy and one of the best MCU villains, and learning more about his mission is intriguing. We speak about providing individuals chances to improve themselves in a caring way, but what happens when that opportunity is offered to someone who is obsessed by evil? “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” refers to his vision of a global racial war in admonishing Tony for refusing to recognize the differences between the two of them, without focusing on it or even mentioning it explicitly. And his manipulation of Tony, General Ross, Ulysses Klaue, and pretty much the whole country of Wakanda is even more Machiavellian than his plan in Black Panther, with hints of T’Challa’s combat tactics from Avengers: Infinity War thrown in for good measure.
However, this comes at the cost of Tony Stark. Tony’s and the world’s reactions to losing Iron Man are never fully addressed. What little of Tony’s narrative remains serves Killmonger’s growth, as shown by Killmonger’s murder of Tony halfway through the episode. I appreciate the intent to deceive the viewer, but “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” places a lot of focus on Tony in the beginning, so seeing him dismissed with so much of the narrative still to go is unsettling. The notion that Tony’s rescue stops him from becoming a hero isn’t addressed in depth; they might have presented a counter-argument by having Killmonger’s transformation be what drives Tony to build the Iron Man suit, claiming that the hero was always within and only needed to be let out. A handful of sentences towards the end attempt to compensate, but they fall short. The story is still engaging, but it would have been much better if Tony had not been abandoned.
You’ll be surprised to learn that the animation in “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” is still terrible. Tony’s face appears like it’s been injected with Botox; he hardly moves it, but it also has these strange lifts that make him seem like he’s undergone cosmetic surgery. The other characters aren’t any better; Obadiah Stane doesn’t look like Jeff Bridges, and the voice actor doesn’t sound like him, and Happy Hogan is still a badly conceived character. Although Killmonger resembles Michael B. Jordan, the absence of emotions leaves the voice acting, which is otherwise excellent, stuck. I have to give credit to Mick Wingert, who voices Tony Stark; he sounds eerily similar to Robert Downey Jr., to the point where I mistook him for Eric Loomis, who also perfectly recreated Downey’s voice in Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (an amazing show you should seek out and watch) and a few video games. What If…? has the potential to be a fantastic show if the animation matches the voice acting.
“What if Killmonger came to Tony Stark’s rescue?” It largely maintains the series’ excellence, although it falters in its treatment of Tony Stark’s journey. Although the animation is still poor, the voice acting is among the finest on the program, and Killmonger’s narrative is intriguing.
Plot – 7
Acting – 8 points
7 Progression
Design for Production – 5
8 characters
7
“What if Killmonger came to Tony Stark’s rescue?” It largely maintains the series’ excellence, although it falters in its treatment of Tony Stark’s journey. Although the animation is still poor, the voice acting is among the finest on the program, and Killmonger’s narrative is intriguing.
What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? is the sixth episode in the first season of the Netflix original series, Marvel’s Iron Fist. The episode was released on November 27th, 2017 and is directed by Victoria Mahoney. Reference: when was tony stark born.
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