What If...? #4

Published in August 1977, What If...? #4 serves as a quintessential entry in the Marvel Comics anthology series that explored alternate realities branching from key moments in established continuity. This specific issue reimagines the origin of the Fantastic Four, posing the question of what would have happened if the team had gained different superpowers during their fateful cosmic ray exposure. It reflects the experimental, imaginative spirit of late-1970s Marvel, where editorial mandates encouraged creators to challenge the rigid boundaries of their shared universe.

The issue was written by Roy Thomas, who was instrumental in shaping the What If...? line, and featured artwork by Jim Craig and Rick Magyar. The creative team aimed to subvert reader expectations by playing with the core archetypes of the Fantastic Four, presenting a version of the team that felt both familiar and alien. While the series was often seen as a creative sandbox, this particular iteration was well-received for its meta-commentary on the nature of comic book tropes and the defining characteristics of Marvel's first family.