WHAT IF? #35 (1982)

What If? #35 was “What If Elektra Had Lived” by Frank Miller.  

What If 35 elektra

Creatively, nothing like this had been done before. Rather than have Frank Miller draw original art, Marvel took pages from Daredevil #181 and changed the text. There are changes and original panels scattered throughout, and there is a happy ending…

…that obviously didn’t appear in the original. But most of the art is recycled. And it works really well!

They’re even able to add a new character: The Watcher. Uatu speaks through the silhouettes of characters in the original story. In fact, he is at Elektra’s gravesite, telling Matt Murdock of this alternate reality.

Very creative, very cool. One of the best Daredevil stories of all time. And the best What If? of all time, too.

Also in this issue, Roger Stern–with Steve Ditko’s illustrations–tells the story of the Cat People who created Tigra, and What If? Yellowjacket Died shows an alternate future for Janet Van Dyne.

It’s not bad.

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