Who Are The Mech Avengers In What If...? Season 3? Marvel Comics May Give Us A Clue
Marvel Studios is sharing an all-new look at "What If..?" Season 3 on Disney+, and comic book fans may recognize one of the teased storylines. In multiple stills shared about future episodes of the animated series featuring different Marvel situations, variants, realities, and timelines, one shows off Captain America and Sam Wilson in giant mechs. These mechs might be a direct riff on the popular "Avengers: Mech Strike" series.
On X (formerly known as Twitter), the official "What If...?" account gave viewers a glimpse at what's coming next in the series. "From all of us at Marvel Studios, THANK YOU for watching season 2 of #WhatIf and joining us on this journey across time...space...reality. We're excited to share this early look at some of the endless possibilities we'll explore together in Season 3 of What If...?," read the tweet. Accompanying the text was four images. Among them were Wilson's Captain America, Bucky Barnes, and Monica Rambeau at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Others featured Bucky and Steve Rogers — the latter in the Red Guardian costume — looking through a broken window, with a third still potentially being from the same episode, with Red Guardian being lifted into the air by Giant-Man.
However, the most exciting tease is the meched-out Avengers seen in snowy terrain. If the show is basing the "What If...?" episode around the "Avengers: Mech Strike" series, fans are in for a lot of fun.
What is the Avengers: Mech Strike?
In the "Avengers: Mech Strike" series (by Jed MacKay, Carlos Magno, Guru-eFX, and VC's Cory Petit), Kang the Conqueror's attack on Earth with alien-like machines from the future leads Iron Man to give himself and his fellow heroes mech suits capable of taking on the mechanical threats, which are known as Biomechanoids. The five-part miniseries features some good old-fashioned mech action, with the Avengers outfitted with mechs built with vibranium and other upgrades suited to their specific skills and powers.
The main Avengers squad consists of Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, Hulk, and Black Panther, and sees the group take on the nefarious Kang as he tries to gain control of Earth and have time collapse on itself. The book has some shocking moments, including the death (and stunning revival) of a major hero, while Thanos later joins the team to stop his fellow villain's attack. The Mad Titan is equipped with his own mech and serves as a surprise ally, seeing Kang as a threat to his future plans. Ultimately, "Avengers: Mech Strike" is a total blast and doesn't hold back when it comes to pulse-pounding mech battles with a superhero twist.
It remains to be seen whether the "What If...?" episode is directly based on or if it's even inspired by the comic book miniseries. But seeing Captain America and Sam Wilson suit up in their mechs is a promising sign that some version of the storyline may be getting adapted on the small screen.
Avengers: Mech Strike got a monstrous sequel
The Avengers battling in mechs isn't exactly a new concept, dating back to the 2005 "Mega Morphs" miniseries. Still, the idea was rejuvenated with "Avengers: Mech Strike." It led to a monster-filled sequel, "Mech Strike Monster Hunters" (by Christos Gage, Paco Diaz, Dono Sanchez-Almara, Juanjo Ramos, Protobunker's Fer Sifuentes-Sujo, and VC's Cory Petit) that took the story in a more mystical direction. In the five-issue miniseries, Doctor Doom obtains the Eye of the Kraken and uses it to turn himself and a few powerful villains, such as Loki and Venom, into giant-sized monsters. In response, Doctor Strange takes the other Eye and gives the Avengers magical upgrades inside their mechs. In all, "Mech Strike Monster Hunters" leans far more into monsters, magic, and the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe than its predecessor.
The "Mech Strike" line of comics has been adapted before on the Marvel HQ family platform, including most recently in a new spin on the concept, "Marvel's Avengers Mech Strike: Mechasaurs." The company has also made many action figures and other toys based on the series. Time will tell whether "Avengers: Mech Strike" or one of its different spinoff series comes to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in "What If...?" But if the tease for Season 3 is any indication, fans should get ready to see their favorite heroes and villains battle it out in oversized armor with massive stakes. A release date for the upcoming series hasn't been announced.