Disney+’s What If…? series kicked off with a bang, and the fallout will send collectors on a scavenger hunt for Exiles #3 and Bullet Points #1. Here’s a look at some What If...? keys.

*BEWARE -- This blog contains spoilers and plot details from Disney+'s What If...? series. Read at your own risk!

Click on book titles to dive deeper into the sales data!

Marvel has kept the market on edge all year. Between WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki on Disney+ and Black Widow finally reaching theaters, each entry into the MCU gives collectors new targets. With What If…? exploring Marvel’s alternate timelines, there should be plenty of once-overlooked issues for collectors and speculators to drool over.

The first episode delved into an alternate World War II in which Peggy Carter was given the super-soldier serum, transforming her into Captain Carter. The surprise appearance, however, was Steve Rogers’ turn as Iron Man, nicknamed the “Hydra Stomper” in what was clearly a nod to the Hulk.

After you finish the show’s debut episode, take a closer look at these three keys that will gain the most traction as a result.

TALES OF SUSPENSE #77

The breakout star of the initial episode is Peggy Carter, and it has already reignited interest in her first full appearance. After being shown briefly in TOS #75, Agent Carter would make her full debut in TOS #77, and that is what makes this the bigger seller of the two.

In anticipation of Peggy’s debut as Captain Carter, a 7.0 sold for a record $220 on August 1. A 5.5 followed suit, earning $171 for a new high of its own. Just last month, a 9.6 blew the roof off its previous marks when a copy sold for $1,250, which was only the second time that grade had cracked $1k. 

EXILES #3

The secret was out for this issue after the first advertisements for What If…? were released. As soon as fans spotted Peggy Carter taking up her version of the vibranium shield, the search was on for Captain Carter’s comic debut. Here we have her front and center for the first time on both the standard and variant for Exiles #3.

Although Peggy is sporting the Union Jack rather than the Stars and Stripes in the show, this is still considered the debut of Captain Carter. The standard edition graded at a 9.8 has a 90-day average of $323, and the last sale from July saw it reach a new high of $345.

The game variant features Captain Carter striking the iconic Rosie the Riveter pose from the WWII-era posters. This was a ratio variant, and that automatically makes it harder to find, hence the inflated prices, resulting in a $909 sale in July.

BULLET POINTS #1

Marvel dug deep into the obscure titles to find this one. In 2006, acclaimed writer J. Michael Straczynski penned his very own version of a What If…?, but with his signature touch.

This particular issue created an alternate Marvel history, one that clearly inspired the first episode of the Disney+ series. Bullet Points #1 saw the Nazi sleeper agent succeed in stopping the super-soldier experiment.  With no super soldiers, Steven Rogers volunteers to be surgically grafted to the Iron Man suit, thus permanently connecting him to the armor.

This is not quite the same Hydra Stomper suit from What If...?, but Bullet Points is clearly the inspiration for that character, and that is going to send collectors after this issue. To this point, hardly anyone has been interested in it. The last time a graded copy sold, a 9.8 brought $30. There are plenty of raw copies for sale on the auction sites, but prices are already picking up the pace. After mostly staying in the $5 range, the past two days have seen values hoisted into the $10 spectrum.

ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES

With the What If...? series adding new characters to the alternate MCU with every episode, this will keep collectors busy from week to week. The word on the internet is that some of these concepts could find their way into the cinematic Earth-616, and that is what will truly up the ante on the values.

Will you be investing in any What If...? keys? What did you think of episode #1? Let us know in the comments!

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