Why is a 2007 What If …? comic suddenly making waves on the secondary market? You can thank She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

In a slight change to Jennifer Walters’ origin story, She-Hulk’s first episode saw Bruce Banner infect his cousin with his gamma-tainted blood. That part is in her comic mythos, but it’s in the delivery method where things take a turn. A Sakaarian ship caused their car to careen off the road. The accident left both Bruce and Jennifer bruised and battered, and she was contaminated with Hulk blood, thus triggering her transformation into She-Hulk.

The mere mention of Hulk and Sakaar in the same sentence gives hints at World War Hulk and Skaar, but She-Hulk left us with much more.

In the second episode, we see Hulk being taken back to Sakaar, and many theorists are wondering if this means the Green Goliath’s son is about to make his MCU debut.

That is what is fueling the speculation for the 2007 issue, which is seeing increasing prices as of late.

WHAT IF…? FEATURING PLANET HULK #1

The first time readers were introduced to Skaar was in the non-canonical tales of What If…?. As we saw with What If…? #10 when collectors rushed to eBay for Jane Foster’s initial foray with Mjolnir, canon or not, these are key issues worth owning. It was in the series’ Planet Hulk special where Marvel’s editors gave fans a taste of Hulk’s bouncing baby boy. As we sometimes see in What If…?, the idea took root in the Marvel-616 Universe, and readers were treated to a fully grown Skaar years later.

With Hulk returning to Sakaar in the MCU, collectors and investors went straight to the auction sites for this issue. Two years ago, the graded 9.8 averaged a modest $147. With rumors of Skaar appearing in She-Hulk, the FMV jumped to $519 in 2021. Those values hovered in that $500 range right up until Hulk was last seen in the Sakaarian ship. That has injected steroids into that near-mint copy, and prices have hit a 30-day $603. In fact, two copies crossed the four-digit mark on August 21 with one reaching a record-high $1,300.

While all of us would prefer a crisp, like-new 9.8, it’s not always an option. For those of us on tighter budgets, don’t think you can’t get a copy that’s nearly equal in quality. Downgrade to the 9.6, where the differences are not discernable to the naked eye. At virtually the same condition, you can own that one for closer to $200. 

Still not cheap enough? You can always opt for the 9.2, where the average falls to an even $100.

HULK, JR.

When it comes to the MCU, nothing is ever certain. Marvel Studios has gone full-fledged satire with its Phase Four initiative, which has supremely divided fans. With Hulk taking a side quest back to Sakaar, the indication is that Skaar is coming, but that may not be in the plans. Even if it is, there’s no guarantee that we will get a cool, barbaric son of Hulk.

After all, Marvel does have a tendency to throw away fan-pleasing ideas and characters for the sake of a single joke.

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*Any perceived investment advice is that of the freelance blogger and does not represent advice on behalf of GoCollect.