Who Are The 1980s Avengers? What If…? Season 2 Episode 2 Explained

The second episode of the series continues to explore another alternate timeline of Marvel’s Multiverse. It sends us back in time to 1988, when a 9-year-old Peter Quill, who had awakened his Celestial powers was sent to Earth, and used them to wreak havoc around New York. It turns out, that this version of Quill was sent to Ego directly by Yondu, and was sent to Earth by his father to turn the planet into one of Ego’s extensions.

To counter the threat, a middle-aged Peggy Carter assembled an Avengers team alongside Howard Stark. They’re later joined by Hank Pym, Bill Foster, King T’Chaka, the Winter Soldier, and Wendy Lawson. The team headed to Coney Island, which was heavily bombarded by Quill’s power. A huge battle followed, with Thof finally joining the fight.

The team successfully captured Quill, but Hope van Dyne (who was following Hank at the time) bailed him out, and helped Quill to come to an agreement with the Avengers. The AvengersAfter a series of events, Quill and the Avengers teamed up to fight Ego, who infiltrated their base to take the seedling. 

In the dire situation, the youngling decided to absorb the seedling into his body, and used his newfound power to defeat Ego once and for all. The team then headed back to their respective places, with Hank Pym taking custody of Peter Quill.

As the looming threat was too great, the 1980s Avengers team was rather makeshift and incomplete, but it still contains some of the biggest names. Peggy Carter and Howard Stark are the squad’s executives. Hank Pym used his technology to be Ant-Man, while his former companion, Bill Foster became the Goliath. 

Meanwhile, the Black Panther at the time was King T’Chaka, as T’Challa was still young back then, and Wendy Lawson was revealed to be Mar-Vell. Bucky Barnes and Thor are still the same people, with the latter joining the team a bit later than the rest.

Since the current Avengers lineup has too many members, it’s best to compare this Avengers version to the original lineup in 2012, which includes Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow, and Hawkeye. So, which team is stronger?

When it comes to raw firepower, the 1980s Avengers will take the lead. They have Mar-Vell and Thor on the team, which is enough to dispatch an entire army. More importantly, the 1980s Avengers all have the perfect countermeasures for the 2012 ones, though their technology is lagging a bit behind.

For examples. Hank Pym with his knowledge of the Quantum world and Pym Particles can counter Tony Stark’s advanced technology. Bucky Barnes would prove to be an equal in strength to Captain America, though his ruthlessness and aggressiveness could give him an advantage. 

Meanwhile, Goliath can use his size to hold against the Hulk, while King T’Chaka’s Black Panther can easily take on both Black Widow and Hawkeye. And there’s not much needed to say about Mar-Vell. Therefore, though their technology is a bit old-fashioned, we believe the 1980s Avengers should take the cake.

What do you think about this Avengers lineup? Do you think they can win against the original Avengers team in 2012? Let us know in the comments.