For Want of a Nail: Difference between revisions
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*** Note here that Osterman probably wouldn't acknowledge there was a "nail" at all. Since he sees all times in his life simultaneously, his worldview is that everything in his life is fated to happen - that is, there is no divergent timeline that the "lack of a nail" could create. |
*** Note here that Osterman probably wouldn't acknowledge there was a "nail" at all. Since he sees all times in his life simultaneously, his worldview is that everything in his life is fated to happen - that is, there is no divergent timeline that the "lack of a nail" could create. |
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* [[Marvel Comics]] has the ''What If?'' series, a title based ''entirely'' on this trope. Issues that occur include what would have happened if [[Spider-Man]] had joined the Fantastic Four; what would have happened if Rick Jones had been turned into the Hulk instead of Bruce Banner; what would have happened if the Invisible Woman had stayed with Namor; what would have happened if Jane Foster had found Mjolnir instead of Dr. Donald Blake; what would have happened if Aunt May had been killed by the burglar instead of Uncle Ben, etc. What's especially noteworthy about these series is how much '''worse''' off many of the characters tend to be if things didn't turn out the way they did (interestingly, Spider-Man, usually Marvel's whipping boy, comes off better than before at least as often as he comes off worse, probably because the default state of his life is suuuuuck). |
* [[Marvel Comics]] has the ''What If?'' series, a title based ''entirely'' on this trope. Issues that occur include what would have happened if [[Spider-Man]] had joined the Fantastic Four; what would have happened if Rick Jones had been turned into the Hulk instead of Bruce Banner; what would have happened if the Invisible Woman had stayed with Namor; what would have happened if Jane Foster had found Mjolnir instead of Dr. Donald Blake; what would have happened if Aunt May had been killed by the burglar instead of Uncle Ben, etc. What's especially noteworthy about these series is how much '''worse''' off many of the characters tend to be if things didn't turn out the way they did (interestingly, Spider-Man, usually Marvel's whipping boy, comes off better than before at least as often as he comes off worse, probably because the default state of his life is suuuuuck). |
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** One particularly noteworthy example is the story ''[[Bullet Points]]'', where one bullet kills Dr. Erskine and Ben Parker. Effect? {{spoiler|There's no [[Captain America (comics)]], Steve Rogers is [[Iron Man]], Peter Parker becomes [[ |
** One particularly noteworthy example is the story ''[[Bullet Points]]'', where one bullet kills Dr. Erskine and Ben Parker. Effect? {{spoiler|There's no [[Captain America (comics)]], Steve Rogers is [[Iron Man]], Peter Parker becomes [[Incredible Hulk|Hulk]], [[Fantastic Four (Comic Book)|Reed Richards]] [[Alternate Universe Reed Richards Is Awesome|gets]] [[Nick Fury]]'s job, Bruce Banner becomes [[Spider-Man]], [[Doctor Strange|Stephen Strange]] never learns magic, and all the heroes and villain have to fight with Galactus, because there's no [[Fantastic Four]] that could stop him.}} All because of '''one''' bullet! |
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** While ''[[What If]]'' generally used this trope straight, stories occasionally [[Playing with a Trope|played with it]]. One story has the [[Fantastic Four]] never receiving their powers, but becoming entirely successful adventurers anyway. |
** While ''[[What If]]'' generally used this trope straight, stories occasionally [[Playing with a Trope|played with it]]. One story has the [[Fantastic Four]] never receiving their powers, but becoming entirely successful adventurers anyway. |
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*** The Fantastic Four ''were'' successful adventurers before the rocket flight, even in canon. |
*** The Fantastic Four ''were'' successful adventurers before the rocket flight, even in canon. |
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