#and apparently withstand the power of six infinity stones?

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

Just going to warn you now not to look up anything with the last episode of What If because you'll absolutely despise it lmao. It's not great.

Too late! 😜

I read a summary of the episode and it is the most ridiculous thing I've read in a long time. I had heard the rumours prior to the release of the season but nothing could prepare me for this. So, Stephen was the villain all along and for... *checks notes*... his obsession with Christine. Again. Wow, so creative. Is there anything to Stephen beyond her? According to the Marvel writers, nope.

It's not like his arc was focused on that in S1 and it got a wonderful conclusion in the finale. Nah, they have to ruin yet another Stephen variant so that they can confirm what the Illuminati said in MoM. Because the Illuminati were such good guys, you see. They were always right.

Stephen is no more than a threat, the same Stephen who had such capacity for goodness that the Ancient One herself was willing to risk her life for him. The same woman who said Stephen is the best of all of them. The same Stephen who chooses to sacrifice his hands and live in pain 24/7 just out of fear of reverting back to who he used to be at the hospital. The same Stephen who sacrifices everything, including his own life, to save people. The same guy who saw his reality be destroyed before his own two eyes and vowed to spend eternity protecting the Multiverse. That same guy is taken on a character regression and goes back to his obsession in S1 as if he had learnt nothing.

Awesome, that's just... great. It would bother me less if MoM had treated him right, addressed his pain and his suffering, and actually cared to focus on him. But this is more salt in the wound. And these guys are preparing a third Strange movie... my, my. If it's not with Scott Derrickson, then I don't want to see it.

Thank you for the warning though, you're too kind 😉