..........•.•• ... Command - Center I · .... '. '. • . '. · . " � · • . • · .� · · . · . � · · e · c Confer .nce Hall · · · · · · • · • Pillars .l · • · · · · · · · · Supplies Reception Room ....... ..•..............•. Victor and Va leria's Suite '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. " '. 6867 OFFICIAL GAME ADVENTURE GATES OF WHAT IF?TM By Roger E. Moore Greetings. I am UATU" the Watcher. I ask you now: What if there were no REED RICHARDS'·? For eons I've lived on the Moon, watching the rise of your Think for a moment. The avalanche of changes wrought in the Earthly race. I have many powers at my command to assist my world's history would be profound if Earth had been robbed of examination of your world - among them being the ability to MR. FANTASTIC'· and his ingenious intellect, his dedication to gaze into other dimensions and realities. I confess to a particular good, and his battles against the evil and criminal elements that interest in divergent universes, in which changes in the so-called plague your world. "natural" course of history have produced worlds at times pro­ The question, however, is not entirely academic. For I have dis­ foundly different from your own, even though your world and the covered a divergent world in which Reed Richards, the corner­ alternate ones share identical histories up to the points of diver­ stone of the Fantastic Four, no longer exists - his career cut gence. short by an accident in his graduate-school days. Even now, the I call these divergent realities "What If?" worlds, since their diver­ avalanche of changes is building, spreading, sweeping across gence revolves around the question, "What if so-and-so had hap­ his world - and, all too soon, across the universe with which you pened, instead of what actually happened?" Perhaps you've read and I are most familiar. aboutsome of these divergent universes in Marvel's What If®?mag­ What if there were no Reed Richards?The Fantastic Four, SPI­ azines. Let us consider a "What If?" question about the founding DER-MANTII, and some of the East Coast AVENGERS'· are about member of that oldest of present-day hero groups, the FANTASTIC to learn the answer. Join them now as they enter one of the myr­ FOUR'" • and explore the consequences of the answer. iad and dangerous Gates of What If. Credits: Designed by Ramblin' Roger E. Moore Illustrations By Jeff Butler and the Marvel Bullpen Edited by Kindly Karen S. Martin Typography by Kim N. Lindau Cover by Jeff Butler Cartography by Dennis Kauth Dedicated to Jeff and Kate Grubb, the Truest of Believers. TSR Inc. poe 756, Lake Geneva, WI 53147 �'- 0-8803&-228-7 TSR, Inc. 6867XXX1501 �.ODuCTS 0' YOU" ...AG'MAflO ..•• The nam� of characters used herein a.refictijious and do not refer to any persons living or dead. Any descriptions including similarities to persons living or dead are merely coincidental. All MarvelCharac­ ters and the distinctive likenesses thereof arelradamarks oltha Marvel ComicsGroup. MARVEL SUPER HEROES. THE AVENGERS. and SPIDER·MAN aretrademarks oftha Marval Comics Group. Copy· right01986M arvel Comics GrouP. adivision of Cadence Industries Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. The TSR logo and PRODUCTS OF YOUR IMAGINATION are trademarks owned by TSR. Inc. Game Design copyright C 1986 TSR Inc. All Rights Reserved. This book is protected underthe copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artworK contained herein is prohibited without the express writlan consent of TSR Inc. and Marvel Comics Group. Distributed to the booktrade in the United States by Random House Inc. and in Canada by Random House Canada Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. JUDGE'S the ways in which its heroes have devel­ the greatest geniuses of his time, dies. oped has a profound impact on the ways Victor von Doom, equally brilliant but more INTRODUCTION that the mainline MARVEL UNIVERSETlO lucky, lives. characters are treated and perceived. Victor is expelled from college, hated by This adventure was designed to be played The Judge should feel free to dissemi­ his classmates for his involvement in with eight players (possibly nine, if SHE­ nate this information on the "What If?" Reed's accidental death. The young Lat­ HULK'" comes along) and one Judge. universe to players, as their heroes ask verian, his face slightly scarred in the More players may be involved, as long as questions and make checks of historical explosion, ponders his future. He decides there are enough heroes for them to play. records. IMPORTANT:Certain bits of infor­ to become a force for good and dedicates It is suggested that members of the Aveng­ mation are not immediately available, par­ himself to three goals that shape his ers or S.H.I.E.L.D." be involved in this ticularly that concerning VICTOR"'s future. One: He returns to his people and adventure in particular, as previously planned invasion of Hell. VALERIA'" may becomes their king, since he learned from detailed in MARVEL SUPER HEROES'" reveal this in Chapter 5, and Victor reveals his mother's spirit that he is the rightful modules and in articles in DRAGON® it in Chapter 7. Let Victor's plans and moti­ ruler of Latveria. Tw o: He carries on the Magazine. S.H.I.E.L.D. agents should vations be a mystery for now. fight for goodness and justice, in memory have the use of MANDROID" armor (see of Reed Richards. And three: He secretly MHAC-8, Weapons Locker, or MHAC-2, The Fantastic Four (and most Marvel vows to one day free his mother's spirit Avengers'" Assembled!) to make up for readers) know that Reed Richards and from the clutches of Mephisto. Reed's their lack of super-powers; such armor is VICTORVON DOOM"' first met as gradu­ death has taught Victor von Doom cau­ quite rare, and perhaps only five suits ate students at Empire State University. tion; he avoids rash action that would exist. If the number of heroes increases, There, Reed discovered that Victor was bring Mephisto's wrath down upon him (as the number and power of villains should building a device that would allow him to happens in What If? 1122). Instead, he also increase. travel astrally, so that Victor could journey begins to lay his plans .... If fewer than eight players are involved, to the netherworld to find the spirit of his Minor events are affected at first. BEN they may play multiple characters, or else dead mother. Reed was in von Doom's GRIMM'" and SUE STORM'" grow closer play fewer characters and take their room, studying his personal papers, when in the wake of the tragedy that robbed chances. They should take the most pow­ Victor entered in a rage. them of a friend (and, in the teenaged erful characters in this event, playing them "You'd better double-check some of Sue's case, a future love). No special with care. The Judge is not encouraged to these equations," Reed warned. "You're rocket program is developed in Central reduce the nature of the opposition, off a few decimals in some places, and City, California. Ben Grimm joins the Air except perhaps in Chapter 1. that could mean ...." Force and becomes a test pilot. This adventure works best when the "Give me that!" roared Victor, snatch­ Then comes the attack of MOLE MAN'" players and Judge focus upon role-playing ing his papers from Reed's hand. "Now against the world's nuclear power plants. the characters involved as they believe get out! Did you hear me?? GET OUT!!" In the mainline MARVEL UNIVERSE"' , the such characters would really act. Because In the mainline MARVEL UNIVERSE"', Fantastic Four score their first victory the heroes are entering a divergent uni­ Victor's arrogance dominates his reac­ against evil by driving his forces back verse in which changes in the history of the tions. Victor proceeds with his experi­ underground. Now, however, it is the MARVEL UNIVERSE'" play a critical part, a ment, with disastrous results. Scarred by armored hero named Victor, champion of working familiarity with the course of the resulting explosion, expelled from col­ Latveria, who leads the fight against the events in the MARVEL UNIVERSE'" is of lege for his unnatural studies, and made SUBTERRANEANS"'. He triumphs, win­ help. Copies of the MARVEL SAGA'" and an outcast by his arrogance, pride, and ning great fame in subsequent battles with OFFICIAL HANDBOOKOF THE MARVEL thirst for vengeance on the world, Victor a wide assortment of super-powered vil­ UNIVERSE'"comics are of great use here, von Doom becomes DOCTOR DOOM"', lains - but then comes the SKRULL'" as is the OFFICIAL MARVEL INDEX TO the greatest foe of the Fantastic Four and invasion, which Reed Richards managed THE FA NTASTIC FOUR"'. a threat to the world. to halt in the mainline universe. The inva- This MARVEL SUPER HEROES'" But in the "What If?" universe, Victor • sion proceeds unhindered, and Earth adventure is unique in that it presents a considers Reed's words. In a series of becomes a conquered planet, a subject wide assortment of new heroes and vil­ events known only to Victor von Doom and world in the intergalactic Skrull Empire. lains, many of them familiar yet different. his wife Valeria, Victor talks to Reed in a Heroes among humanity quickly Some of these new heroes may be used hesitant, less threatening manner, and the appear. ANT-MAN'" , WA SP'", I RON as player characters in this adventure. In two soon decide to pool their efforts. Reed MAN"' , THOR"', and the HULK'" form the this event, it is strongly recommended that was correct; Victor's calculations were off, nucleus of a resistance force known as the the players and Judge study the personali­ but they are quickly corrected.