The second episode of What If...? pays a visit to the Collector's museum, which contains a number of MCU Easter Eggs.
BY MATTHEW SONNACK
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for What If...? Season 1, Episode 2, "What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord," streaming now on Disney+.
The second episode of Marvel's What If...? depicts what would have happened if T'Challa had been taken to space by Yondu instead of Peter Quill. The Black Panther's variant visits the cosmic corners of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and crosses paths with a number of characters previously seen in the Guardians of the Galaxy films. One of these people is Taneleer Tivan, better known as the Collector.
Tivan first appeared in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, where he was shown to have amassed a huge collection of items from across the galaxy, including a number of references to wider Marvel lore. The Collector's appearance in What If...? has him taking on a more actively villainous role, but his collection remains full of recognizable flora, fauna, and relics. Here is a breakdown of every MCU Easter Egg in the Collector's collection.
Cosmo
The first MCU reference in Tivan's collection is also the first collection item seen in Guardians of the Galaxy - Cosmo the Spacedog. Cosmo was sent into space by the Soviets as part of their space program, but ended up being found and kept by the Collector. In Guardians, Cosmo escapes the Collector's museum, but later returns to lick Tivan's face. What If...'s Cosmo ends up becoming a pet for the Ravagers.
Dark Elves
The Dark Elves first appeared in Thor: The Dark World, serving under the command of Malekith the Accursed. Although they were all seemingly wiped out by Thor and his allies, some survived and were seen locked in Tivan's museum in Guardians. Similarly, several Dark Elves are seen being held in Tivan's collection in What If...?, only to escape at the end of the episode.
Howard The Duck
Seth Green reprises his role as Howard the Duck in What If...?. He is locked up in one of the Collector's trophy cases, but T'Challa frees him after he offers to tell T'Challa where the Embers of Genesis are. However, Howard gets distracted by Tivan's alcohol collection and T'Challa leaves him behind as an alarm goes off.
The Collector's Ships
While attempting to locate the Embers of Genesis, T'Challa ends up in a room housing the various ships and vehicles that the Collector has obtained over the years. These include one of the Nova Corps' ships, the Grandmaster's leisure craft, a S.H.I.E.L.D. Quinjet and even what appears to be an X-Wing from the Star Wars franchise.
Korg's Arm
When the Ravagers' treachery is revealed, Tivan decides to take matters into his own hands and engages in a battle with T'Challa. In order to aid himself, Tivan retrieves a gauntlet made from the arm of a Kronan who he describes as chatty. This is a pretty clear reference to Korg, the fan-favorite Kronan and ally of Thor who debuted in Thor: Ragnarok.
Captain America's Shield, Thor's Hammer & Thanos' Sword?
After discarding Korg's arm, the Collector summons a case full of weapons to help him fight T'Challa. There are several familiar items in the case, including Captain America's shield, Thor's hammer and what appears to be Thanos' double-bladed sword. How the Collector was able to acquire these incredibly powerful items, especially Mjolnir, remains unanswered.
Malekith's Dagger
One of the weapons in the Collector's arsenal that receives a spotlight is Malekith's dagger. Malekith was the leader of the Dark Elves in Thor: The Dark World, and his primary weapon was a dagger forged of dark matter. Tivan uses the dagger in his fight against T'Challa, but quickly returns it to his arsenal in favor of a more powerful weapon.
Hela's Helmet And Nercroswords
The most powerful weapon in the Collector's arsenal is Hela's helmet, which he dons towards the end of his battle with T'Challa. It first appeared in Thor: Ragnarok, where it was used by the Asgardian goddess of death in tandem with her obsidian Necroswords. What If...? seems to suggest that it is the helmet itself that produces the Necroswords, as Tivan is able to generate and use them once he puts on the helmet.
Other Familiar Prisoners
After T'Challa and Yondu manage to defeat the Collector and lock him in one of his own cages, they give his slave Carina control over the entire collection. Carina chooses to open the cages and release Tivan's vengeful captives. Many recognizable races and species can be seen among the prisoners, including Kree, Dark Elves and Pluvians (the crystalline species of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's Martinex).
In addition, other species are mentioned earlier in the episode. While T'Challa is asking Howard the Duck where the Embers of Genesis are, Howard name-drops the Frost Giants. These creatures first appeared in Thor, and one of them also appeared as part of Tivan's collection in Guardians of the Galaxy.
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