What If…?: What’s hidden in plain sight in episode 5

The Vision plot hole

Now it’s at Camp Lehigh where the What If…? survivors find the Vision (Paul Bettany), along with head-in-the-jar Scott, and are told that the Mind Stone holds the cure for the zombie plague. We also see that the Mind Stone, so long as it’s still a part of Vision, is what’s keeping the zombies at bay and from overrunning the base. Finally, this is where the survivors learn that Vision (in a neat inversion of WandaVision) is keeping a zombified version of Wanda “alive” by feeding her amputated portions of T’Challa’s body.

And this where the first of two major plot holes occur in this episode. We know that T’Challa was with the Avengers in San Francisco when the outbreak first started. We know it was also the Vision who saved T’Challa from being turned into a zombie, which also means the Vision had to have been there. Likewise, he had to go to San Francisco in order to retrieve Scott Lang to cure him with the Mind Stone, too. But if Vision can halt the zombies with the Mind Stone – and do so at a sizable range – then why didn’t he stay in San Francisco as to try to quarantine the outbreak there?

This also brings up another question regarding Wanda. We’re told that the Mind Stone cannot cure Wanda from being undead due to her powers’ connection with that Infinity Stone. But again, if the Mind Stone can keep the zombies at bay and stop them from moving closer, and Wanda had presumably been with Vision, then how did Wanda get infected in the first place?

The Thanos plot hole

Still, this is nothing compared to the episode’s cliffhanger ending showing an zombie version of Thanos having already invaded Wakanda, with five of the Infinity Stones already in his possession. Wait a minute… five Infinity Stones?

As “What If… Zombies?!” takes place concurrently with Avengers: Infinity War with all the action confined to Earth, it’s easy to account for how Thanos would still have the Power, Space, Reality, and Soul Stones. But the Time Stone? That should still be encased inside the Eye of Agamotto in Doctor Strange’s possession.  Since both Strange and Iron Man became zombies in this universe, neither they, along with Spidey, ever went into space. Which means the standoff with Thanos on Titan never happened. And since Strange is the only one to open the Eye of Agamotto, how did Thanos get a hold of the Time Stone in this universe?

There’s other puzzling questions, too, such as how did Thanos get infected? Does he still want to eliminate half of all life in the universe now that he’ll need a hefty supply of fresh meat? How does he know that Spidey, Scott, and T’Challa are heading to Wakanda? Why would even go there if the Soul Stone isn’t there? Wouldn’t he have gone to Camp Lehigh since that’s where the Vision originally was? Moreover, how did he get into Wakanda? Guess the Space Stone helped him out on that last one.

Oh well, I guess the main takeaway is that this is yet another universe that’s potentially doomed, and we shouldn’t worry about the logistics since What If…? isn’t likely revisiting this reality any time soon. Then again, maybe the Marvel Zombies will start getting hungry.

Spot any other Easter Eggs, clues, or other zombified heroes during What If…? season 1, episode 5? Are you enjoying What If…? so far? Let us know what you found in the comments!