What If...? season 2: Every episode ranked from worst to best

5. "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?" (Season 2, episode 1)

When I tell you this episode surprised me.

It was an interesting choice to open the second season of What If...? with such a standalone story set in such a standalone world, but my goodness was "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?" worth every moment of it.

In this world, Nebula was rescued from the Black Order by Nova Prime and trained up as a Nova Corps soldier. But when Yondu is killed in the midst of a blackout designed to keep Ronan The Accuser out of Xandar, she must investigate the murder and uncover the truth before Ronan's forces infiltrate the planet. What she discovers rocks all of us to our very core, as it turns out that the one person who had faith in her is also the one to set her up.

I love this episode so much. While the season 1 premiere was a triumphant affair, this one is full of tension, and it slowly increases throughout. It's very Cyberpunk and intentionally joyless, with the backdrop of the sealed-off Xandar creating an inherently grim atmosphere. It's a thrilling way to open the season, with a great mystery at its heart, and Nebula makes for a compelling protagonist.