What If...? (What If...? Vol. 2 #14)

What If... Captain Marvel Had Not Died?

Script by Steve C. Ringgenberg (script and co-plot) and M.J. Jorgensen (co-plot), pencils by M.J. Jorgensen, inks by Ian Akin and Brian Garvey. Cover pencils by Ron Lim, inks by Terry Austin.

Captain Marvel decided to get tests done after his exposure. He discovered that he had cancer. He went to Reed Richards, Dr. Strange, and Dr. Blake. After making sure that Rick doesn't have cancer, the three doctors went to work. Dr. Strange decided to take everyone to another dimension where they can safely take off the nega bands and work on curing the cancer. This dimension keeps time still so they can work for years and no time would pass on Earth or for either one of them. After Captain Marvel is finally cured, he decided to work on stopping war between the Kree and the Skrull.

While he was away, Silver Surfer felt a strange amount of bad energies starting to creep around the Earth and the universe. He felt helpless since he's trapped on Earth. So, he went to the Fantastic Four only to discover that the team has the same cancer that Captain Marvel has and it's contagious. Dr. Strange and Dr. Blake are also sick and they managed to get Silver Surfer off of Earth so that he can go and get Captain Marvel so they can find a cure.

Silver Surfer traveled through the galaxy and found the Kree only they are dying from the plague. They thought it was the work of the Skrull but Silver Surfer is convinced that it was Captain Marvel.

On Earth, Ben Grimm died from the cancer and Reed mourned him. Then, he realized that Rick was still perfectly healthy and so he did tests on the human.

Silver Surfer found Captain Marvel and his beloved, Elysius, fighting the Skrull and the Kree and tried to get him to listen to reason. They fought until Silver Surfer forced him to use his cosmic awareness on Elysius. Captain Marvel discovered that he is causing innocent people to die from his disease. He went back to Earth and found that Rick had antibodies to help the humans and Elysius. Unfortunately, it won't work on the aliens. Captain Marvel decided to have Dr. Strange send him to another dimension where he won't cause any more deaths. Elysius went with him to eternal exile.

With the plague gone, people kept on going on Earth with the Fantastic Four getting a new member. Ironically, Captain Marvel's plague killed so many Kree and Skrull that there was some peace between the races.

Silver Surfer went to Galactus to accept his punishment for leaving Earth only for Galactus to just forgive him. No one really knows why.