Every so often a story about Secret Wars would appear in "What if...?" This one was a bit of a puzzle as it asked what would have happened if none of them made it off Battleworld and had raised families. The story was to have taken place 25 years later. However, the publication was dated 1998. Only 14 years after the first issue of the Marvel Superheroes Secret Wars had come out.
Anyway the story starts with Balder, son of Thor and Enchantress, trying to lift his Fathers hammer on his 18th birthday. He can't but says one day he will. He is there with his friends Sarah (daughter of Captain America and Rogue) Mustang (son of Hawkeye and She Hulk) Firefly (son of Human Torch and Wasp) Torent (daughter of Storm and Wolverine) Later they arrive at a surprise party for Balder.
Meanwhile, at Dr.Dooms castle he and his son Malefactor, who is also the son of Enchantress making him Balder's evil half-brother. Enchantress left Thor for Doom but Doom later killed her.
Doom is trying to groom Malefactor to take over Earth when they return. Malefactor doesn't want to wait that long. He wants to take over Battleworld and kills his Father thinking that he is in the way. Then he bands together the children of the villains to take over the world. He tries to recruit Balder but that was his mistake. He wouldn't join and now the heroes are alerted.
They invade Castle Doom. While there Malefactor is beating Balder. Others are are also attacking the older heroes on the outside. In the castle the hammer of Thor burst in and surprised Malefactor. It also surprised Balder as it isn't his Dad. It is Sarah Rogers. She was worthy of lifting the hammer and also has her Dad's old shield. They have Malefactor on the run till Dr. Doom appears. He didn't die but just teleported himself away. He takes Malefactor to discipline him. The young avengers win.
They meet with their parents. Suddenly the Hulk shows up. He had left after the war and had not been seen in 20 years. He was thinking about how they can get back to Earth. He figures out how to do it with Thor's hammer and 30th century equipment from the now deceased Kang. But the Watcher appears. The kids never met him so they tell them he only appears if something bad is about to happen.
The kids ignore this warning and later that night Sarah uses the hammer with the equipment that the Hulk built. The appear on Earth. They start to go back till they see hundreds of Sentinels over New York and the city on fire. Torrent remembers how Professor X told her that when he left Earth mutants were hated. Maybe this is what that hatred turned into and this maybe what the Watcher warned them about. They want to return to their parents but now believe this is their destiny. To save this world from the Sentinels.
