The second season of Marvel’s What If…? is here. The animated series will once again take us through various hypothetical situations that put some of our favorite characters in completely new circumstances. And with the seventh episode, we get an answer to the question, “What If… Hela Found the Ten Rings?”
The episode opens with The Watcher explaining the story of Odin and Hela’s conquest, which we first heard in Thor: Ragnarok. In this universe though, rather than banishing Hela to Hel, Odin exiles her to Earth and give her the full Thor treatment. He puts the same magic on her crown that he put on Mjolnir for Thor, but Hela must learn the value of mercy. After it lands on Earth, Hela’s crown is found by Wenwu and the Ten Rings.
After the title sequence, Hela awakens on Earth to find herself surrounded by the Ten Rings. Wenwu confronts her and she attempts to use her powers but quickly learns that she no longer has them. After she is hit by one of the Ten Rings, she is surprised to see that she is bleeding. Still, she manages to fight off several of the soldiers before Wenwu uses the rings to bind her.
Wenwu brings Hela to her crown and allows her to try and take it. However, just like in Thor, she is unable to lift it because of Odin’s magic. They watch as she fails to lift it again and again and eventually take her back to their fortress.
Wenwu invites Hela to join him for dinner and offers her a dress to wear. She accepts and as they share a meal, he proposes an alliance between the two of them but Hela sites her father’s perceived betrayal and explains that she won’t trust Wenwu not to do the same.
Wenwu assures her he wants to fight by her side to protect the world. It appears as though Hela has been sold nn the offer, but instead she knocks Wenwu out and makes a run for it. With the Ten Rings giving chase, Hela stumbles upon Morris, the furry friend of Trevor Slattery from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and they get away on horseback.
Eventually, Morris leads her to the enchanted woods that lead to Ta Lo. She heads inside and, as you would expect, has to make a run for it as the woods collapse around her. She eventually escapes, finding the beauty of Ta Lo before being ambushed and knocked out by Jiayi. We then see Heimdall who explains that he can no longer see Hela.
Later, Hela wakes up to find herself surrounded by the people of Ta Lo. Jiayi explains the purpose of Ta Lo and Hela tells her she only has a quarrel with Wenwu and her father and tries to enlist their help. Instead, Jiayi agrees to help teach her their ways.
Heimdall informs Odin he can no longer see Hela and that Wenwu possesses a great power: the Ten Rings. Feeling threatened by this power, Odin expresses a desire to take action. Meanwhile, Hela’s training begins, though it is not what she expects. Jiayi teaches her patience and even shows her a vision of her younger self. Young Hela plays with a young Fenris wolf pup before Odin puts him in chains and explains that “a king must tame his threats.” In that moment, Hela learns what she really wants is the freedom to choose her own path. Satisfied, Jiayi begins to teach her their fighting style. Marvel fans might recognize Fenris and the giant undead wolf Hela resurrects in Ragnarok.
Having been trained in the ways of Ta Lo, Hela sees the Bifrost bring Odin to Earth and arms herself to go and meet him. Wenwu wields the Ten Rings against the forces of Asgard before Hela joins the fight. She immediately takes Wenwu’s side and helps him to fight off the Asgardians before Odin approaches them. Odin offers Hela the opportunity to return home but she refuses and tells him to leave. Of course, Odin refuses and begins a fight with Hela and Wenwu.
Eventually, Hela manages to use her training to get the better of Odin and shows him mercy. He refuses her offer again though grabs her by the throat. However, having learned the value of mercy, Hela’s crown returns to her and she dons a new white outfit, opposing the iconic black one we’ve seen in the past. With her crown, she easily overpowers Odin and he offers her the throne of Asgard. She accepts it but only to undo his empire so that she can protect the nine realms .
The Watcher explains that Hela and Wenwu, with the Ten Rings and the armies of Asgard at their back, formed an alliance to protect the entire universe. We see Thanos, in the moment in which he wiped out Gamora’s people. Hela, Wenwu and their army arrive to oppose the Mad Titan as the episode comes to a close.
This was one of the most compelling What If…? hypotheticals to date. Hela was always a fascinating character and it’s a shame we won’t get to see more of her in the MCU (at least not in 616). So getting the chance to see her in this whole new environment and getting to see more of the Ten Rings at the same time is a real treat for Marvel fans.
New episodes of Marvel’s What If…? season 2 will debut daily between now and December 30 on Disney+.