Spider-Man: Far From Home - Everything You Need To Know About Marvel's Multiverse

8. What Is The Multiverse?

Marvel Multiverse Uatu
Marvel Comics

Alternate earth stories might not be exclusive to comics, but the medium was the first to really master them. DC is perhaps better known for its myriad of parallel dimensions, with there being 52 alternate realties that govern the publisher's universe, but Marvel have spotlighted just as many brilliant stories featuring this specific trope.

Whether it's Marvel or DC, both publishers have one key universe situated within each respective multiverse. For DC this used to be New Earth, but is now referred to as Prime Earth, while the main Marvel universe is designated Earth-616. There are 52 parallel realities in the DCU at any one time, while there's almost a limitless array of them over at Marvel, owed in part to the sheer array of 'What-If?' stories published since 1977.

So, how do these alternate 'Earths' tend to differ? Well they can diverge from the 'main' reality in a whole host of different places, even down to the most acute detail. Some present bold departures from the established canon, like the Ultimate Universe, while others boast only minor differences.

The trope effectively affords writers freedom to put their own stamp on iconic characters, storylines and even designs themselves. Whether it's by setting the entire universe in the 17th century, making every character a zombie or simply posing the question of 'What if Spider-Man didn't become a Crimefighter?', these alternate realities all manage to present a unique twist on the classic Marvel formula, and can even intersect with the main universe depending on the scenario.

Advertisement
Content Producer/Presenter
Content Producer/Presenter

Resident movie guy at WhatCulture who used to be Comics Editor. Thinks John Carpenter is the best. Likes Hellboy a lot. Can usually be found talking about Dad Movies on his Twitter at @EwanRuinsThings.