10 Best 'What If?' Marvel Stories You Must Read
9. What If... Captain America Were Not Revived Until Today?
What If...? Vol.1 #44 (1983)
In the regular continuity of the Marvel Universe, Captain America was found by Namor, the Sub-Mariner as he was fleeing from the Avengers. He was a block of ice being worshiped by Inuits, so Namor picked him up and chucked him into the water where he thawed.
He then went on to join the team, gave it new life, and become the hero of the modern Marvel Universe. But, what if that didn't happen? What would happen to the Avengers, and what would occur if Cap wasn't unfrozen until today (Not talking about the MCU here)?
That question was explored by having Namor flee from the Avengers, but not find and thaw Cap as he did in Avengers #4. Because he wasn't around, the team wasn't rebuilt around his leadership. The Avengers disbanded, and the world moved on without them until a duplicate of Cap and Bucky are found and unfrozen, but they go on to create a situation that leads to race wars and martial law in the United States.
When Cap was finally unfrozen, he finds a world much different than the one he left. The bad Captain America is building a monarchy in the remnants of the U.S. (to fight communism), and it's up to the real Cap to take him out, which he does at the end of the story leading to a hopeful future.