What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?

What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? is the sixth episode of the first season of What If...?.
==Synopsis==
An American soldier called Killmonger rescues Tony Stark when his Humvee is attacked in Afghanistan.
==Plot==
Having uncovered a Ten Rings plot to assassinate Tony Stark while on a deep cover operation, Erik Killmonger arrives to save him when the terrorist organization launch an ambush in Afghanistan. Back in the United States, Stark appoints Killmonger as CSO of Stark Industries to help create improved weapons that would overpower the ones that fell into the wrong hands. Killmonger also exposes Obadiah Stane's involvement with the Ten Rings, leading to his arrest. At a party, Stark also hands Stane's old position as COO to his savior, looking to use his killing expertise to improve the company.
Stark takes Killmonger to his garage, where the latter reveals he had designed a combat drone to replace human soldiers, but he was unable to develop an interface. To return the favor for saving his life, Stark agrees to help Killmonger bring his vision to reality. As they are building the Stark Liberator Drones, J.A.R.V.I.S. is imported into the drones' interface to give them real-time reactions to stimuli. For an energy source, Stark dismisses a miniaturized Arc Reactor as a dumb idea, leading Killmonger to propose using vibranium to power the robots. 
Stark proposes a meeting with Ulysses Klaue, knowing he has a vast supply of the metal. Pepper Potts objects due to Klaue's occupation as a black market dealer, but Stark decides to send military liaison James Rhodes as diplomatic cover. On a ship off the African coast, Rhodes was in the process of securing a deal with Klaue when Black Panther infiltrates the vessel, seeking Klaue's stolen vibranium. However, Killmonger intervenes and stuns his cousin to death with an upgraded sonic taser. He then kills Rhodes and leaves the taser in his hands, framing the U.S. for the death of Wakanda's prince. 
Killmonger returns to Stark with a Vibranium Spear in hand, not knowing that he had learned of the truth behind Rhodes' death thanks to J.A.R.V.I.S.. Having melted down Killmonger's vibranium ring to power a finished Liberator, Stark unleashes it to kill him. But Killmonger uses the spear to destroy the drone and kill Stark, wiping J.A.R.V.I.S. afterwards to cover it up. Potts begins to suspect his involvement with Rhodes' and Stark's deaths. With the vibranium spear as "evidence", Thaddeus Ross has the U.S. Military seize control of Stark Industries and launch the Liberator Drones into mass production for a war with Wakanda, using Klaue's vibranium to fuel the drones.
Killmonger has Klaue drive him to the Wakandan border, where he kills him. He presents the corpse to the Dora Milaje and reveals his blood affiliation to the Wakandan Royal Family, earning him a meeting with his relatives T'Chaka, Ramonda, and Shuri. Although the princess is wary of his American origins, the King of Wakanda welcomes his nephew home. As the Liberators approach Wakanda, Ramonda readies the Dora Milaje for the battle against the U.S. Liberators, as T'Chaka, Killmonger and Shuri watch.
On Killmonger's suggestion, Wakanda's forcefield is opened, allowing the Liberator army to march into the country. As Ross observes Wakanda's true nature from the drones, the forcefield is re-sealed, cutting their connection to J.A.R.V.I.S. and the American military. But as T'Chaka prepares to celebrate their apparent victory, Killmonger reactivates the drones secretly. The Dora Milaje and the Border Tribe rush into battle to avenge T'Challa, and Killmonger mounts a rhino to join the fight, gaining Ramonda's favor. 
The Wakandans emerge victorious after all Liberators had been destroyed. While observing Wakanda's sunsets, Killmonger is approached by T'Chaka, who lends him the power of the Heart-Shaped Herb. On the Ancestral Plane, T'Challa confronts his cousin and warns him of the corruptive volatility of unearned power. Meanwhile, Ross prepares a new assault on Wakanda using Stark technology. Potts discovers Shuri in her office, who confirms to her Killmonger's deception that led to Stark's death and the war. With a common enemy, the two join forces, intending to expose the truth and prevent further conflict.
==Cast==
Starring Cast
*Jeffrey Wright as Uatu/The Watcher
*Michael B. Jordan as N'Jadaka/Erik Stevens/Erik Killmonger
*Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan
*Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther
*Angela Bassett as Ramonda
*Danai Gurira as Okoye
*Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue
*Don Cheadle as James Rhodes
*Paul Bettany as J.A.R.V.I.S.
*John Kani as T'Chaka
*Leslie Bibb as Christine Everhart
*Mick Wingert as Tony Stark / Tony Stark/Iron Man (recap)
Guest Stars:
*Kiff VandenHeuvel as Obadiah Stane
*Beth Hoyt as Pepper Potts
*Mike McGill as Thaddeus Ross
*Ozioma Akagha as Shuri
*Kimberly Bailey as Additional Voices
*June Christopher as Additional Voices
*Terri Douglas as Additional Voices
*Robin Atkin Downes as Additional Voices
*Don Fullilove as Additional Voices
*Khanya Mkhize as Additional Voices
*Michael Ralph as Additional Voices
*Justin Shaw as Additional Voices
*Debra Wilson as Additional Voices
*Matthew Wood as Additional Voices
*Unknown actor as Jimmy Ryan
*Unknown actor as Adam Pratt
*Unknown actress as Ramirez
*Unknown actor as Harry Whittington
*Unknown actor as Watson
Non-Speaking Characters:
*Ayo
*Klaue's Mercenary
*Kathleen Sparr
*Bruce Banner/Hulk (recap)
*Clint Barton/Hawkeye (recap)
*Thor (recap)
*Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow (recap)
*Steve Rogers/Captain America (recap)
==Appearances==
===Locations===
*Earth
**Kunar, Afghanistan
**Los Angeles, California
***Stark Industries Headquarters
**Malibu, California
***Tony Stark's Mansion
**Salvage Yard, South Africa
**Wakanda
***Golden City
****Citadel
***City of the Dead
***Mount Bashenga (mentioned)
**Nevada
***Drone Command Center
**Ten Rings Base, Afghanistan (recap)
**New York City, New York (recap)
***Stark Tower (recap)
***Grand Central Terminal (recap)
**Avengers Compound, New York (recap)
**Annapolis, Maryland (mentioned)
***United States Naval Academy (mentioned)
**Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mentioned)
**Oakland, California (mentioned)
*Sun
*Moon
*Multiverse
**Ancestral Plane
===Events===
*Erik Killmonger's Revolution
**Rescue of Tony Stark
**Arrest of Obadiah Stane
**Ambush at the Salvage Yard
**Ambush on Erik Killmonger
**Assassination of Ulysses Klaue
**American-Wakandan War
***Invasion of Wakanda
*Kidnapping of Tony Stark (recap)
*Battle of New York (recap)
*Battle of Earth (recap)
===Items===
*Vibranium
**Wakandan Royal Ring
**Vibranium Spear
**Panther Habit
**Vibranium Gauntlets
**Captain America's Shield (recap and indirectly mentioned)
*Stark Industries Fragmentation Shell
*Stark Liberator Drones
*Bulletproof Vest
*Jericho Rifle
**Jericho (mentioned)
*Sonic Taser Cannon
*Dum-E and U
*War Dogs Tattoo
*Heart-Shaped Herb
*Iron Man Armors (recap)
**Mark I Armor
**Mark VII Armor
**Mark LXXXV Armor
*Arc Reactor (recap and mentioned)
*Palladium (recap)
*Tony Stark's New Element (recap)
*Colantotte Bracelets (recap)
*Asgardian Armor (recap)
*Uru (recap)
**Mjølnir
*Gamma Radiation (recap)
*Black Widow's Bite (recap)
*Hawkeye's Bow and Quiver (recap)
*Captain America's Uniform (recap)
*Infinity Stones (recap)
**Time Stone
**Mind Stone
**Space Stone
**Power Stone
**Reality Stone
**Soul Stone
===Vehicles===
*Humvee
*Churchill
===Sentient Species===
*Watchers
*Humans
*Asgardians (recap)
*Chitauri (recap)
===Creatures===
*White Rhinoceros
**M20
* (depiction on recap)
===Organizations===
*Stark Industries
**Project Liberator
*United States Air Force
*United States Navy SEALs
*Ten Rings
*Golden Tribe
*Dora Milaje
*Border Tribe
*Wakandan Royal Guard
*Vanity Fair
*British Post
*Avengers (recap)
*S.H.I.E.L.D. (recap)
*War Dogs (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
* (mentioned)
===Mentioned===
*Bast
*Bashenga
*N'Jobu
*Howard Stark
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*
*
*
==Trivia==
*The episode depicts Thaddeus Ross as the US Air Force officer, although his main timeline counterpart was serving in the United States Army.
*Erik Killmonger liking and using it as a basis for the Project Liberator robot design is a nod to Michael B. Jordan, who has claimed to be a fan of it as well.
==Music==
Song title 	Artist 	Location(s)
Killmonger 	Ludwig Göransson 	
Rock 'N' Roll Made A Man Out Of Me	David P Henzerling	
*
Top of the World 	B. Stew 	
*
==Videos==
“Power Source” Official Clip - Marvel Studios’ What If…? - Disney+
==References==
==External Links==
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