Snark Industries

<p>Snark Industries takes another detour into the What If...? multiverse, this time landing in 15th century North America for one of the more ambitious episodes of the series. The full plot gets walked through, from the Tesseract's arrival on Earth during Ragnarok to <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-kahhori"><strong>Kahhori'</strong></a>s transformation in the Skyland and her return to drive the conquistadors back to Spain with extreme prejudice. MCU tie-ins are minimal by design given the branch universe setup, though a late appearance by a familiar Sorcerer Supreme raises some interesting questions about where <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-kahhori"><strong>Kahhori</strong></a>'s story might eventually lead. The real comic connection runs in an unusual direction, with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-kahhori"><strong>Kahhori</strong></a> proving popular enough to make the jump from screen to page in a 2024 Marvel publication, making her a rare case of a What If character becoming part of the 616 universe. Personal thoughts land broadly positive on both sides, with the main sticking point being the creative liberties taken with what the Tesseract actually does, and a shared appreciation for the episode's visual ambition even if it falls short of the Eyes of Wakanda benchmark set just before it.</p><p></p><p>Dive in at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/1493-06-01-what-if-season-2-episode-6-kahhori-reshaped-the-world">https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/1493-06-01-what-if-season-2-episode-6-kahhori-reshaped-the-world</a></p>

<p>In a radical departure from the established chronology of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the destruction of Asgard during a premature Ragnarök forces the Tesseract from its ancestral vault and onto a collision course with Earth centuries before the modern era. Rather than being safely recovered by Norse worshippers in Tønsberg, the artifact settles at the bottom of a lake in the territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in pre-colonial North America. Over several generations, the Space Stone’s cosmic energy bleeds into the surrounding environment, transforming a local body of water into the "Forbidden Lake", a portal to "Sky World," a vibrant pocket dimension where displaced Mohawk people have cultivated a thriving, immortal civilization powered by the stars. This divergence fundamentally alters the course of human history, removing a primary Infinity Stone from the reach of 20th-century geopolitical actors and placing it in the hands of a sovereign indigenous population.</p><p>The narrative follows <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-kahhori"><strong>Kahhori</strong></a>, a young Mohawk woman whose village is raided by Spanish Conquistadores pursuing the myth of the Fountain of Youth. While her and her younger brother, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-wahta"><strong>Wáhta</strong></a>, are being pursued, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-kahhori"><strong>Kahhori</strong></a> is shot and falls into the Forbidden Lake, she is transported to Sky World and imbued with the raw energy of the Space Stone. Unlike the inhabitants of Sky World who have chosen a life of eternal peace, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-kahhori"><strong>Kahhori</strong></a> recognizes that her newfound abilities, ranging from spatial manipulation to telekinesis, must be used to protect her people from the existential threat of colonial invasion. Her journey leads to a spectacular confrontation with the Spanish Crown, where she demonstrates that the "New World" is defended by powers far exceeding European steel and musketry. This act of sovereign defense not only secures the future of the Haudenosaunee but also attracts the attention of the multiversal traveler <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-doctorstrangesupreme"><strong>Doctor Strange Supreme</strong></a>, signaling <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-kahhori"><strong>Kahhori</strong></a>’s ascension as a major player in the wider Multiverse.</p><p></p><p>Dive Deeper at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/1493-06-01-what-if-season-2-episode-6-kahhori-reshaped-the-world">https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/1493-06-01-what-if-season-2-episode-6-kahhori-reshaped-the-world</a></p>

<p>Eyes of Wakanda heads to 15th century China for its third episode, and both hosts agree it is the strongest of the series so far. The full plot gets walked through, from Basha's less than honorable exit from China with a stolen sacred relic to the stern lesson in cultural respect delivered by Captain Ebo, and on to the arrival of a stowaway who turns out to be <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-jorani-iron-fist"><strong>Jorani</strong></a>, the Iron Fist, with every right to be furious. The moral tug of war at the heart of the episode gets proper attention, with the conversation landing on the idea that Wakanda's claim to its artifacts does not automatically override the significance those objects have gained in the time they have been gone. Comic ties to the 2006 Fraction, Brubaker, and Aja Iron Fist run get unpacked, with <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="duSU- _89jf7" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/character-jorani-iron-fist"><strong>Jorani</strong></a> slotting in as one of the 65 predecessors to Danny Rand's Iron Fist. Background Easter eggs spotted from the previous two episodes round things out before both hosts share their genuine enthusiasm for an episode that earns its emotional weight.</p><p></p><p>Dive further at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/1400-01-15-ce-eyes-of-wakanda-season-1-episode-3-lost-and-found-legacy-of-the-iron-fist">https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/1400-01-15-ce-eyes-of-wakanda-season-1-episode-3-lost-and-found-legacy-of-the-iron-fist</a></p>

<p>In the year 1400 AD, the clandestine Wakandan agent Basha is dispatched to the high, snow-drenched peaks of the Himalayas with a mandate to retrieve a stolen vibranium artifact. This artifact, a small dragon statue imbued with the rare metal, has been revered as a sacred object within the mystical city of K’un-Lun for over a millennium. Basha infiltrates the society by feigning the plight of a lost and injured traveler, a deception that allows him to gain the trust and care of a local woman named Jorani. During his recovery, Basha experiences a rare moment of genuine connection and developing affection for his caretaker, yet his nationalist duty ultimately overrides his personal sentiments. He discovers the artifact serves as the "tongue" of a massive dragon statue in the city's shrine and, unable to remove the vibranium component on-site, he severs the entire dragon’s head and flees via a cloaked Wakandan aircraft.</p><p>The secondary movement of the narrative shifts to the Golden City of Wakanda, where Basha’s triumphant return is quickly undermined by his own negligence. Unbeknownst to the agent, Jorani, who is revealed to be the current bearer of the Iron Fist mantle, clung to the exterior of his ship and successfully bypassed Wakanda’s legendary energy shields. As Basha attempts to debrief with his superior, High Councilman Rakim, and his field leader Ebo, he must simultaneously contain the "intruder" before her presence exposes the vulnerability of the Hatut Zeraze’s security protocols. The conflict culminates in a confrontation where Jorani demonstrates the superiority of her mystical prowess over the Wakandans' technological reliance, forcing Basha to confront the arrogance of his mission and the moral complexity of "reclaiming" objects that have acquired new cultural significance over centuries of displacement.</p><p></p><p>Dive further at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/1400-01-15-ce-eyes-of-wakanda-season-1-episode-3-lost-and-found-legacy-of-the-iron-fist">https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/1400-01-15-ce-eyes-of-wakanda-season-1-episode-3-lost-and-found-legacy-of-the-iron-fist</a></p>

<p>Snark Industries takes its first detour into the What If...? multiverse, with a full breakdown of an episode that asks what happens when Odin punishes Hela by banishing her to ancient China instead of straight to Hel. The plot gets walked through in full, from Hela's powerless arrival in the shadow of Ta Lo to her eventual clash with Odin and ascension into something altogether new. MCU parallels are mapped out thoroughly, including the clear echoes of the first Thor film, the Shang-Chi connections, and a closer look at how the Ten Rings made the journey from the Mandarin's fingers to Xu Wenwu's wrists. Comic origins are covered for Hela, her flame blade powers, and the Ten Rings, with a longer sidebar on the Mandarin as a character and the MCU's complicated history of handling him. Personal thoughts land on completely opposite ends, with one host firmly against stories without stakes and the other a lifelong What If devotee, making for one of the livelier debates of the series so far.</p><p></p><p>Dive further at <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/0667-12-19-ce-what-if-season-3-episode-7-hela-found-the-ten-rings">https://www.snarkindustriespod.com/post/0667-12-19-ce-what-if-season-3-episode-7-hela-found-the-ten-rings</a></p>