"What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World?" is the sixth episode of season two of What If...?.
Plot[]
The Watcher explained that in many realities, Asgard's nightmare was the same: the flames of Ragnarök. In the Sacred Timeline, Odin entrusted the Tesseract to a village on Earth after achieving an age of peace. However, things went differently in this universe where fire came to Asgard before he had the chance.
Amongst the flames of Ragnarök, Odin held the Tesseract as Surtur prepared to strike the final blow to destroy Asgard. As Surtur swung his sword, Odin held up the Tesseract between them which got hit with the Twilight Sword as Surtur plunged it through Odin and into the ground, causing a massive explosion that killed Surtur and destroyed Asgard. However, the destruction of Asgard would lead to new wonders from the embers of the past: the Tesseract survived Ragnarök and crashed into a lake on Earth in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in pre-colonial America, finding a new home for itself.
Sometime later, Kahhori gathered corn and squash with the rest of her tribe and at the end of the day, after making sure that the rest of the tribe was distracted, ran off to play with her brother Wáhta. Running through the forest, the siblings across a number of skeletons from an old battlefield that the Mohawk elders had warned them to stay away from because it was cursed. Kahhori stated that it was cursed because no one had cleansed it after all of the bloodshed and led her brother deeper into the forest towards the nearby lake. Kahhori explained that the lake contained a great power, one capable of taking them to the Sky World. These people had fought for control of the lake when instead it should've brought them together. A surprised Wáhta told Kahhori that the lake ate the people who went into it. Kahhori and Wáhta found the Forbidden Lake, only to be disappointed by its very small size. Kahhori believed that such a small lake couldn't possibly be dangerous, particularly as there were ducks on it.
Hearing gunshots, Kahhori and Wáhta found the village on fire and Spanish conquistadors rounding up their people. Spotting the siblings, Gonzolo led a chase for them through the forest. Falling through a hole, Kahhori and Wáhta discovered the real Forbidden Lake - a glowing blue pool - in an underground cavern, the lake on the surface having been a decoy lake with decoy ducks. One of the conquistadors searching for them fell through the hole as well and he found the Forbidden Lake, yelling to the other men that he believed he'd found what they were looking for. Hearing Wáhta changing position, the conquistador moved towards the boy, causing Kahhori to attack him with rocks while Wáhta struggled with the man over his gun. A second conquistador entered the cavern and shot Kahhori in the left arm and she fell into the lake as the conquistadors captured Wáhta. As Kahhori drifted down towards the bottom of the lake where the source of the glowing light came from, she was suddenly sucked through a portal generated by the cracked Tesseract - the source of the light - and pulled into another dimension. A friendly man with glowing markings and eyes, Atahraks, greeted Kahhori and welcomed her to the Sky World.
The Watcher explained that after the fall of Asgard, the Tesseract took on a second life among Kahhori's ancestors. Breaking on impact, the Cube released unmitigated Space Stone energy, gifting its power to the lake. Warriors, adventures and other noble tribespeople disappeared into the waters, never to return. Greed and grief ignited a terrible battle amongst the surrounding nations, but peace was made in the end. The lake's blood-soaked shores were deemed to be cursed, deterring all from returning to it, all but Kahhori.
Kahhori awoke, calling out for her brother and discovering her wounded arm to be healed. Emerging from the tent, Kahhori was shocked to find four moons in the beautiful otherworldly sky and villagers using powers generated by blue energy from their hands to do tasks such as cooking, fishing, watering the ground with miniature storm clouds, and other tasks. Atahraks approached and, after demonstrating his own telekinesis, explained that the Tesseract's "spirit" seeped into everything in the Sky World such as the water, land, and plants. When the Mohawks consume their spirits, they took in some of its power too and just being in the Sky World would change Kahhori. Atahraks introduced himself to Kahhori, and explained that she had fallen through the portal in the lake, and guessed that the lake being forbidden now was a good idea after Kahhori mentioned the name of it. A lot of people had gone missing in that lake when Atahraks was a kid, including his cousin, but he ended up in the Sky World just like Atahraks and they exchanged a friendly greeting. Kahhori remembered that her village was attacked and raced back to the portal to return home, but she discovered that the portal was located in the sky and out of reach. Atahraks explained that they fall into this paradise where they do not age or die because they were meant to be here permanently.
At the burning Mohawk village, Conquistador Gonzolo introduced himself and announced that he had come to claim the Fountain of Youth in the name of Queen Isabella of Spain. Gonzolo had heard the Mohawks legends, and he knew that they feared this land and its power. Gonzolo believed that the Forbidden Lake from their legends was the Fountain of Youth. Gonzolo demanded to know where the lake was from a tribeswoman at gunpoint, but she fearlessly refused to answer. Two of Gonzolo's men returned with a captive Wáhta and the news that they had found it.
A determined Kahhori attempted to climb to the portal in order to return home using a tree while Atahraks encouraged her to feel the spirit of this place and see for herself what it could do. Having been imbued with the Tesseract's power already, Kahhori used it to make inhuman leaps from one branch of the tree to another, followed by Atahraks. Kahhori noted that there was a lot that they could do with their powers, and questioned how Atahraks could tell her that they had a limit. Atahraks admitted that many had tried to leave, but they had all failed because the portal was just out of reach. Kahhori thought that they just weren't trying hard enough, but Atahraks suggested that this place had simply become their home instead. Refusing to let that be her, Kahhori attempted to use tree branches that she levitated as steps, but she fell and Atahraks told her that the record was fourteen steps, but the wind was a little strong today. Despite repeated attempts, Kahhori fell every time, causing her to declare that the Sky World was a prison, not a paradise.
Atahraks left to join the hunt and Kahhori decided to join him rather than continue to try to reach the portal. The hunt proved to be for a fruit that took years to sprout, stuffing the fruit with an insane amount of the dimension's spirit. The fruit actually turned out to be on the backs of a herd of Gakowaneh that awakened when one of the Mohawks released energy from a flower nearby. Atahraks warned Kahhori that the Gakowaneh were grumpy when they first woke up and not to worry because no one got it on their first time, welcoming her to the new world. Using their superhuman speed and agility, the Mohawks dashed amongst the charging herd, collecting the fruit from the Gakowaneh's backs. Atahraks shouted directions and encouragement to Kahhori who enjoyed herself, running at an ever-increasing speed until she ended up in front of the herd. With the Gakowaneh charging at her, Kahhori instinctively levitated them into the air over her, collecting a number of the fruit in the process. As the rest of the tribe counted the fruit that they had each collected, they were stunned when Kahhori arrived levitating a massive number of the fruit over her. An elder approached Kahhori and handed her two large fruit, telling Kahhori that their names carried the spirit and strength of those who had them before them and Kahhori's name is made better by her victory today.
In the underground cavern on Earth, Gonzolo was pleased to have apparently discovered the Fountain of Youth and sent several of his men into the Forbidden Lake to test it out. However, they all got sucked through the portal to the Sky World. Believing the Forbidden Lake to be cursed, Gonzolo furiously ordered for the Mohawks to be put in chains, intending to leave for Spain.
Arriving in the Sky World, the conquistadors spotted the Mohawks celebrating nearby. Although Kahhori was enjoying herself, she remained worried about her people back on Earth. Spotting the conquistadors preparing to attack, Kahhori telekinetically stopped their bullets, disarmed them, stopped them from escaping and slammed them into the ground. Finding Wáhta's necklace on one of them, Kahhori realized that her brother was in trouble. Kahhori confronted the Mohawks, accusing them of having been away from the bones of their ancestors for too long. The lake sent them to the Sky World and the spirit in the land made them strong and gave them gifts, but they had gotten too comfortable and forgotten their origins, but Kahhori couldn't, not when their people were hurting. The land began responding to Kahhori's emotions while the portal moved closer. Kahhori declared that even in a land of such miracles she would keep her people in front of her and she wanted to help all of her people, including the ones on the Sky World. However, they would be stuck here forever unless they learned to move. Using her powers, Kahhori managed to pull the portal down to ground level and asked Atahraks and the others to join her in her fight. However, Atahraks refused, stating that they weren't an army, and they had a different life here away from all of that. Kahhori pointed out that they had that, but her people didn't, and they needed them to be brave. Kahhori was going to face the monsters and save anyone that she could and if the Mohawks were worthy of this place, they would join her. Kahhori stepped through the portal and emerged from the waters of the Forbidden Lake.
Returning to the village, Kahhori found it on fire and completely destroyed, and followed tracks to the shore where the conquistadors were loading up the Mohawks onto their ships. Kahhori engaged Gonzolo and his men with her powers, flinging the conquistadors all over the place. Gonzolo had his ships open fire with their cannons and although Kahhori created a force field, the cannon fire eventually overwhelmed her with one cannonball getting through and striking Kahhori in the head, knocking her down. As Gonzolo prepared to kill Kahhori with his sword, Atahraks and his people emerged from the trees and attacked, trampling Gonzolo into the ground and attacking the conquistadors and their ships. Atahraks explained that his people had realized that she was right and so they had followed Kahhori to help her. As Kahhori went to join the attack, Gonzolo grabbed her. Kahhori hit Gonzolo with an energy blast, killing him, and joined the attack on the ships, finding and rescuing Wáhta and the rest of her people.
Returning her brother's necklace to him, Kahhori explained that Atahraks and the others were their people and instructed him to watch closely and witness their deeds and remember their faces, commenting that they were going to need some new songs about today. Wáhta was awed as the Mohawks decimated the conquistadors and destroyed their ships and Atahraks told the boy that Kahhori was the bravest one of them all as Kahhori joined in the defeat of the conquistadors. The Watcher stated that so many victories spawned from a choice, but Kahhori's victory wasn't because she merely chose the right path, but because of her conviction, remaining true to her course in the face of both devastation and miracles alike. Such resolve was often what burned brightest and elevated an individual to something more and it was perhaps why heroes very seldom stopped after their first victory.
Sometime later in the Alcázar of Segovia, a man reported to Queen Isabella that first Gonzolo, then Jacobo and the Mendoza brothers had failed to return, and they could no longer deny that they had lost the New World. Queen Isabella refused to believe it, stating that her soldiers were unmatched and her fleets unrivaled. Isabella demanded to know what nation was stealing from her claims and who dared to challenge her. A portal opened and Kahhori arrived with Atahraks and several others. Kahhori quipped that she recognized Isabella from a coin and commented that the queen had lost some ships, enraging Isabella that Kahhori would threaten her in her own court. Kahhori easily disarmed Isabella's soldiers and explained that she wasn't here for her throne and the world was richer than the queen could imagine, but it was neither of theirs to claim. The Mohawks believed that their health depended on each other, but Isabella was unconcerned, stating that she was ordained to rule Kahhori and her people, but Kahhori interrupts her speech by lifting the queen into the air and then destroying her throne, successfully cowing Isabella. Kahhori declared that they would make peace or their would be no future for Isabella's people and had Atahraks bring forth cloth from the Sky World. The Watcher stated that Kahhori and her people used the miracles of the Sky World to bring peace to their neighbors, but their greatest battle had only just begun.
Doctor Strange suddenly emerged from a portal and congratulated Kahhori on bringing world peace in record time, quipping that he was sure that that would last. Strange introduced himself to Kahhori, stating that he'd been looking for her for a long time.
Cast[]
- Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher
- Devery Jacobs as Kahhori
- Kiawentiio as Wáhta
- Jeremy White as Atahraks and Additional Voices
- Gabriel Romero as Conquistador Gonzolo
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange Supreme
- Carolina Ravassa as Queen Isabella of Spain
- Clancy Brown as Surtur
- Jeff Bergman as Odin
- Iotsi'Tsanien Goodleaf as Additional Voices
- Rànikonhrí:io Lazare as Additional Voices
- Sahawisó:Ko' Arquette as Additional Voices
- Tehotsenhátse Lazare as Additional Voices
- Tekahné:kake Stacey as Additional Voices
- Alexa Iekenhnhenha:wi Montour as Additional Voices
- Kahentinéhshon Alfred as Additional Voices
- Richard Miro as Additional Voices
- Christian Rodrigo as Additional Voices
- Jordi Caballero as Additional Voices
- Christopher Lee Parson as Additional Voices
- Ieronhienhawi Tatum McComber as Additional Voices
- Carlos Reig-Plaza as Additional Voices
- Terri Douglas as Additional Voices
- Unknown actor as Luis
The Watcher's Narrations[]
- "Asgard's nightmare is the same in many realities. The flames of Ragnarök. In your universe, Odin entrusted the Tesseract to a village on Earth after achieving an age of peace. But in this universe, fire came for Asgard before he had the chance. The destruction of Asgard would lead to new wonders from a single ember of the past. The Tesseract survived Ragnarök and would find a new home in a new world."
- "After the fall of Asgard, the Tesseract took on a second life among Kahhori's ancestors. Breaking on impact, the Cube released unmitigated Space Stone energy, gifting its power to the lake. Warriors, adventurers and other noble tribespeople disappeared into the waters, never to return. Greed and grief ignited a terrible battle amongst the surrounding nations. In the end, peace was made, and the lake's blood-soaked shores were deemed cursed, deterring all from returning to it. Well, all but one."
- "Kahhori and her people used the miracles of the Sky World to bring peace to their neighbors. But their greatest battle has only just begun."
Continuity and References to the Marvel Cinematic Universe[]
- Asgard appears.
- Ragnarök appears.
- Mohawk People appear.
- Sky World appears.
- Gakowaneh appear.
Trivia[]
- For the most part, this episode is in Mohawk with the Conquistadors and the queen speaking in Spanish. The only parts in English are the Watcher's narration, the single lines said by Odin and Surtur at the beginning, and Doctor Strange Supreme's lines at the end.
- During the credits, a message appears thanking the Mohawk Nation for their collaboration on this episode.
Gallery[]
To be added
Videos[]
