What If...? begins every episode with an introduction by the Watcher, a mysterious cosmic figure who sees all through the multiverse. Comics fans know that Uatu the Watcher is a major figure in the lore of the Fantastic Four, and does a lot more than simply observe.
The Watcher debuted in Fantastic Four #13 in April 1963. Ever since, he has been a key if shadowy figure in some of the most monumental moments in Marvel Comics history, such as the arrival of Galactus. Some of these moments are certainly coming up in live-action, meaning that his comic book past could foreshadow his MCU future.
10 Cosmic Powers
The Watcher is known for being a somewhat silent observer in the comics, leading some to perhaps assume they have no ability to intervene in events. This is far from the case. The Watchers as a people are among the most powerful cosmic beings in the Marvel Universe. They have a cosmic awareness that allows them to see through time and space to observe branching realities throughout the multiverse. They can also manipulate time and space, as well as matter, achieving truly amazing feats.
9 The Prosilicans
Not unlike the Prime Directive in the lore of Star Trek, The Watchers learned from bitter experience not to interfere in the progress of less advanced cultures. They observed the Prosilicans, aliens who were due to be invaded by another planet. The Watchers gifted the Prosilicans nuclear power, which they then promptly used to destroy their own civilization. This led to a freeze on the intervention of the Watchers in any capacity, though debate would continue over the wisest course of action for them.
8 Uatu The Watcher
The first Watcher whom fans meet is Uatu. Comics fans know that the Fantastic Four benefitted from his hands-off but not exactly impartial observations on a number of occasions. In his first appearance in Fantastic Four #13, he decides not to erase the memories of the team when they first venture to the Blue Area of the Moon, where Uatu has been residing. He chooses to leave their memories intact after they battle the Red Ghost, who has also arrived on the Moon. This leads to a long relationship between Uatu and the FF.
7 The Coming Of Galactus
Uatu's impartiality reached its crisis point when Galactus the Devourer of Worlds arrived to consume the Earth. Uatu swore not to intervene but nonetheless engaged in a philosophical debate with Galactus, and also went so far as to try and hide Earth from him.
This is the first instance of Uatu breaking his commitment to non-interference. When it appears nothing will save Earth, he assists the Human Torch in finding the Ultimate Nullifier, the only weapon in the universe Galactus fears.
6 The Ultimate Machine
The Fantastic Four aren't the only Marvel superheroes Uatu the Watcher has assisted. In Tales to Astonish #73 and 74, the Leader, one of the coolest Hulk villains, tries to steal the Ultimate Machine from Uatu. The Ultimate Machine is a creation of the Watchers that contains all the known information in the universe. Uatu teleports the Leader and the Hulk from his hidden base on the Moon, forcing them into battle, and when the Hulk himself tried to use the machine, Uatu took it away from him.
5 The Trial Of Uatu
Uatu's series of small interventions would eventually become major ones in Captain Marvel #37 and 38. When he directly interfered in a battle between Captain Marvel and a squad of Kree warriors, who had turned on the hero, The Watchers put him on trial for violating his oath. The council let Uatu off with a warning, but his tendency to overstep his bounds would continue into the future and become a major factor in the Marvel Universe and could perhaps do the same in the MCU at some point.
4 What If...? Loses Its Narrator
Twenty years later, in Fantastic Four #400, Uatu the Watcher interferes again. This leads to his banishment from the Watchers council and most consequentially, he is displaced as the regular narrator of the What If..? comic book series. Issue #76 of that series, also from 1995, marked the final appearance of Uatu in that volume. He was banished from his people and duties for interfering against Aron The Renegade Watcher, who sought to destroy the universe. Instead, Uatu was forced to destroy him.
3 The First Race
In the 2020 crossover event "Empyre," it's revealed that the First Race, the first species to emerge in the entire universe, is actually the Watchers. The ancient and powerful technology of the First Race had found its way into the hands of the Cotati invaders of Earth.
The revelation of the weapons and what they might mean has yet to be revealed, but Uatu the Watcher suggested that a war was coming, perhaps indicating that a reckoning is in the future between factions of the Watchers who still abide by their edict and some who clearly don't.
2 1602
In the comics, fans first met Uatu the Watcher in 1962. But chronologically in the lore of the Marvel Universe, he first made his presence known in 1602. This face emerged in the 1602 limited series which details what happens when Captain America is thrown back to the Elizabethan Age. Uatu reveals himself to his period's version of Doctor Strange and though he doesn't interfere, walks the line as he always does. In the end, Strange is able to create a dimensional portal back to the future to get Steve Rogers home.
1 Ultimate Comics Machines
As the Watchers observe the multiverse, it's natural that there are infinite versions of them in existence. One of the most interesting for comic fans exists in Earth-1610, the world of the Ultimate Comics line. The Watchers aren't massive cosmic beings but totem-like machines with strange red eyes. These Watchers don't interfere but do speak through hosts to communicate their nature. One such host was Sue Storm, the Invisible Woman. Another was Rick Jones, who would become their avatar in the world.
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