What if?

The term "what if?", also stylised as "what if...", is a term coined by Marvel Comics for their series of alternate continuity comics. The term has since been adopted for usage of speculative fiction of alternate histories, and has even made its way into official usage by writers of Doctor Who fiction; both the short story Father Time: "Set Visit" (set in an alternate version of the real world) and the fiction piece What If? in DWM 255 (set in a universe where the Eighth Doctor was portrayed by Richard Griffiths).

The term "what if" is directly comparable with "unbound", a term derived from Big Finish Productions' Doctor Who Unbound audio drama series.