Billions of Years Ago

The Big Bang (approximately 13.8 Billion years ago, according to current data):

Prior to the formation of the current universe, another universe existed which was

destroyed when the Dweller-in-Darkness fractured the M'kraan Crystal hoping to

feast upon the fear that the impending doom would bring to the universe's

population. The Phoenix Force, however, reached out to touch every living mind and

united them in peace, foiling the Dweller's plan.[2] In spite of this, the destruction of

the universe could not be stopped, but the Sentience of the Multiverse selected one

being - the last living man in that universe, Galan of Taa - to survive and live on,

merging with him at the point of universal collapse. Then, initiated by the Living

Tribunal, this cosmic egg exploded in the Big Bang (see Oscillatory universe),

forming the current universe, and from the cosmic crucible, Galan emerged as

Galactus, a key cosmic being in the existence of the current universe.[3] Other

cosmic beings (including a reborn Eternity and Death) came into existence at or

shortly after the beginning of the universe.[4]

Several intelligent races evolved, but most died out, replaced by new ones as time

passed by. Some, however, left behind a single, immortal survivor; these formed a

loose brotherhood known as the Elders of the Universe.[5]

One race achieved immortality and great power, but after an attempt to help two

other civilizations that ended in their mutual destruction, decided not to interfere

anymore, but only to record all events in the universe. They became known as The

Watchers. Despite their oath, some have been involved in important events, such as

the one appointed as Earth's Watcher, Uatu.[6]

When life started to evolve on Earth (approx. 3 billion years ago) the Elder Gods

were born from the planet's natural magical energies. However, most started
devouring each other and devolved into demons. One who avoided this fate, Gaea

the earth goddess, summoned the Demiurge, the planet's sentient biosphere, and

mated with it, creating Atum, the sun god. Atum set about destroying the Elder Gods,

but in doing so, he too became corrupted, and was transformed into the Demogorge,

eater of gods. A small number of the Elder Gods, such as Chthon and Set, escaped

by banishing themselves to other dimensions, and influenced mankind indirectly later

on. Chthon left behind the Darkhold, a set of indestructible parchments (later bound

into a book) whose black magic caused much evil through history. Only Gaea

remained on Earth, where she would guide the evolution of life. Gaea, under many

different guises, later become the mother goddess of Earth's second generation of

gods. Demogorge then released the energies he had absorbed, returning to his form

as Atum; these energies later led to the birth of the later generation of demons, such

as Mephisto.[7]

Millions of Years Ago

The mysterious cosmic beings known as Celestials began to experiment with the

evolution of many intelligent beings across the universe, influencing races such as

the Kree and the Skrulls.[citation needed]

About one million years ago, the Celestials arrived on Earth and experimented on

the ancestors of humanity. This experimentation created two new races, the Eternals

and Deviants. The Celestials also used the Earth as a womb or egg to birth a new

Celestial. They gave some humans the ability to develop super powers (thus

providing the potential for the existence of mutants and other superhumans later on)

that would manifest themselves around the time that the Celestial was supposed to

be born. They did this with the intent of these superhumans protecting the Earth/egg

from damage in order to ensure the Celestials' birth. However, millions of years later

the humans, with the help of Reed Richards of the Fantastic Four, discovered this

plan and successfully ended it. Around this same time Set had created a new race,
the Serpent-Men, to be his agents on Earth. They approached the Celestials, but

were rejected for experimentation. The Serpent-Men then became jealous of the

humans and vowed themselves enemies of the human race.[8]

The Skrulls discovered the Kree and the vegetated race, the Cotati, who shared the

same home world, and gave them a test to see which of them were worthy of sharing

their technology: whichever race created the better achievement would get it. The

Kree created a city in Earth's Moon (in a 'Blue Area' that contained an Earth-like

atmosphere and gravity) for this purpose. The Cotati created an ecosystem. The

Kree lost the contest, so they killed the Skrull envoys and stole their technology.

They abandoned the city, which would later become a base for Uatu. A century later,

the Skrulls discovered what the Kree had done, but by that time, they had become a

powerful space empire themselves. The two races have hated each other since and

have been fighting wars almost constantly.[9]

Tens of Thousands of Years Ago

The Eternals underwent a series of civil wars. Some of them went on to colonize the

planet Uranus and Saturn's moon, Titan. As a result, they missed being irradiated by

an accidental explosion triggered by an experiment which turned all of the Eternals

on Earth fully immortal. Their enemies, the Deviants, also developed advanced

technology and created new races (such as the Subterraneans) and huge monsters

that would lay dormant until modern times.[10]

Inhumans

Main article: Inhuman History

The Kree discovered the Eternals and decided to try to create their own superhuman

race out of Earth's humans. The result of this experiment would become the race

known as the Inhumans.[11]

Thurian Age

The first powerful human civilization developed in the continent of Atlantis. One of its

first notable kings was King Kull, who helped to exterminate the Serpent Men. Later,

Atlantis developed a highly technologically advanced civilization. They engaged in a

war with the Deviants, who ruled the continent of Lemuria. The Atlanteans used

weapons that drew upon their continent's geothermal energies, debilitating its

geological foundations. [12]

Just prior to the sinking of the two continents, the Darkhold was used to create

vampires, the first of which was Varnae. Around the same time, Set's worshipers

created the Serpent Crown, a magical artifact of great power that allowed Set to

influence its users.[13][14]

Cataclysm

When the Celestials returned to Earth, the Deviants tried to attack them, which

resulted in the Celestials retaliating with an explosion so powerful it wrought havoc

worldwide, sank Lemuria, and caused the unstable Atlantis to sink as well. Some

Atlanteans managed to survive; some apparently adapted themselves to life

underwater via unknown means; this process turned their skin blue and made them

able to only breathe water, not air. These Atlanteans became the first Atlanteans

(Homo mermanus) or Homo mermani.[15]

Hyborian Age

As a result of the cataclysm caused by the Celestials, technology was lost to the

human race for millennia, and they reverted to barbarism. During this period, the

Hyborian Age, Conan, a descendant of Kull, became an unintentional champion of

humanity, and later became king of the land of Aquilonia. One of the sorcerers of this

era, Kulan Gath, eventually manifested in the present, along his enemy, Red Sonja.

Most of the civilizations of the time eventually became ancestors to actual historical
civilizations, like Egypt. (Note: Marvel no longer has the rights to use Kull, Conan or

Sonja, but they haven't been officially erased from the continuity; they are just no

longer cited by name. Gath, being a character created by Marvel, can still be

used.)[16]

Thousands of Years Ago

The second generation of gods appeared before mankind and were worshiped by

pagan civilizations. Most of the legends involving them are true in the Marvel

Universe, though not exactly in the form recorded in mythology. Similarly, the second

generation of demons began to prey on humanity. Some pretended to be legendary

infernal beings such as Satan.[citation needed]

Egypt

The man who would become Kang the Conqueror traveled back in time to ancient

Egypt. He took control of Egypt and ruled as "Pharaoh Rama-Tut" until deposed by

the time traveling Fantastic Four. The West Coast Avengers and Doctor Strange

were also present via time travel, and they influenced the course of the Fantastic

Four's battle with Rama-Tut in their fellow heroes' favor. [17]

The immortal Mutant; En Sabah Nur, who would later become known as Apocalypse,

was also present; he had been a slave in Rama-Tut's court, but was freed when his

powers manifested themselves. At the time, he was unsuccessfully attempting to

woo a member of the royal family named Nephra; when she rejected him, he in turn

rejected humanity.[18]

Main article: Mutant History

Ancient Greece

7th century BC - Ancient Greece dawned. This civilization brought forth great minds,

like Socrates and Plato. King Philip II united the Greek states, and his son,

Alexander the Great, extended the great culture to other states.[citation needed]

At least a thousand years ago, the Celestials returned to Earth and forced the gods

to stop intervening in the development of human civilization.[citation needed]

Roman Empire

In 625 BC., the city of Rome was founded and expanded to form the Roman

Empire.[19]

6th Century
In 476 A.D., the Roman Empire fell when the last emperor, Romulus Augustus, was

defeated by the German Goth Odoacer. This is the start of the Dark Ages in Europe.

Odoacer escaped to Britain.[20]

In Britain; the wizard Merlin helped King Arthur to establish the kingdom of Camelot,

and mentored the Black Knight (Sir Percy of Scandia) to oppose the evil influence of

Arthur's illegitimate son, the knight Mordred. In the end, Mordred and Morgan Le Fay

brought down Camelot, but were killed themselves in the process. (All of these

people would later manifest, in various ways, in the present.)[21][22]

Iron Man and Doctor Doom were present at that time, following a battle and the

treason of an employee of Doom. Iron Man allied himself with Arthur, and Doom with

Morgan, but the two time travelers were eventually forced to work together to return

to the present.[23]

At some point prior to the fall of Camelot, Modred the Mystic (no relation to Mordred)

was approached by Merlin (or an impostor) to study magic in Camelot. Modred was
instead corrupted by the power of the Darkhold, and would lose his soul and his love

but would gain near-immortality and a mastery of magic. He would battle Chthon and

the Darkholders through the modern day, but would bear a deadly vendetta against

Merlin and his allies.[24]

Merlyn wanted to Tommy Tyme a lesson about magic, the wizard tripped the boy,

activating his Clock of the Ages and sending him back in time to England in the 6th

century. There Tommy assisted Merlin in rescuing the captured King Arthur from the

evil Black Knight. When Tommy returned to his own time he had learned a greater

appreciation and belief in magic.[25]

Big Mother and her son, Grendel, once terrorized the marshlands surrounding

Heorot Hall in Scandinavia in the 6th century AD. Beowolf came to the aid of the

Danish King Hrothgar, whose hall was raided each night by the hideous man-eating

monster Grendel. Beowulf slayed Grendel, then Grendel's angry mother, and ruled

as king of the Geats until he himself was slain in battle with a dragon.[26]

Beowulf was however absent when the land of the Geats was invaded by the Klyntar

believing it to be the return of Grendel; however, Thor the God of Thunder arrived to

save his people.[27]

In the 6th Century Sersi also assisted Merlin.[28]

7th Century
The Tang Dynasty began to rule China. This was regarded as a cultural high point in

the Chinese civilization.[29] It was during this time a group of extraterrestrials known

as the Makluans landed in the area and were able to hide on Earth. One of them Fin

Fang Foom was however sent into hibernation Their technology later fell into the

hands of the Mandarin.[30]

8th Century
In 750 A.D. Baghdad, Jabir ibn Hayyan, then-leader of the Brotherhood of the Shield,

conceived of a way to keep the world from ever ending. He built a machine that

would take the sum total of the hopes, dreams, inspirations and desires of a

thousand men a give it to a single man. This man could then recreate the world

whenever it was threatened. The machine, however, drained the men of their

lifeforces and the machine failed. Without a thousand of the Brotherhood of the

Shield around to shape the world, Man fell into an age of darkness.[31]

Fin Fang Foom was somehow briefly awakened in the 8th Century, and returned to

sleep through a second application of the herb. He consequently entered into

Chinese legend -- whose name, roughly translated, means "He Whose Limbs

Shatter Mountains and Whose Back Scrapes the Sun". A group of humans were

placed as guards outside his tomb, passing the job on to their descendants. The

surrounding region became known as the Valley of the Sleeping Dragon.[32]

9th Century
In 893 A.D, on the western coast of Iceland in the village of Kolkumyrar was attacked

by a group of Frost Giants. The villages prayed for help and Thor came to their

rescue slaughtering the Jotuns. The villages celebrated with Thor until they found a

body wash up in the stream revealing it to be an Asgardian. Thor decides to return to

the celebration as the villages collected wood for a funeral pyre to burn the body.[33]

After the celebration Thor was woken from his slumber by a mysterious voice, but

finds nothing.[34] He would regularly return to the village to live among the people as

he respected them due to ability to live through such hardship.[35]

In 896 A.D., Norway; Bodolf became a great warrior by praying to Thor before every

single one of his battles, with the God of Thunder usually appearing in the flesh to

help him fall his enemies. But over time he became cocky and forgot to pray. With
his army routed, his lands seized, and his wealth gone, Bodolf resorted to praying

once again, but to a different god, Loki. Loki eventually appeared before Bodolf and

directed him in a quest for power to rival Thor. Bodolf embarked in a journey to kill a

dragon and drink its fiery blood. He drank his blood becoming a monster.[36] With his

newfound power, he battled Thor. After a furious battle that took them across the

globe, both warriors returned to Norway. When Loki began to cheer for Bodolf, the

viking soon attacked the god, unwilling to be a puppet. Thor caught a second wind

and punched Godolf through the Earth to the southern pole of the planet. The

defeated viking proceeded to wander the Earth, fighting to suppress the monster

inside him.[37]

In 9th Century A.D., Spain was the home to Esteban De Ablo who studied alchemy

before relocating to Transylvania[38].

10th Century
In 987 A.D., seven members of a druid cult made a deal with Mephisto in exchange

for immortality, they agreed to funnel souls into his realm. Over the subsequent

millennium, the mages acquired great wealth became the board members a

London-based corporation named Mys-Tech. To pay their debt to Mephisto, the

Mys-Tech board plotted to take over the world and kill vast numbers of innocents.[39]

11th Century
In 1003 AD, the coastal village of Lakstad, Norway was wiped from the map when

Harald Jaekelsson and his crew murdered the entire population of the town.[40]

In 1013 A.D., Apocalypse came to Scandinavia to kill Thoron the counsel of

Rama-Tut who informed him of beings and ancestors of people who would cause a

threat to him in the future. He then sent his four Four Horsemen

(Pestilence/Phantom Bats of the Twelve Minds, War, Native-American Famine,

Death) to kill Folkbern Logan was the last Pagan in the city of London, England and

poked fun at his friend because he isn't getting any from his fiancee, due to them

being Catholic. The two bickered but were attacked by the Horsemen. Folkbern was

saved by Thor, who killed the Horsemen using his axe Jarnbjorn.[41]

12th Century

Around the beginning of the 12th century, Garbha-Hsien found the Celestial Ship.[42]

In 1145, A.D.; The demon God Chthon committed most of his evil spells to

documents called the Darkhold scrolls. An evil monk named Aelfric eventually

gathered them together but he was burned at the stake. The Catholic church came

into possession of the scrolls. Paolo Montesi was a monk who was the curator of the

Darkhold scrolls and was tasked with translating them. Paolo learned of something

called the Malachy Prophecy which told of the tenure of each pope for nearly the

next thousand years. Paolo gave this information to Pope Eugene III. The Pope

declared that the scrolls and everything related to the Darkhold would be compiled

into one book of which Paolo and his family would be entrusted. The Pope allowed

Paolo a special dispensation to marry so Paolo's descendants would safe guard the

book.[43] Paolo was killed by the first vampire Varnae who had hoped to keep the

church from using the book to wipe out all Vampires. Paolo's infant son Giacomo

was born soon after and for 8 centuries the Montesi family dedicated themselves to

destroying vampires.[43]

Bridget O'Hare was born in 12th-century Ireland. She grew into a wild, hot-tempered,

and lusty teenager who loved dancing. She also mastered the skill of sailing and

loved the sea.[44] Her passionate nature and fun-loving tendencies tend to serve as a

mask for another part of her persona; she has insecurities which she keeps to

herself, such as an apparent fear of men.[44] When she was 17-years-old, Bridget

was chosen by the deities as a member of their sample of humanity.[44]

Garbha-Hsien first met met En Sabah Nur in the Ho-Lo Shan Mountains of Northern

Mongolia in the middle of the 12th century, and claimed to have lived already several

lifetimes.[42]

During the Third Crusade,[45] Bennet du Paris encountered in Akkaba the mutants

Sahreed and The Scarab, before manifesting his own powers.[46] Offered him to be

become his servant, Apocalypse locked the knight he had renamed Exodus for

centuries.[47]

Around 1191 AD, during the Third Crusade, King Richard the Lion-Hearted of

England was active in the region along with his supporter Crusader, and the

traitorous knight Guy de Montfort, where they clashed repeatedly with the forces of

the Saladin of Egypt[48].

In the 12th Century; a man named Robin Hood was reported to exist There is

conflicting evidence as to the true identity of the man known as Robin Hood.

According to one legend, he was one of the many beings since the fall of Camelot to

be endowed with the Pendragon Spirit[49] In one instance, the 1940s time traveler

Tommy Tyme ended up in Robin Hoods era. According to this account Tommy

showed Robin Hood and his Merry Men who to make sling-shots, suggested that

they wear green to better disguised themselves in the forest, and helped Robin Hood

win an archery contest before returning to his own time[50].

In the 12th Century; the Asgardian known as Fandral was being chased by a Storm

Giant through a forest in Asgard when he fell through a portal. He landed on Midgard

in England in an area known as Nottingham. He took down a group of soldiers who

were harassing the locals for taxes. It was then that he met a woman named Marian.

It was love at first site and she told him of the local governor who was stealing from

the poor. He helped where he could robbing the rich to give to the poor. Over time he
formed a band of Merry Men to help him. Working together he took down the

governor and the false king as the true king returned to the throne. He married

Marian and they settled in a home not far from Nottingham. However due to her

mortal nature she aged and died while Fandral remained unchanged. After her death

he returned to Asgard through a portal. It remained unclear if he truly was the

inspiration for the legend of Robin Hood.[51]

When the Avengers were scattered throughout time, Hawkeye and Iron Man were in

Sherwood in the 12th Century without their memories playing Robin Hood and an

armed Knight. Hulk found them and took on Iron Man and Captain America took on

Hawkeye.[52]

13th Century
In 1211 A.D., during a period when China was being invaded by Genghis Khan,

China was visited by 20th Century time traveler Tommy Tyme. Tommy prevented

Khan from obtaining the Crown of Confucius, which would have made the warlord

the undisputed ruler of China.[53]

Also in 1211 A.D. Using the Time Platform, Doctor traveled back in time and became

involved in a romantic relationship with Morgan Le Fay in exchange for her tutelage

in the mystic arts. This arrangement was interrupted when the Mighty Avengers

came to Latveria to arrest Doctor Doom for crimes against humanity. During the

battle, Doom, Iron Man, and the Sentry, stumbled through an open time travel portal,

trapping Doctor Doom and his opponents in the past. Doctor Doom and Iron Man

managed to return all three to the present, where the Sentry subdued Doctor

Doom.[54]

In 1245 A.D. the powerful magician Khor the Black Sorcerer was living in France.

However Khor was banished by his peers and found himself exiled to the Savage
Land, where he lived for centuries.[55] During an unspecified period during the days in

which French monarchs decapitated their opponents by the guillotine, the Robe of

Evil was possessed by De Signy, who was eventually executed.[56]

14th Century
According to 20th century scientist Emil Natas, he lived a past life as the wizard

Diablo Natas in the year 1313 AD. He terrorized the countryside until he was

stopped by Captain Amerigo and Bucky, the apparently the 20th century heroes

Captain America and Bucky in past lives as well.[57]

In the 14th century, the Changelings, Satan's hellspawn, were believed to take the

place of human babies.[58]

Black Plague

Dafydd ap Andras was born in a small village south of Wales. Dafydd's mother died

in childbirth, and he began to manifest powers at birth. In 1347, many of the

townspeople blamed him for failed crops, plagues and called him a Demon. Wanting

to end the plague effecting the village, the townspeople demanded to sacrifice him.

When Dafydd's father, Andras, refused to give in to the townspeople's demands,

they set fire to their home, killing Andras and nearly killing Dafydd who saved himself

by teleporting away from the home with help from his older self.[58]

In Crimea, the Proto-Mutants who lived as a tribe apart from the local humans were

immune to the Black Plague. As the humans spotted that immunity, their fear and

anger grew. They captured and killed Proto-Mutant Ister's sister, possibly drinking

her blood, seeking for a cure.[59] The Proto-Mutants retreated further into the hills but

were slaughtered by the humans and buried in a mass grave near Kuryk,

Kazakhstan, off the Caspian Sea.[59]

15th Century
In 1459, A.D. in Romania, the Horseman of War led Apocalypse's Riders of the Dark

against Vlad Dracula's army.[60]

The Transylvanian prince Vlad Tepes, better known as Dracula, was mortally

wounded in battle with the legions of the Turkish warlord Turac. Turac hoped to heal

Dracula and set him up as a puppet ruler, so he brought him to the romany healer

Lianda. Lianda was actually a vampire in the service of Varnae; she transformed

Dracula into a vampire, but was killed. Turac killed Dracula's wife Maria, prompting

Dracula to fully embrace his vampiric power. Dracula bit Turac and ordered the

warlord to return to Turkey to kill his own family, then killed Varnae's servant Nimrod

for the title of "Lord of the Vampires". Dracula was then forced to drink Varnae's life's

blood, giving him the ancient vampire's full power.[61]

Dracula later waged a bloody war against the gypsies as revenge for Lianda's

actions. One of those who he killed was the son of the witch Gretchen, who was,

unknown to Dracula, caring for Dracula's exiled daughter Lilith. Gretchen cursed

Lilith to become a vampire who would hunt Dracula until he was destroyed forever.[62]

From the 15th Century the Catholic Church was heavily influenced by the Borgia

Family who became prominent in ecclesiastical and political affairs. The family

producing two popes; Pope Callixtus III, and Pope Alexander VI.One of the worst of

the family was Lucrezia Borgia.[63][64]

In 1480, A.D., and in the town of Zeulniz (south of what we know as Leipzig,

Germany), Harbin Zemo, the Granary charge man and ministerialis of Zeulniz, stood

alone and slaughtered an invading horde of Slav raiders with an armor he borrowed

from others. Impressed with his courage, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire

chose to elevate this town administrator who was little more than a peasant himself
to the status of Baron of Zeulniz and the outer lying areas. [65] Harbin was hailed as a

hero by the townsfolk. Harbin vowed that whenever good men and women were

threatened he and his kin would be there to serve the cause of justice. However, as

the years passed Harbin was corrupted by the power he now had over the

townspeople and the responsibilities that came with it. He became cruel to the serfs

who worked his land and would kill those who did not show him the reverence he felt

he deserved as their hero.[66]

Hademar Zemo was the second Baron in the Zemo Barony. Hademar was greedy

and eagerly awaited his father's, Harbin's, death so he could become the next Baron.

Soon after Harbin's death, Hademar's twelve-year old son Heller Zemo started a

coup and had Hademar slain by his guards at his inauguration. [66]

In 1492, A.D., mutant Gideon accompanied Christopher Columbus on his historic

expedition that led to the discovery of Americas.[42].

16th Century
In the 16th century, Heller, was the fourth Baron Zemo and expanded Zemo Keep's

control of trade and commerce with his armies. He nearly incited a holy war with the

papacy.[67]

In 1556, A.D., Heller Zemo fought alongside Helmut Zemo, his time-displaced distant

descendant. Herbert was eventually assassinated by his own generals, who feared

the reprisals of all the enemies who had united against him. Because his two eldest

sons died young, he was succeeded by his youngest son, Helmuth. Who was a

ruthless ruler who destroyed everyone who disagreed with him or opposed him.[67]

Galileo later battled the devourer of worlds Galactus. Leonardo da Vinci was also a

prominent member inventing mysterious device which allows him to travel off in an
ornithopter. One of the longest reigning leaders of the group was Sir Isaac Newton,

who kept his position by murdering Galileo and many others across the centuries. He

also tortured Nostradamus to learn future events.[68]

Alongside his assistants Lorenzo and Pietro, Leonardo da Vinci observed a dark

spot growing on the sun and constructed a suit capable of flight. After donning the

suit, he left the duo, presumably to deal with the dark spot.[69]

In 1568, A.D. Sir Francis Drake lead expedition to the Caribbean the ships surgeon

was injured by the natives becoming the immortal creature known as

Bloodscream.[70]

In 1591, A.D., the first English colony was settled on Roanoke Island. It did not

survive as it was attacked by a Vampire who turned all the 121 settlers into vampires

leaving only one message carved into a tree "Croatoan".[71]

17th Century
In 1620 A.D., the Pilgrims a group of English settlers who were fleeing the volatile

political environment in England travelled aboard the Mayflower, from Plymouth to

the New World. At least one member of the Clan Akkaba was on board the ship.[60]

Another Pilgrim ship the Pandora was across the Atlantic Ocean to restart in the

New World. One day their ship was swept in a whirlpool that was also a portal into

the Negative Zone. They have spent the centuries fighting Annihilus whom they view

as the literal Biblical Devil.[72]

In the 1600s', New Amsterdam was settled by Dutch immigrants. These immigrants

were greeted by time traveler Wolf Turber a robot from the future of Earth-36292 who

sought to conquer the Earth. He attempted to subvert the Dutch immigrants in 1649

to his cause, but they saw through his duplicity and chased him away The province
would remain a Dutch possession until 1674 when it came under control of the

English and renamed New York named for the Duke of York, later King James II of

England.[73]

In 1640, A.D., he was assassinated with a dagger by the time-displaced Helmut

Zemo, his distant descendant. Hackett Zemo tried to have time traveling Helmut

Zemo killed out of revenge for killing his father.[67]

In 1649, A.D. Oliver Cromwell led the English Army into Ireland forcing them under

British rule. This lasted all the way until the 20th Century.[74]

The Clan Akkaba settled in London using the growing empire to influence the world

had the mission of safeguarding the legacies and mantras of their lord and ancestor.

They even had a member aboard the Mayflower's voyage to the New World.[60]

Hilliard Zemo asa a young man, Hilliard was in love with a jewish girl named Elsbeth

Kleinenshvitz. Elsbeth's family had been merchants who served the Barony since its

inception. When Hilliard's father, Hartwig, died the Barony passed to him. Hilliard's

advisors feared the Kleinenshvitz family was growing too wealthy and too powerful

and were a threat to the Barony. Hilliard urged Elsbeth to flee the country, but she

refused. Hilliard's men slaughtered the Kleinenshvitz family save for a pregnant

Elsbeth who was saved by a time traveling Helmut Zemo. Hilliard never knew that

Elsbeth survived and had his child. Their unnamed child was the ancestor of a

woman named Miss Klein who was killed by Wendell Volker in the present. Hilliard

later married an Austrian girl named Gretchen and fathered Hoffman.

Dracula traveled to the New World, where he was drawn to a girl in Salem,

Massachusetts. When the girl was killed by a jealous Puritan, Dracula used hypnosis

on the slave Tituba, initiating the chain of events that would lead to the Salem witch

trials.[75]
Several heroes from the modern day, including Spider-Man, were transported to the

time of the trials by the time-traveling Dark Rider, but were unable to stop the Dark

Rider in time to attempt to prevent the hanging of the trials' victims.[76]

18th Century
Using the Time platform Doctor Doom sent the Fantastic Four back the the 18th

Century to recover Blackbeard's chest. As they adventured on the hire seas looking

for Blackbeard they find a ship that contains a chest. While hauling a treasure chest

out of the hold, the crew hailed Ben as "Blackbeard". Reed emptied the chest,

reminding Johnny that they only promised to bring back Blackbeard's chest, not the

treasure itself, and he replaces the treasure with chains. On deck, they realized that

Ben is the Blackbeard of legend. He refused to return with them, ordering the crew to

douse Johnny, wrap Reed in a sail, and set them adrift in a lifeboat. Before they can

launch the boat, though, a huge waterspout struck the ship and destroyed it. Reed

and Johnny made it to shore, where they find Ben and the chest. The time platform

appeared and they returned home.[77]

Events occurred that inspired Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, although the

Earth-616's version of Frankenstein's Monster is a generally heroic rather than the

somewhat amoral character of the novel.[78]

The Hellfire Club began in London as a social club for the wealthy British social elite

in the 1760's as a way to provide its members with pleasures that often defied the

moral standards of the time and to allow members to consolidate their influence over

British economic and political matters.[79]

Fiona married in 1707 and had three daughters. Her husband died five years later,

and she soon remarried to another man and had three other daughters before he

died in 1718. She remarried in 1720 to a third and had a seventh daughter.[80] Ogun,
believed to be a mutant, was, according to some reports, alive in the early part of the

17th century.[81]

In 1754, A.D. Hartwig Zemo battled during the 7 Years War and was killed during the

conflict. Hartwig pledged his army to the service of the Imperial Diet. More of his men

were killed in the war than any other noblemen's armies in Germany.[67]

In 1780 A.D., Fiona Knoblach had around twenty grandchildren and sixty

great-grandchildren, mostly girls.[80]

Elias Bogan was rumored to be alive in the 1780's.[82]

The Clan Akkaba were active in France during the French Revolution.[60]

American Revolutionary War began and they lost the 13 colonies that formed their

own independent nation, the United States of America. They became an

independent nation in 1776 A.D.[83][84]

In 1774 A.D., religious scholar; Alessandro Di Cagliostro was searching for the

secret of immortality. Cagliostro learned the location of the 'Book of Sins', the

Darkhold. The Lord of Vampires, Dracula, was then the latest owner. Cagliostro

managed to steal the book from the gypsy who the had been sent to the Vatican by

Dracula, and earned the vampire's enmity. From the Darkhold, Cagliostro learned the

secrets that would enable him to make an elixir of immortality, but needed exotic

components unavailable to him.[85]

In 1782 A.D., Tiresias crashed at Mozart's place during the time "Die Entführung aus

dem Serail" had just opened with rave review. She enjoyed his many parties.[86]
In 1789 A.D., the Vatican ordered the arrest of Alessandro Di Cagliostro on the

grounds that Freemasonry was a heresy, and he was imprisoned in the Castle of

San Leo near Montefeltro. He was reputed to have died in 1795 in a cell in Italy's

papal states, but in reality Cagliostro had at some point left to continue his unending

quest for occult power.[87]

In the late 18th century Jonas Graymalkin was born. At the age of sixteen, he

realized he was gay. Meeting another boy in his family's barn one day, he was

discovered by his father, a religious man, who believed his son to be an abomination,

a spawn of the devil. Beating Jonas nearly to death, his father then sought to bury

him alive in the nearby woods. This burial triggered his mutant powers, allowing him

to survive some 200 years underground before being unearthed in the modern

era.[88]

19th Century
Jebediah Fate betrayed his captain, Maura Hawke, to the Satyr Khordes, offering her

as a prisoner in exchange for treasure. When Hawke stabbed Khordes, the Satyr

used his magic to curse Hawke and her crew. The curse was lifted when Hawke's

reincarnation, Maura Spinner, decided to willingly stay with the resurrected

Khordes[89]

Napoleonic Wars

The Empire went to war with France beginning the Napoleonic Wars in 1803.[90]

Britain defeated Napoléon Bonaparte and his armies at Waterloo in 1815, and took

many of their colonies in the process.[91]

It was during this time that the White House was burnt down during the War of 1812,

which was a conflict between the USA and the British Empire.[92][93]
Ichisumi first activated in 1833 in Kumamoto, Japan. She was collected by

Apocalypse and "stored" for later use as the Famine of his Final Horsemen.[94]

In the 1840's captain Ahab of the Pequod battled a giant whale like creature. The

resulting clash was fictionalized into the literary classic, Moby Dick.[95]

Wild West

Main article: Wild West

Many adventurers and criminals were active in North America's "Wild West", some of

whom used costumed identities, such as the Two-Gun Kid, the original Ghost Rider

(later renamed the Phantom Rider and succeeded by three other men), Kid Colt, the

Outlaw Kid, the Apache Kid, and the Red Wolf. Other non-masked gunfighters of the

era included the Rawhide Kid, the Gunhawks, the unrelated Gunhawk, and Caleb

Hammer. All of these gunslingers, save for the Rawhide Kid, the Red Wolf, and the

Gunhawk Reno Jones are known to have been murdered or killed in battle by the

century's end. Most of them died in a blaze of glory in 1885, defending the town of

Wonderment, Montana from the land-grabbing Nightriders.[96] That said, the

Two-Gun Kid is known to have used time travel to visit the present from a time

before his death on at least two separate occasions; on the first such occasion, he

joined the super-heroic Avengers.[97] The ghost of Carter Slade (one of the last

Phantom Riders) would later possess his modern-day ancestor, Lincoln Slade, who

became the Phantom Rider.[98]

American Civil War

Main article: American Civil War (Event)

The mutant Jeb Lee was collected by Apocalypse and "stored" for later use as the

Pestilence of his Final Horsemen.[94]

The mutant Tobias Messenger was active in the 19th century.[99]

In 1859 A.D., Dr. Nathaniel Essex presented his work and theories on the Essex

Factor, illustrated by a cadaver he pieced together from human and animal remains.

He was rejected by the Royal Society of London. He then looked for "freaks" and

was shown a collection of some of them by the Marauders[100] Essex later met with

Apocalypse and time-travelling Cyclops and Phoenix.[100]

In 1860 A.D., the British and the French allied together to fight the Chinese during

the the Second Opium War. They faced the Iron Fist at the Forts of Taku. Although a

great warrior, the army lost and were taken prisoner and forced into hard labor, and

then the power of the Iron Fist left him.[101]

Baron Hobart Zemo was the tenth Baron in the Zemo family lineage. Hobart was

killed during a civilian uprising in 1879. After attempts were made on the life of the

German emperor, William I, the previous year, there was legislation passed that

outlawed the social democratic party which led to the uprising. Hobart's

great-grandson from the future, Helmut Zemo, had tried to save his life, but went

back in time before being able to do so.[102]

In 1882 A.D., James Howlett was born in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada.[103]

In 1890 A.D., the events that inspired Bram Stoker's novel Dracula occurred,

although Dracula survived the conclusion by transforming into mist when stabbed by

Abraham van Helsing and his vampire hunters.[85][104]

In 1897 A.D., when Vampires began plaguing London, the Clan Akkaba awoke

Apocalypse to help destroy them.[60] After he would remain suspended animation

until the modern era, and Dracula was staked by Abraham van Helsing.[105] Dracula

was revived by none other than the Frankenstein's monster, and after the two fought,
Dracula returned to and killed van Helsing. Van Helsing was survived by at least one

child, and his granddaughter Rachel would fight Dracula in the modern era.[106]

20th Century

Tunguska Event
Main article: Tunguska

On the morning of the 30th June 1908 a mysterious explosion over Tunguska in the

sparsely populated Eastern Siberian Taiga flattened 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi) of forest

it caused no known casualties among humans.[107]

World War I

Main article: World War I

The first group of costumed heroes of this century were the Freedom's Five, a group

of international heroes who gathered to fight the Germans during World War I. One

of their number was the first hero to be called Union Jack; his brother was the

German agent called Baron Blood, who had been transformed into a vampire by

Dracula. Another member of the Five was the Phantom Eagle, whose ghost would

be laid to rest in the modern era with the assistance of Johnny Blaze, the Ghost

Rider. Jack Fury, father of Nick Fury, fought the Red Baron during the Great War.

World War II

Main article: World War II

Several costumed characters appeared in America before the United States entered

World War II. The first was the Atlantean half-breed prince Namor the Sub-Mariner,

whose dual surface-dweller and Atlantean heritage granted him superhuman

strength and flight, and allowed him to breathe both air and water. However, this

same heritage made him both a savior and enemy of mankind. Though often
portrayed as a hero, he also waged several wars on Earth's above water

populations. It was later discovered that Namor needed to have a specific amount of

time under water in order to not go temporarily insane.

The second costumed character to arrive prior to WWII was the android Human

Torch. These two heroes came into conflict with each other, but later became

steadfast allies in the face of the Axis threat. Other heroes of this time included Red

Raven, the original Ka-Zar, the Patriot (Jeff Mace), and the Hurricane (actually the

Eternal Makkari).

The US Government secretly developed a project to create super soldiers to fight in

the war, but it was sabotaged by a Nazi agent and the full formula was lost. An early

prototype was used on a platoon of African American soldiers, all but one of whom

(Isaiah Bradley) died. Only one soldier, Steve Rogers, was given the full super

soldier treatment. Rogers was given the secret identity of Captain America to be a

morale-boosting symbol. He would become one of the world's most influential

heroes. Meanwhile, Isaiah Bradley was rendered brain-damaged following a

near-fatal escape from a Nazi concentration camp after an apparent suicide mission,

and Rogers would not learn of his existence for decades.

When America entered the war, Winston Churchill himself arranged for several

heroes to form a team called The Invaders, to perform missions against the Axis

Powers and their super agents. Several costumed villains had important roles among

the Nazis. These include the Red Skull, Baron Zemo, Baron Strucker, Arnim Zola,

Agent Axis, Master Man, and others. Most of them survived the war to plague the

heroes of the modern era.

In 1945, shortly before the Allies captured Berlin, the Red Skull was accidentally

placed in a state of suspended animation, and in a separate incident Captain

America was frozen in ice and his teenage sidekick Bucky was seemingly killed.
Both men were soon secretly replaced by the US government to avoid lowering

morale among the Allies. Soon after, the Allies advanced to Berlin, and the Invaders

broke into Hitler's bunker. Although history would record it as suicide, Hitler was

actually killed in self-defense by the Human Torch. Not long after the war ended, the

first replacement Captain America was killed in action and was replaced by a

post-war Captain America. The original Captain America and the Red Skull would

both be revived in the modern era.

Post-World War II

Main article: Cold War (Event)

A young man who would later assume the identity of Erik Lehnsherr was interned in

the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp alongside his future wife Magda. The pair escaped,

married, and had a daughter, Anya. When Anya was killed in an arson attack on their

home, Erik used his mutant powers to kill the attackers, frightening away Magda,

who was actually pregnant with twins at the time. The twins were born in the "1950s"

on Mount Wundagore, and were placed into suspended animation for several

decades by the High Evolutionary. They would eventually be given to the Transian

gypsy Django Maximoff, who would raise them as his own. Erik would later become

the super-villain called Magneto, and his children would become Quicksilver and the

Scarlet Witch. Neither Magneto nor his children would learn of this relationship until

the modern era.

After the war, most of the Invaders remained active as a group called the All-Winners

Squad, though they eventually disbanded and, with Citizen V and several of their

allies in the Liberty Legion, formed the core of the new V-Battalion. The Human

Torch was rendered inert for decades after the "1950s", and the Sub-Mariner was

rendered an amnesiac following the destruction of much of Atlantis by the

Set-controlled mesmerist Paul Destine ("Destiny").

During the "mid-1950s", a new Captain America and Bucky appeared. These men

were devoted anti-Communists who took the real names of their namesakes as their

own. They fought a new Soviet-sponsored Red Skull and various other threats from

beyond the Iron Curtain. The experimental super-soldier process that had created

them made them mentally unstable, so they were placed in suspended animation

until the modern day, where they were revived by the original Captain America. This

Captain America would later become the Grand Director of the Secret Empire, while

this Bucky would recover and become the superhero Nomad.

Several new heroes were active during the "1950s", including Marvel Boy, the 3-D

Man, and the goddess Venus. In an alternate reality, some of them formed a

short-lived team known as "The Avengers". This reality was wiped out by Immortus

before it progressed into the 1960s. That particular grouping may have also existed

in the main Marvel Universe, but if so, they were never called "The Avengers".

Vietnam War

Main article: Vietnam War

There was also a team of heroes active some time after World War 2 until 1985,

known as the First Line, but their existence was mainly kept secret from the general

public. Most of them died battling Skrulls. Another team active during this period was

the Monster Hunters, who battled monsters of alien and Deviant origins across the

globe. However, their exploits are not well known today because a conspiracy called

CONTROL tried to keep the existence of aliens and the supernatural from the

general public, and succeeded for many years.

During the Cold War, a joint US/Canadian task force that was later code-named

"Team X" was formed. This group of spies and assassins included the men who

would become Wolverine, Sabretooth, Maverick, and others. Subsequently, the

Weapon Plus Project, which had supported the creation of the Super Soldier Project
that had created Captain America, started a new iteration of its Weapon program.

The Tenth Weapon program (Weapon X) resulted in the implantation of adamantium

in Wolverine's body and the creation of many false memories in him and the other

Team X/Weapon X agents.

About ten years prior to the modern era, six couples were teleported to the lair of the

demonic Gibborim, who offered six of the twelve a chance to gain power and

immortality should all twelve assist the Gibborim in destroying humanity in the future.

All agreed, and became The Pride. When one of the couples discovered that they

were pregnant, the other couples decided to follow suit and have one child apiece,

with each couple granting their eventual power and immortality to their sole offspring.

In the modern era, these children would rebel against their parents and become the

Runaways.

Modern Heroic Era

This started officially with the public debut of the Fantastic Four. Spider-Man, The

Hulk, Thor, Iron Man, Daredevil and the X-Men soon followed. Some of these heroes

joined to form the Avengers. These would become Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Some

of the heroes from earlier history were revived as well. While hiding from the rest of

the Fantastic Four due to an argument, the modern-day Human Torch found Namor

suffering from amnesia at the Bowery district of Manhattan, and helps him regain his

memory by throwing him into a lake. Later, after a fight with Namor and the Hulk, the

Avengers would find the original Captain America, who had been frozen in an

iceberg for many decades and kept alive thanks to the Super-Soldier Serum in his

veins. After thawing out, he accepted joining the team. Many events would go on to

occur from here on. For a list of several of the most important events that happened

in a period of about 14 years until "today", see Major Events of the Marvel Universe.

To see most of the original events in their supposed chronological order, see Marvel

Universe Reading Order

Death of the Universe

In the aftermath of the war between the Avengers and the X-Men, the secret group

known as the Illuminati reconvened to deal with a pan-universal threat, the

incursions. The incursions are a consequence of a contraction in the Multiverse's

timeline, originating from an event in another universe (later revealed to have been

the death of a Molecule Man[108]) which caused the premature death of said reality.

This contraction caused universes throughout the Multiverse to collide, with each

universe's respective Earth as the point of impact. After an incursion, two different

universes' Earths clash, causing the death of both universes and shortening the

Multiverse's lifespan. The only way for the universes to survive an incursion was to

destroy one of the Earths, thereby saving both universes and one Earth. Apparently,

the universe with the destroyed Earth survived until its natural end, but for the other

universe, the only way was to either continue to destroy other Earths or destroy its

own Earth, thus stopping the incursions.[109]

In the beginning, the Illuminati managed to avoid committing the horrible act of

destroying another reality's inhabited planet Earth due to different factors. In some

cases, the incursive Earth was destroyed by beings of its own universe,[110][111] in

another instance, the Illuminati used the Infinity Gauntlet to push the realities apart

(though this course of action caused the destruction of the Infinity Gems).[110]

As time went by, and other realities were destroyed, the time lapse between

incursions started to decrease. A group of murderous villains known as the Cabal

took upon themselves the duty to destroy other incursive Earths, doing what the

Illuminati ended up being unwilling to do.[112] The Cabal made public to the world the

existence of the incursions, and gained the UN's sanction to continue defending the

planet.[113] Meanwhile, the Illuminati were on the run from S.H.I.E.L.D., bent on

bringing them to justice.[114] While on the run, the Illuminati repeatedly attempted to

find a way to solve the problem of incursions, from trying to create a new Earth with
a Cosmic Cube and then with Franklin Richards' powers, to asking the Celestials and

Galactus for help, but all these plans failed.[115]

Time ran out and Earth-616 ended up being one of the last two remaining realities.

With no way to prevent the destruction of all of reality, the Illuminati and S.H.I.E.L.D.

began working together after reaching a middle ground. They created a life raft that

could survive the destruction of the universe, in order to allow men and women to

rebuilt humanity in whatever was left after everything ended.[116]

The final incursion drew near, a collision against Earth-1610, and both realities

collided and were destroyed. The gathering of the people selected to join the life raft

had failed, and only a handful of people managed to get onboard, including Mr.

Fantastic and Black Panther.[117]

Rebirth of the Universe

Some time before the Multiverse was no more, Doctor Doom had investigated this

phenomenon, and confronted those partially responsible for this, the Beyonders.[108]

Using the power of the Molecule Men from different realities, Doom destroyed the

Beyonders and stole their power.[118]

With the power of the Beyonders, Doom salvaged the remnants of different realities

and built Battleworld, a patchwork planet composed of these remains and its

inhabitants.[119] The raft containing the survivors of Earth-616 found its way into

Battleworld,[120] and the survivors set out to defeat God Emperor Doom.[121] In the

end, Reed Richards acquired the power that was Doom's, and began to use the

omnipotent power of the Beyonders to rebuild the Multiverse, starting with his own

universe, Earth-616.[122]