VII: The Future
Section Intro | 21st-29th Centuries | The Legion Era / (version 1) / (version 2) / (version 3) / (version 4) | The Far Future
Timeline
| History | Notes and References | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| c. 2009 | |||
| Hypertimeline A: An adult Tim Hunter, grown evil, engages in a Magic War with Earth’s heroes. | Books of Magic mini-series #4 <4.91> (shown to 12-year-old Tim [see 1994/Yr6] as 15 years in his future). | ||
| c. 2011 (=Year 13 +10) | |||
| Hypertimeline B: Lord Chaos rules this alternate future. It is discovered by Monarch (Nathaniel Adam), who masquerades as Hank (Hawk) Hall and creates the Team Titans, sending them into the past (see 2001/Yr13), ostensibly to prevent Lord Chaos’ creation but in reality to lure him back to his defeat. | Armageddon: 2001 #1-2 <5-10.91>, Team Titans #1, #20, #24 <9.92, 5.94, 9.94>, New Titans Annual #7 <91>, #11 <95>, Extreme Justice #12-15 <1-4.95>, etc. The A:2001-related Annuals provided glimpses of many other alternate futures, also. This timeline was eliminated by Zero Hour, taking with it all Team Titans except those “planted” from the primary timeline by the Time Trapper. (A possible alternate interpretation has also been circulated: that Hank Hall is initially real, but after becoming Extant is then imitated by Nathaniel Adam.) | ||
| c. 2015 | |||
| Htl. B: Monarch defeats the last of this timeline’s heroes and seizes control of Earth. | A:2001 #1 | ||
| 2016 | |||
| Hypertimeline C: The time-hopping Ray and Black Canary visit briefly (from 2002/Yr14), and are guided back by a woman law officer named Gaelon. The Ray of this era is a corporate tycoon and rival of Vandal Savage, and is yanked from his moment of death into a far-future battle by Captain Atom. | Ray #11 <4.95>, #24-27 <6-9.96>. The story provides an actual date, as opposed to a number of years in the future, and thus far the timeline has not slid so much as to make that date non-viable. | ||
| c. 2017 | |||
| [Jul] Hypertimeline D: On Tim Drake’s birthday, Lex Luthor and a corrupted Miss Martian convince him that the Titans need to usurp the role of their JLA mentors. They begin by cloning Connor Kent. | Teen Titans v3 #54 <2.08>, "eight years” into the future as of 2009/Yr21. | ||
| c. 2018 | |||
| Hypertimeline E: After ten years without a Batman, a dystopian Gotham is rocked when… the Dark Knight Returns. | Dark Knight #1-4 <4-7.86>. Dated by internal reference: Book One begins on Gordon’s 70th birthday; Bruce began his costumed career “thirty years ago,” and is stated to be 55 at his “death” in Book Four. | ||
| c. 2018 | |||
| Htl. D: Ten years into their own future, the Teen Titans of 2008/Yr20 discover they have become iron-fisted tyrants over half of North America. | TT v3 #17-19 <12-1.05>. Only “nine years” ahead as of their return in TT v3 #51 <11.07>, reflecting the progression of “present” DCU time. | ||
| 2020s | |||
| Hypertimeline “K”: Superman—in self-imposed retirement since Lois Lane’s tragic death—returns in the wake of Kansas’ nuclear destruction, and leads his colleagues in reigning in an undisciplined, violent generation of younger superhumans. | Kingdom Come #1-4 <7-10.96>. The date is inexact, but it must be prior to 2022, the earliest date mentioned in Kingdom #1 <2.99> for the death of any KC-derived Superman at Gog’s hands. Note that in the new Multiverse, this history is replicated in every pertinent detail on Earth-22. | ||
| Htl. K: Having fallen in love and borne a son, Superman and Wonder Woman (along with godfather Batman) must pursue the murderous Gog into the past (see 2003/Yr15) to rescue their child and save history, even at the risk of their own timeline. They are followed and aided by Ibn Al’Xuffash, son of Batman and Talia (see 2000/Yr12); Nightwing and Starfire’s daughter Mar’i (Nightstar); Wally West’s teenage daughter Iris (Kid Flash); and Plastic Man’s son Offspring, along with Linear Man Rip Hunter. | Kingdom #1-2 <2.99>, and related one-shots. Set two years after Kansas [Kid Flash #1]; and as above, the date must be no later than 2022. The implication at the end of Kingdom is that their timeline does, in fact, survive. Later events (see immediately below) strongly suggest that it is in fact the primary future of the DCU, at least post-Crisis. Post-Infinite Crisis, however, it seems clear that Batman and Talia’s son Damian is not the same as the Ibn seen here. | ||
| Jay Garrick seeks out Iris West’s aid against the time-spanning curse of Cobalt Blue’s gem (see 2004/Yr16). | Flash v2 #146 <3.99>. Note that Luthor is finally in prison in this era (although seemingly destroyed in Son of the Bat #1). | ||
| Hypertimeline “M”?: Ayo Sotinwa, still “a young girl in Africa” in our present, makes scientific contributions on an historic par with Edison, Einstein, and Ted Knight. | Starman v2 #1,000,000 [hereinafter “1M”] <11.98> [flashback reference]. Dates and details uncertain. Notable mainly as the earliest historical event arising from a citation in the DC One Million (hyper)timeline’s future history. | ||
| 2025 | |||
| John Constantine, age 72, pulls off the coup of a lifetime—literally. When John’s young friend Daljit “Dolly” Smith, working class medic and apparent “royal bastard,” finds herself in the middle of a civil war between Royalists desperate for a successor to the dying King Charles III and Puritan Republicans desperate to prevent one, Constantine steps in to play both ends against the middle in his inimitable way… and maneuvers Dolly into place as England’s first elected president. | Hellblazer Special: Bad Blood #1-3 <9-12.00>. Note that against all odds, John’s friend Chas is also still alive! | ||
| 2030 | |||
| Htl. B: Monarch manipulates Matthew Ryder into traveling to the past (see 2001/Yr13), where he becomes Waverider. Monarch then follows, manipulating events to lead to his own origin. | A:2001 #1-2, etc. Apparently a fixed date, not a relative one. Monarch’s hidden agenda apparently included the hope that by creating the Hawk-Monarch, later Extant, he could alter the events of Zero Hour such that his timeline would become primary. This did not come to pass. | ||
| Hypertimeline F: An alternate Matthew Ryder, a chronal scientist for LexCorp, discovers a stable moment outside the timestream that he dubs “Vanishing Point,” and relocates there to found the time-policing Linear Men. | Superman v2 #73 <11.92>, Who’s Who in the DC Universe v2 <Update ’93>. Exact date is conjectural. Later recruits include Rip Hunter [LDCU 80-Pg Giant #1 <9.98>] and Liri Lee. While it was originally implied that this Ryder came from the primary timeline, he was also depicted as working for the bearded Lex Luthor II—an anachronism suggesting the Linear Men’s origins are themselves, ironically, from a divergent timeline. | ||
| Htl. “M”?: The second Batman defeats Two-Face Two by proving statistically that his good side is dominant. | DC One Million #3 <11.98> [flashback reference]. Date is speculative. He is Bruce Wayne’s first successor, heralding a line of hundreds of Batmen through the ages [SOTB #1M]. | ||
| c. 2040? | |||
| Hypertimeline G?: In an increasingly Orwellian society, citizen Buddy Blank becomes OMAC, the One Man Army Corps. | History of the DC Universe <86>; (OMAC v1 #1 <9-10.74>, et seq.) Set shortly before some unspecified near-future Great Disaster. This may or may not be canonical, especially given John Byrne’s convoluted revision of the character in his OMAC mini-series <8-11.91>, and the re-imagining of OMAC in the present day [OMAC Project #1-6 <6-11.05>]. It’s not necessarily incompatible, however, with either the primary timeline (assuming that this is not the same Buddy Blank seen in Countdown in 2009/Yr21) or with Htl. A, above (given the predictable chaos following Monarch’s disappearance). | ||
| 2045 | |||
| World War III occurs, a “limited” nuclear war. | Hex #4 <12.85> provides the date. This is the real thing, not one of the metahuman events on which the label has been hung metaphorically [see 2004/Yr16, 2009/Yr21]. There is no reason to believe this is not part of the “primary” timeline. According to HDCU, seven global superpowers are involved, along with a “Terrorist Triumvirate”; 17 nuclear missiles are launched, although only six detonate, but it is enough to derail contemporary civilization. | ||
| 2050 | |||
| Jonah Hex is kidnapped to the postwar future from 1875 by the eccentric Reinhold Borsten. | Jonah Hex #92 <8.85>; Hex #1 <9.85> et seq. Hex returns eventually, though, and dies in his own era [see 1904]. | ||
| c. 2055 | |||
| Rip Hunter’s time-travelling colleague Bonnie Baxter stays here, to help the remnants of the Illuminati rebuild civilization. | Time Masters #8 <9.90> (mis-dating her arrival, however, as “July 1, 2035”). | ||
| 2075-2100 | |||
| [2079-2092] Axel Starker, aka Star Hawkins, has a successful career as a detective, aided by his robot helper Ilda. | History of the DCU <1986>; confirming (Strange Adventures #114 <3.60> et seq; WWho v1 <85>). As evinced by Hawkins’ lifestyle, the second generation after the war is almost fully recovered. | ||
| Htl. M?: Jack Knight’s grandson sullies the Starman name by turning to villainy. | Starman v2 #1M <11.98> [flashback reference]. Dating is uncertain. | ||
| Superman helps negotiate peace treaties that lead to Earth forming a single planetary government. | Action #859 <1.08>, per Dawnstar’s account of history (in hypertimeline L4, at least). | ||
| Htl. M?: At the close of the 21st century, having “outlived his time… his friends… his beloved…”, the original Superman departs known space to explore in solitude. He is not seen again for nearly 68,000 years (see 701st Century). He is succeeded by his heir, Superman Secundus—the first in a long dynasty of Supermen who serve heroically in every era until at least the 853rd Century. | Superman: Man of Tomorrow #1M <11.98> [flashback references]. | ||
| 22nd Century | |||
| A new technological golden age emerges, as space exploration and colonization finally fulfill their potential. Water and other resources remain scarce, however, and the government is very strict, as a result of the preceding decades of anarchy. | (Extrapolation, based largely on knowledge of the 25th and 30th centuries; see below.) Note, according to Starman v2 #50 <2.99>, that discoveries about cosmic energy made by Ted (Starman) Knight were instrumental to Earth’s colonization of space. | ||
| Htl. M?: J’onn J’onzz travels to the stars alongside Earth’s explorers, serving as a protector of humanity throughout the third millennium, taking other forms and living other lives along the way. | Martian Manhunter #1M<11.98> [flashback references]. Exact dates and events uncertain. | ||
| [c. 2100?] Htl. G?: The orphaned Kamandi, grandson of OMAC, survives in a post-Disaster wilderness ruled by Beast-Men… until rescued by Horatio Tomorrow of the Planeteers; he grows up to become the heroic Colonel Tommy Tomorrow. | H DCU, retconning and combining origins from (Kamandi #59 <9-10.78> et seq., and Action #127 <12.48> et seq., respectively). Walker Gabriel encounters Beast-Men in the late 22nd century in Chronos #4 <6.98>. Tommy Tomorrow apparently remains canonical in the primary timeline (although originally, he was active c. the 2060s), but this origin may or may not be. | ||
| [2113] Psychotic shape-changer Hayden Glass murders hundreds as the “Justice League Killer,” until apprehended by a time-stranded Walker Gabriel. | Chronos #1 <3.98>, #7 <9.98>. This story also indicates that Earth governments of the period are largely corporate-run, and that public morals lean toward the neo-Victorian. Note that Gabriel later alters this timeline [Chronos #10 <1.99>] so that Glass is apprehended earlier. | ||
| Home era of the Space Rangers and the Planeteers (apparently, the respective civilian and military authorities of Earth in this period). | HDCU; respective origins/1st apps: (Showcase #15 <7-8.58>, Real Fact Comics #16 <9-10.48>; WWho v1). HDCU canonically retconned the Rangers as an organization, inspired by the original Space Ranger (Ric Starr), a solo hero. | ||
| [c. 2137] Christopher Columbus Ambler [the first baby born in space, c. 2120] begins a career of exploration as Kris-KL99. | Secret Origins v2 #43 <8.89>; (1st app. Strange Advs. #1 <8-9.50>; also WWho v1). | ||
| Ace Arn, aka Ultra the Multi-Alien, is active in this era. | Starman v2 #55 <7.99>; (1st app. Mystery in Space v1 #103 <11.65>; also WWho v1). | ||
| The Star Rovers, a team of adventurers, are also active during this period. | H DCU ; (Mystery in Space v1 #66 <3.61> et seq; WWho v1). (Originally, the team formed c. 2161.) [See also 2152, below.] | ||
| [2152] The time-travelling Jack (Starman) Knight and companions (see 2004/Yr16) rescue a captive Starfire from Jarko, the Space Pirate. | Starman v2 #55. They are aided by the Knights of the Galaxy [see 25th C.; perhaps time-displaced?]… or maybe the Star Rovers… or maybe the Planeteers [see above]… depending on the account. The story also involves Ultra, Ric Starr, Space Cabby, and Randel Jarrett of the Space Museum. | ||
| [c. 2153-54] Space Cabby operates in this era, although he makes occasional forays into the past. | Lobo #21 <11.95>, Starman v2 #55; (Mystery in Space v1 #26 <6-7.55> et seq.). | ||
| [2174] Hypertimeline H: Gary Concord, the Ultra-Man, awakens from suspended animation, having slept since a cataclysmic war in 1950. | (All-American #8 <11.39>); interpolated as canonical due to his son’s appearance in Legionnaires Annual #3 <1996> [see 100th C.]. | ||
| Htl. M?: Tommy Tomorrow II becomes one of history’s greatest Starmen. | Starman v2 #1M [flashback reference]. Exact date uncertain, but this implicitly confirms the original’s canonicity. | ||
| 23rd Century | |||
| [2231] Max Mercury seeks the help of this era’s Flash against the threat of Cobalt Blue’s gem (see 1999/Yr17, 2020), only to see him killed… but then succeeded by the energy form of his paralyzed daughter, Sela Allen. | Flash v2 #146 | ||
| [2240] Htl. H: Gary Concord Jr. succeeds his father (see 2174) as Ultra-Man and “High Moderator of the United States of North America”… and eventually also follows him into suspended animation. | (All-American #9-19 <12.39-10.40>); implicitly confirmed by L* Annual #3 [see 100th Century]. | ||
| The original Time Institute exists. | Chronos #1 | ||
| Society falls (at least briefly) under the dominance of the psychotic scientist Rotwang, who sends his robotic servant Mekanique back in time to ensure his success. | All-Star Squadron #58-60 <6-8.86> [see 1942]; inspired by Fritz Lang’s film Metropolis (1927). | ||
| Era of the Great Wars on Earth, in which much knowledge is lost. | ([Tales of the] Legion of Super-Heroes v2 #321-23 <3-5.85>); possibly now apocryphal. | ||
| 24th Century | |||
| No data known at this time. | |||
| 25th Century | |||
| Home era of the Knights of the Galaxy, founded “to protect the free people of the galaxy.” | WWho v1 #12 <2.86>; (Mystery in Space v1 #1 <4-5.51>, et seq.; originally set c. 2900). [Also see 2152.] | ||
| The Space Museum is a popular attraction on Earth. | (Strange Advs. #104 <5.59>); BG v1 #6 <7.86>, etc. [Also see 2152.] | ||
| The Justice Society travels from 1941 to retrieve a Bomb Defense Formula. | (All-Star Comics #10 <4-5.42>); possibly apocryphal. | ||
| Landor travels from this era to battle the JSA. | (A-SC #29 <6-7.46>); possibly apocryphal. | ||
| [c. 2447] Knodar, “the Last Criminal,” travels twice from this era to 1947, defeated both times by the original Green Lantern. He then travels to 1999/Yr11, where he is defeated by Infinity, Inc; and to 1991/Yr3, where he is captured by Superman and Batman. | Batman & Superman: World’s Finest #2 <5.99>; (Green Lantern v1 #28 <10-11.47>, #30 <2-3.48>; Infinity, Inc. v1 #23-24 <2-3.86>.) All of the pre-Crisis appearances may be apocryphal, but the character is not. | ||
| [2452] America’s eastern seaboard recovers from the second Khund invasion, which was defeated by the United Planet Alliance. No Superman has been seen on earth for a century. | Chronos #8 <10.98>. Details of this period’s history remain unclear. The first Khund invasion was presumably the one from Invasion #1-3 <1988> [see 2000/Yr12]. The U.P. Alliance is almost certainly unrelated to the 30th-century United Planets organization. | ||
| This era’s Flash, Chardaq Allen, loses his speed powers in battle with Savitrix. | Flash #147 <4.99> [flashback reference, no pun intended, to just a few years before Reverse-Flash’s time]. | ||
| [2460] Home era of Eobard Thawne, aka Professor Zoom, aka the Reverse-Flash. He first visits Wally West from this era (see 2001/Yr13), then becomes a deadly enemy of Barry Allen (see 1991/Yr3). | ZHTL*; (1st app. Flash v1 #139 <9.63>). Date, for his original trip to the 20th century, from Flash v2 #79 <7.93> (although ZH listed 2456, for no apparent reason). Zoom dies in the 20th century [see 1998/Yr10]. | ||
| [2462] Home era of Booster Gold. Legionnaires (from Htl. L2) seeking to return to their era from the past (see 2003/Yr15) steal a Flux Capacitor from Rip Hunter’s last Time Sphere in the Space Museum, which Michael “Booster” Carter later uses to travel back in time and establish himself as a super-hero (see 1999/Yr11). Booster later returns briefly on Rip Hunter’s first time trip, and escapes back using Reinhold Borsten’s time platform (see 2050). | ZHTL*. Date from Booster Gold v1 #6-9 <7-10.86> (although ZH again mislocates it by four years, citing 2458). Events are from LSH v4 #91 <4.97>; BG v1 #1 <2.86>, #6-9, and #15-18 <4-7.87>. Booster’s origin at this point either requires some revision, or (more likely) involves a visit from an “alternate” Legion’s hypertimeline. | ||
| Htl. M?: The evil sun Solaris goes mad, and begins a “scorched Earth rampage,” until defeated by this era’s Superman and Justice League. | S:MoT #1M<11.98> [flashback reference]. Exact date uncertain. The Justice League depicted includes J’onn J’onzz and an unnamed Green Lantern. This is the earliest-set of many “future” stories indicating that J’onn survives far into the future, notwithstanding his apparent death in Final Crisis #1 <7.08>. | ||
| Htl. M?: The Resurrection Man confronts Vandal Savage amidst the “Californian holocausts.” | Resurrection Man #1M<11.98> [flashback reference]. Exact date very speculative. It likely precedes the 30th century, however, in which California is known as an “archipelago.” | ||
| 26th Century | |||
| [2591] This era’s Flash, contacted by Jesse Quick, joins the quest against Cobalt Blue’s gem (see 2004/Yr16, 2020s, 2231). | Flash v2 #147 | ||
| 27th Century | |||
| [2645] Physicist John Fox inherits the identity of the Flash, defeating the villainous Manfred Mota. | Flash Special #1 <90>. He first attempts, without success, to recruit the 20th-century Flashes [see 1947, 1989/Yr1]. | ||
| [2660] Superseded by the robotic Speed Metal, John Fox defies the Time Travel Accord of 2659 to follow a time-hopping Wally West back to the past [see 2003/Yr15], then departs to explore the future [see 853rd C.] | Flash v2 #111-118 <3-10.96> | ||
| 28th Century | |||
| An era of chaos, and more Great Wars, including World War VI; much technology is lost, not to be rediscovered until the 30th century or beyond. | (WW VI: Adventure #354 <3.67>, Superboy/LSH #210 <8.75>, #228 <6.77>); other wars: LSH v4 #16-17 <3-4.91>, #38 <12.92>, LSH Annual #2 <91>.) All may be apocryphal. | ||
| During the “Singularity Wars,” the human race voluntarily enters a technological dark age in order to cleanse the galaxy of a corrupted race of artificially intelligent robots. | LSH v5 #19 <8.06>. Date very approximate; cited only as “centuries ago.” This is the century most compatible with other known future history, given the information above. (Of course, that assumes that information from this version of the Legion is canonical at all, as anything more than a hypertimeline.) | ||
| [2754] This era’s Flash, Blaine Allen of Earth colony Petrus, sacrifices himself to the speed force in order to pass his powers to his young son Jace, saving him from this era’s Cobalt Blue. Jace continues the family heritage as the new Flash. | Speed Force #1 <11.97> | ||
| [2764] Jace Allen, now an adult, is sought out by Jesse Quick for help against Cobalt Blue (see 2004/Yr16). | Flash v2 #145 <2.99> | ||
| 29th Century | |||
| [Early] Htl. M?: Solaris returns from deep space leading an army of sentient comets, and is defeated only by the combined forces of this era’s Superman, its Justice League, and the Legion of Super-Heroes. | S:MoT #1M [flashback reference]. Unless the century reference is a mistake, we must presume that the Legion’s presence is a result of time travel. Details remain to be chronicled, however. | ||
| [Late] The sorcerer Mordru uses the Emerald Eye of Ekron to terrorize the galaxy, until defeated through the efforts of his teenage daughter Mysa, who is transformed into a withered hag. | Legionnaires #48 <5.97>. This may belong only to Hypertimeline L2 [see below]. Exact date uncertain; stated to be “over a century” before his return [see 2995], and prior to the founding of the United Planets. | ||
| [2899] The Flash of this era is contacted by John Fox (see 853rd C.) to help against Cobalt Blue’s gem. | Flash v2 #147 | ||
| 30th Century… | ↑ top | ||
| An era of profound political and scientific advancement for Earth, and the dawn of a new Heroic Age unparalleled since the 20th century. | ZHTL. (And interpolation.) | ||
| Note that this period, home era of the Legion of Super-Heroes, has had its history “rebooted” several times since Crisis. Complicating matters, present-day characters have canonical historical interactions with multiple versions. For simplicity’s sake, I’m designating the primary variants here as Hypertimeline L-1 (the post-Crisis Legion), Hypertimeline L-2 (the post-Zero Hour reboot Legion), Hypertimeline L-3 (the Waid/Kitson “threeboot” Legion), and Hypertimeline L-4 (the post-Infinite Crisis version, similar to L1 and deemed the “unboot” in some fan circles—and now established as “New Earth” canon). Details on each version can be found in the Appendices linked in the previous sentence. (In passing: LSH version L1 debuted in 2973, L2 in 2994, L3 in 3003, and L4 apparently c. 2992.) Note: other excellent sources for explaining the intricacies of Legion history include Mike Kooiman’s Cosmic Teams site, Aaron Severson’s concise Pocket Universe Primer, Michael Grabois’ encyclopedic Legion Omnicom, and Jo & Terri-Anne Sanning’s Legion Clubhouse. | |||
| 2945 | |||
| Time-jaunting Flash John Fox lands in an era on the brink of a devastating war between Eastern and Western blocs. He narrowly averts the war, but not before helping scientists Eric and Fran Russell send their infant daughter Iris to safety in the 20th century. | Flash 80-Pg Giant #1 <8.98>. This supersedes the earlier date of 2927 given for this event in the timeline of Flash Secret Files #1 <11.97>. (Originally revealed, somewhat differently, in Flash v1 #203 <2.71>.) | ||
| 2957 | |||
|
Global politics much improved, the Russells retrieve their now-adult
daughter Iris to her home era, rescuing her from the moment of her own death (see 1997/Yr9). |
Flash SF #1; Life Story of the Flash GN <97>; (orig. Flash v1 #350 <10.85>). | ||
| Acquitted in his murder trial (see 1999/Yr11), Barry (Flash) Allen relocates to the 30th century to be reunited with his wife Iris. | Flash SF #1; Life Story of the Flash; (orig. Flash v1 #350). | ||
| Skipping through time under the manipulation of the Time Trapper (see 2995), Jenni (XS) Ognats (see 2980) meets her grandfather, Barry Allen. | L* Annual #3. Jenni’s visit appears to be only one of many points of intersection with hypertimeline L-2. | ||
| A team of Flashes from throughout history, led by Wally West, defeats the schemes of Cobalt Blue. | Flash v2 #149-50 <6-7.99> | ||
| After only a month with Iris, Barry is captured by the Anti-Monitor during the Crisis (see 1999/Yr11), and dies saving Earth from an anti-matter cannon. | Flash SF #1; Life Story; (orig. Crisis #3 <6.85>, #8 <11.85>). | ||
| 2958 | |||
| Iris gives birth to Barry’s children, fraternal twins Donald Wallace and Dawn Jae Allen. | Flash SF #1 (middle names from LSH v4 #17 <4.91>, possibly apocryphal outside Htl. L1). | ||
| 2960 | |||
| The Controllers refine Oan technology to create “the ultimate technological artifact,” the wish-fulfilling Miracle Machine. They later present it as a gift to the Legion of Super-Heroes. | Final Crisis #6 <1.09>; (1st app. Adventure Comics #367 4.68>). | ||
| 2973 | |||
| To explore the detailed history of the first post-Crisis version of the Legion (including the Giffen/Bierbaum “Five Years Later” era), click here. | A new window will open. | ||
| 2979 | |||
| Don and Dawn Allen meet time-travelling Wally West, and are inspired to continue their father’s heroic tradition as the “Tornado Twins.” | Flash v2 #114 <6.96>; Flash SF establishes that the Twins were active in 2979-’80. There is no reason this would not still be valid in current canon. | ||
| 2980 | |||
| Jenni Ognats is born to Dawn Allen and her husband Jeven Ogats of Aarok. | LSH Annual v4 #6 <95>. She is a native of the “New Earth” universe, as established in Legion of Three Worlds #3 <4.09>. Flash SF gives the birthdate as 2978, but this contradicts the depiction of Jenni as the same age as her cousin Bart, as shown in Impulse #25, and also with her age at the founding of the Legion, given as 14 [see 2994]. | ||
|
Secretly set up by corrupt EarthGov President Malcolm Thawne, the Tornado
Twins |
Flash SF #1, Impulse #25, LSH Annual #6; (orig. LSH v4 #17, a version of events valid only in the pre-ZH continuity, aka hypertimeline L1). This death is no longer valid in New Earth history, but the surrounding events may remain valid, and/or parallel events may have occurred later on the Twins’ new home of “Earth-247” (i.e., hypertimeline L2; see below); all we learn from L3W #3 is that “the Twins died soon after [relocating]." | ||
| Wally West pursues the Reverse-Flash here to stop the threat of Cobalt Blue’s mystic gem (see 2004/Yr16). | Flash v2 #147 | ||
| Barry “Bart” Allen is born to Don’s |
Flash SF #1, Impulse # 25, Flash v2 #91-92 <6-7.94>. | ||
| Professor Zoom returns, attacking the Tornado Twins and their families. They flee to a parallel world using the Cosmic Treadmill—but it explodes, sabotaged by Zoom, and tears a hole in the Multiverse. Three versions of the Legion join forces for the first time to defeat Zoom. The Twins and their families stay hidden on “Earth-247” (i.e., hypertimeline L2). The Twins die soon after. | L3W #3. The story has never been chronicled in detail; all that is known comes from a five-panel summary in this issue. The exact periods from which the various Legions hail is not specified, and “the turmoil of the event erased it from [the] minds” of everyone except L4's Brainy. The circumstances of Don and Dawn’s death in this reality remain unrevealed. | ||
| 2982 | |||
| Iris West Allen discovers her grandson Bart is alive in VR captivity, having aged the equivalent of 12 years in his first two, and effects his rescue, taking him to the past (see 2002/Yr14). His mother Meloni follows (to 2003/Yr15) and retrieves him briefly, long enough to broker a tenuous peace with her father. | Flash SF #1, Impulse # 25, Flash v2 #91-92. This version of events can no longer be valid in New Earth canon. It is replaced by the version immediately below. | ||
| In a parallel reality, Iris West Allen watches her grandson Bart age the equivalent of 12 years in his first two, and rescues him from VR captivity, taking him to the past of this (i.e., the primary) timeline (see 2002/Yr14). | L3W #3 says that after the Twins’ death, both Bart and Jenni “were safe and reunited with your grandmother, Iris — who watched [them] both age to teenagers in days.” That second clause is dubious, however, as it throws off Jenni’s age relative to her Legion’s, and moreover leaves unexplained why Iris took Bart back in time but not her. Absent further details, it seems safest to consider it an error. | ||
| c. 2992 | |||
| The Legion of Super-Heroes is formed. To explore the detailed history of the fourth post-Crisis version of the Legion (the post-IC “unboot” version as synthesized by Geoff Johns, now officially “New Earth” canon), click here. | A new window will open. | ||
| 2994 | |||
| To explore the detailed history of the second post-Crisis version of the Legion (the post-Zero Hour reboot, through the Abnett/Lanning era), click here. | A new window will open. | ||
| 31st Century… | |||
| The United Planets dominate the spaceways, and the Legion of Super-Heroes forges a new heroic legend. | ZHTL. (Generally true, regardless of which version of the Legion is under discussion. The currently canonical version L4 has adventures continuing through at least 3008 (as of this writing).) | ||
| 3003 | |||
| To explore the detailed history of the third post-Crisis version of the Legion (the “threeboot” version launched by Waid and Kitson), click here. | A new window will open. | ||
| …later 31st Century… | |||
| Hypertimeline unclear: The U.P. falls apart when the original Legion disbands. | As related to XS in the 100th century, in L* Annual #3— thus it may not be entirely accurate. Earth is dead in this timeline, a place of legends. | ||
| Htl. M?: Lyle Norg, earlier of the Legion, “goes on to achieve greatness through science.” | Starman v2 #1M <11.98> [flashback reference]. Details remain uncertain, including which version of Lyle this may be. | ||
| 33rd Century | |||
| Home era of the villainous Black Barax (see 1944). | Based on references to “the next dozen centuries” in JSA v3 #41 <12.02>. | ||
| c. 4th Millennium (±35th C.?) | |||
| Htl. M?: The Clanetary System attacks Earth with its space-ark-robot Antares VII, sparking a devastating war. After helping defeat the attackers, J’onn J’onzz sets off on a 10,000-year quest to find the Swarm, the pursuers whom Earth’s attackers were fleeing. | MM #1M <11.98> [flashback reference]. Exact dates very uncertain; this and subsequent events [see 14th Millennium] could occupy almost any 30,000-year span prior to the 853rd century. Lacking other evidence, I’ve arbitrarily chosen to start the sequence earlier rather than later. | ||
| 38th Century | |||
| [3786] Home era of the Lord of Time (aka Epoch). | JLASF #1 <9.97>, JL Quarterly #15 <Sum94>; (orig. JLofA v1 #10-11 <3-4.62>). | ||
| 41st Century | |||
| The Knights Tempus serve as time-traveling defenders of the Galaxy, inspired by the legend of Cosmic Boy. | LSH v5 #30 <7.07>. Details remain to be revealed. | ||
| [4070] Htl. M?: Veda Nite becomes the hero Doc Midnite. In 4078, she saves the universe. | DC One Million #4 <11.98> [flashback reference]. | ||
| 51st Century | |||
| Htl. M?: John Irons’ Steel armor is worn by Steel 7. | JLA #1M <11.98> [flashback reference]. | ||
| 58th Century | |||
| [5700] The U.P. has been replaced by the 36 planets of the Solar Council, headed by Chairman Dasor. Periodically, Hal Jordan is plucked from early in his career as Green Lantern (c. 1990/Yr2) and brainwashed into protecting this era as lawman Pol Manning. | ZH #4 <9.94>; (orig. GL v2 #5 <3-4.61>). | ||
| [5711] After several years, Hal is replaced by fellow GL Salakk of Slyggia (Sector 1418) in the role of Pol. | GL Corps #213-215 <6-8.87> | ||
| 64th Century | |||
| Home era of the villainous Abra Kadabra. | Flash SF #1; (1st app. Flash v1 #128 <5.62>). | ||
| Wally West helps to free Kadabra’s era from the oppressive scientific rule of the Central Clockworks. | Flash v2 #67-68 <8-9.92>. Exact dates remain unknown. | ||
| 67th Century | |||
| Htl. M?: This era’s Superman weds Queen Gzntplzk of the 5th Dimension, endowing his descendants with ten new sensory powers, including super-ESP. | DC One Million #1 <11.98>, S:MoT #1M [flashback references]. | ||
| [6700] Htl. M?: A core collapse is tried as a tactic against an attacking Solaris; he becomes Neutron Solaris, and destroys the Khund star. | DC One Million #3 [flashback reference]. | ||
| 75th Century | |||
| Hypertimeline I: Wildfire forms a new Legion to combat a threat to the galaxy. | LSH Annual #7 <96>. Earth is dead in this timeline, a place of legends. Its point of divergence from primary history appears to postdate the 30th Century. | ||
| 90th Century | |||
| Hypertimeline J: Home era of Cece Beck of Binderaan, aka Thunder, scion of the Marvel family. | Power of Shazam Annual #1 <96>. Also a “Legends of the Dead Earth” timeline. However, Thunder successfully travels to the past of hypertimeline L2 [see 2996]. | ||
| 100th Century | |||
| Htl. H: Gary Concord Jr., the Ultra-Man, awakens from 77 centuries of suspended animation on Almeer-5, where he helps local heroes and a time-lost XS. | L* Annual #3. Given Concord’s backstory [see 2174], XS would appear to have veered into a hypertimeline (unless it has re-merged with the primary by this point). | ||
| Htl. M?: The Steel armor (see 51st Century) is worn by Steelman of the New Centurians. | JLA #1M [flashback reference]. | ||
| 111th Century | |||
| [11,021] Htl. M?: The Chronovore, a powerful temporal parasite, attacks Hong Kong. Meanwhile, Walker Gabriel uses John Fox’s stolen chronal gauntlets (see 853rd Century) to trap the evil Warworld leader Scourge in a time loop. | Chronos #1M <11.98>. Note that the long-unseen Ambush Bug apparently owns a bar in this era’s Hong Kong. :) | ||
| 118th Century | |||
| Htl. M?: Lancelot Grail, the Cosmic Knight, is the last known wearer of the Steel armor (see 100th C.). | JLA #1M [flashback reference]. | ||
| 120th Century | |||
| Xotar, the Weapons Master, travels 10,000 years into the past to combat the original Justice League. | L* #68 <2.99>, JLA: Year One #7 <7.98>, S:MOS Annual #4 <95>; (orig. Brave & Bold #29 <4-5.60>). | ||
| c. 14th Millennium (±135th C.?) | |||
| Htl. M?: J’onn J’onzz finds the Swarm, enemies of all other life forms (see 4th Millennium), and spends the next 20,000 years battling them across space. | MM #1M [flashback reference]. Dates very uncertain. | ||
| 250th Century | |||
| Htl. M?: This era’s Superman leads his “deputy Superhunters” in ending the centuries-long Bizarro Scourge that has nearly eradicated the human race. | S:MoT #1M [flashback reference]. Described as the “250th millennium,” but read in context, that is clearly an editing mistake. | ||
| 322nd Century | |||
| Htl. M?: After long enmity, the Superman and Luthor dynasties forge a benevolent alliance. | Action #1M <11.98> [flashback reference]. | ||
| c. 34th Millennium (±335th C.?) | |||
| Htl. M?: The Swarm defeated, J’onn J’onzz (see 14th Millennium) wanders aimlessly, gradually restoring his sense of self by becoming a philosopher and teacher. Then Darkseid attacks, conquering Mars; and “on the streets of the new Armagetto [comes] the final battle.” J’onn prevails, becoming one with the Source, and then with his homeworld itself. | MM #1M [flashback reference]. Dates very uncertain. As this sequence has been placed as early as possible, however [see 4th Millennium], this effectively establishes that Darkseid must continue to exist in some form at least until this era. (Indeed, the events currently playing out in Final Crisis may foment the grudge that comes to its climax here.) | ||
| 364th Century | |||
| Htl. M?: A scheme of Solaris’ backfires, endowing a “new phase” of heroes with “the quantum powers of the uncertainty principle.” | S:MoT #1M [flashback reference]. | ||
| 505th Century | |||
| Htl. M?: This era’s Superman confronts Solaris’ cancer plague, aided by the 4th Singularity and the Gravity Witch, and gives his life reprogramming Solaris for benevolence and servitude. | DC One Million #1, S:MoT #1M [flashback references]. | ||
| Htl. M?: Solaris re-emerges as a hero, working alongside a new Superman in that era’s Justice League of the Atom. | S:MoT #1M [flashback reference]. | ||
| c. 51st — 70th Millennia | |||
| Htl. M?: In an “epoch veering toward paranoia and instability,” humanity grows increasingly xenophobic, and Solaris founds the Pancosmic Justice Jihad in response to changing times. | S:MoT #1M [flashback references]. Exact dates of these “dark millennia” remain very uncertain, but Solaris refers to having spent “hundreds of centuries” protecting Earth. | ||
| 701st Century | |||
| [70,001] Htl. M?: After long ages of absence (see c. 2100), the original Superman returns to Earth. His return signals the beginning of a system-wide Great Spiritual Revival, but he eschews worship, choosing to retire to a new Fortress of Solitude deep within the Sun. The PJJ is disbanded, and Solaris returns to the role of a mere secondary power source. | DC One Million #1, S:MoT #1M [flashback references]; the latter describes this merely as “the turn of the 700th century.” | ||
| 800th Century | |||
| Htl. M?: The Amazons, after millennia voyaging in a space-ark built by Hermes, return and colonize Venus. | DC One Million #1 [flashback reference]. | ||
| 801st Century | |||
| Htl. M?: Starwoman’s (?) singularity attack exiles Solaris from the galaxy for a thousand years. | DC One Million #3 [flashback reference]. Details remain mysterious, since Solaris is presumed to have been passive during this period [see 505th Century, 701st Century]. | ||
| 821st Century | |||
| Believed to be the home era of Brainiac 13. | Superman Y2K #1 <2.00> and related issues; based on references to “800 centuries” in the future. | ||
| c. 822nd Century | |||
| Htl. M?: The heritage of Starman is abandoned for “three millennia, at least,” until revived by Farris Knight’s great-grandfather (see 852nd Century). | Starman v2 #1M [flashback reference]. | ||
| 837th Century | |||
| Htl. M?: Resurrection Man lives through the Datawars on Mu Pegasi. | Resurrection Man #1M <11.98> [flashback reference]. | ||
| 843rd Century | |||
| [c. 84,271] Htl. M?: Cris Kend, the Superboy of his era, is summoned a thousand years into the future by Brainiac 417 (see 853rd Century). | L* #1M <11.98> | ||
| 845th Century | |||
| Htl. M?: Vandal Savage kills Resurrection Man for the next-to-last time. | RMan #1M [flashback reference], described as “800 years” before their final confrontation. | ||
| 852nd Century | |||
| Htl. M?: Farris Knight’s great-grandfather finds the Quarvat in space, discovers his lineage, and revives the heroic mantle of Starman. | Starman v2 #1M [flashback reference]. Exact date uncertain. His son, Cale Knight, becomes one of the greatest Starmen, “of note” to historians. | ||
| 853rd Century | |||
| [85,245] Htl. M?: The “laughing” techno-virus invades the prison planet Pluto, resulting in the “thousand scream blip,” as the inmates massacre the staff before the eyes of their 15,000 children. | SotB #1M, Batman #1M <11.98> [flashback references]. It is this memory that motivates this era’s Batman. | ||
| [85,265] Htl. M?: Time-travelling Flash John Fox settles here, becoming the protector of Mercury. | DC One Million #1 [flashback reference]. | ||
| [85,269] Walker Gabriel steals John Fox’s time gauntlets (see 111th Century). | Chronos #1M | ||
|
[85,271] Hypertimeline M?: Another great Heroic Age, the
preeminent heroes of which are the powerful Justice Legion A. • Earth’s solar system has been widely terraformed, and linked into a single huge, re-engineered data processing network, its worlds joined to one another—and to other eras—by instantaneous travel. Artificial star-computers provide limitless energy and link cultures via the Galactic Macronet, overseen by the United Galaxies. On Earth, whole populations exist in tesseracts, leaving the planetary surface pristine, watched over by the society of Green Arrows. Humans have evolved “neo-cortex structures” and innate telepathy, accessing the info-dense Headnet with the aid of chip implants, and enjoying the benefits of designer genes. The heroic dynasties of earlier eras are held in high esteem, with a thriving trade in totemic power icons that grant temporary metahuman powers. • When Superman Prime, the archetypal hero, plans to return from the heart of Earth’s primary Sun (see 701st Century), the tyrant sun Solaris resumes his evil ways, plotting with the ancient Vandal Savage to destroy Superman, while simultaneously sending his own consciousness back to the 20th century via a nanotech virus to force his own creation (see 2003/Yr15). Even as he succeeds at bringing himself into being in the past, however, he and Savage meet destruction in the future, thanks to the planning of our own era’s JLA. |
DC One Million #1-4 <11.98>, and related crossovers. There are actually strong indications that this is the future of the DCU’s primary timeline. Further details of intervening eras remain to be filled in, both in this Chronology and in future stories. The date was chosen to honor the passage of “one million months” since the debut of the “first superhuman” in 1938 (which, in current continuity, could be taken either as Jay Garrick’s debut or, more likely, the date of the destruction of Krypton; in actuality, it’s counted from the publication of Action Comics #1). | ||
|
Meanwhile (among other details)… • The one millionth clone of Superboy discovers our era’s Guardian, preserved alive in Antarctic ice… • The aged Captain Marvel passes his powers on to a worthy youth named Tanist… • …and in deep space, a society of worlds called the United Planets Cluster (including the merged Colu/Bgztl and Daxam/Imsk) is watched over by the Justice Legion L, carrying on the tradition of the 30th-century Legion with the help of the “Wildflame.” They guide the Cluster toward Earth, hoping to “replenish its diversity,” but the quest is sabotaged by one of the JLL’s own members, Titangirl. |
Superboy #1M, PoS #1M, and L* #1M <11.98>, respectively. I’ve called these out amongst the other crossovers for the purely subjective reason that they seem to be more tightly linked to the writers’ main continuities, and thus hold more promise of possible elaboration in future stories. | ||
| [Later] John Fox is contacted again by Wally West, seeking help against Cobalt Blue’s gem (see 2004/Yr16, 2980). | Flash v2 #146. Note that John has now superseded the lost chronal gauntlets with “time tech” built into his suit. | ||
| 863rd Century | |||
| [86,271] A thousand years after the Justice Legion L, the last incarnation of the LSH, life is slow… until Vera, Chec, and Dav, three bored teens in a tesseract, discover its proud history and resurrect its heroic tradition. | LSH #1M <11.98> | ||
| 4,290th Century | |||
| [428,906] Prophesied end of the current Kali Yuga, and hence the current Day of Brahma. | (Date according to Hindu belief [see 4.324 Billion BCE].) 432,000 years after its beginning in 3094 BCE. As one can see, this is really quite a long time in the future. | ||
| c. 1 Billion CE | |||
| A ransacked Earth, its seas boiled away, tumbles on slow, wounded spirals toward the sun. Here at “Summer’s End” reigns Earth’s final empire, the parasitic Sheeda, living on the refuse of the past. (See 8,000 BCE.) | Frankenstein #4 <5.06>. For a sense of scale, note that this is more than 2,000 times as far into the future as the immediate previous entry. | ||
| before 2.8 Billion CE | |||
| The Earth is long dead. | Flash v2 #141 <9.98>. Not a hypertimeline. | ||
| The End of Time | |||
| Superman traps Doomsday here (temporarily). | Superman/Doomsday: Hunter/Prey #3 <8.94> | ||
| The mysterious Time Trapper lives here. | ZH #0 <10.94>; L* #61 / LSH #105 <6.98>. | ||
| Tim Hunter and Mr. E visit here. | Books of Magic mini-series #4 <4.91>. Over 100 billion years in the future, according to Death, a reliable source. | ||
| Time loops around to its own beginning. | Flash v2 #141 | ||