UNOFFICIAL CHRONOLOGY TO
THE MARVEL UNIVERSE
CHAPTER 11: PRE-FANTASTIC
FOUR #1, PART ONE
Circa 40 years before FF #1
Birth of Cain Marko in Berkeley, California to Kurt and Marjory Marko.Circa 38 years before FF #1
Birth of Stephen Strange in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.Circa 37 years before FF #1
Birth of Sean Cassidy in Cassidy Keep, Ireland.Circa 36 years before FF #1
Birth of Charles Xavier in New York, New York to Brian and Sharon Xavier.Circa 35 years before FF #1
Birth of Benjamin Grimm in Lower Manhattan, New York, New York, to Daniel and Elai Grimm.Circa 33 years before FF #1
Birth of Reed Richards in Central City, California to physicist Nathaniel Richards and his wife Evelyn.Circa 31 years before FF #1
Birth of Robert Bruce Banner in Dayton, Ohio to Brian and Rebecca Banner. Brian Banner began becoming jealous over the amount of time and attention his wife gave to his son. He also began to worry that his own work in radiation experiments may have resulted in Bruce being a mutant. Over time his increasing anger and paranoia resulted in occasional bursts of violence, and Brian Banner began physically abusing his wife and young son.
[Incredible Hulk #393]Circa 30 years before FF #1
Birth of Walter Langkowski in Vancouver, British Columbia.Circa 29 years before FF #1
Brian Xavier, Kurt Marko, and Alexander Ryking began work at the Almagordo Research Station, New Mexico. Working for the government, the team were assigned to research and study genetic mutations. The project was labeled top secret, and the team's cover was to pose as atomic researchers.
[X-Men v2 #12-13]Wilson Fisk, leader of a small gang of criminals in New York city, rapidly increased his power base through his organizational skills. He eventually became successful enough to invest in legitimate businesses.
Circa 28 years before FF #1
Birth of Henry Pym in Elmsford, New York.Circa 27 years before FF #1
Yancy Street Gang leader Daniel Grimm Jr. was killed in a street fight. Daniel had helped support his family with his illegal activities, and his younger brother Benjamin had idolized him for his street prowess. Benjamin decided to follow in his deceased brother's footsteps and turned towards a life of crime. Eventually he was successful in becoming a member of the Yancy Street Gang.Brian Xavier was working at the research station at Almagordo, New Mexico when he was double-crossed and murdered by his partner, Kurt Marko. The investigators labeled the incident an accident, and Marko was never charged with Xavier's death. Shortly after Xavier's death the Almagordo Research Facility was shut down.
[X-Men Vol.2 #12]Circa 26 years before FF #1
Death of Evelyn Richards.Birth of Anthony Stark in Long Island, New York to Howard and Maria Stark.
Kurt Marko, aware of the enormous wealth inherited by Sharon Xavier, proposed to his dead partner's wife. Sharon Xavier married Marko, unaware that he was the man responsible for her first husband's death. She married him because she thought it would be the best thing for her son Charles. After the marriage Marko and his son Cain came to live at the Xavier estate in Westchester County. However Marko proved to be highly abusive, occasionally beating Sharon. Rather than defend herself Sharon became an alcoholic to help bury her pain. Cain Marko, who was also occasionally beaten by his father, was also a bully and constantly tormented his new step-brother Charles.
[Uncanny X-Men #309]Birth of Jennifer Walters in Los Angeles, California to Morris and Elaine Walters.
Circa 25 years before FF#1
Unable to deal any longer with Brian Banner's physical abuse, Rebecca Banner decided to leave her husband with her son Bruce. Discovering her fleeing, Brian Banner became enraged and killed his wife in front of his son. Witnessing his mother's murder caused Bruce to go into shock. Bruce concluded that emotions were bad, and from that day repressed his feelings. Charged with murder for the death of his wife, Brian Banner was able to threaten and intimidate his son Bruce to testify that his mother had died from a fall. Brian Banner was found not guilty of murder. After the trial, Bruce went to live with his mother's sister.
[Incredible Hulk #377, 393, 403]Birth of Matthew Murdock in New York, New York to Jonathan and Grace Murdock.
Birth of Abner Jenkins in Baltimore, Maryland.
Birth of Erik Josten in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Birth of Karla Sofen in Van Nuys, California.
Circa 24 years before FF #1
Charles Xavier's mutant mental abilities began to emerge. He quickly discovered that he could read other people's thoughts. One day, after his step-brother Cain was severely beaten by his father, Xavier sensed Cain's pain. Inexperienced with his new powers, Charles was unable to break off contact and his step-brother sensed Charles in his mind. Believing that Charles had invaded his mind deliberately, and enraged that he had discovered his secret shame, Cain became abusive towards his step-brother at every given opportunity.Circa 23 years before FF #1
Birth of T'Challa in the African nation of Wakanda to King T'Chaka and his queen N'Yami.Birth of Dane Whitman in Gloucester, Massachussetts.
Birth of Carol Danvers in Boston, Massachussetts to Joseph and Marie Danvers.
As Sean Cassidy grew to be a man, he discovered he had the mutant ability to create powerful sonic waves with his voice. Fearing that others would regard him as a freak, Cassidy decided to keep his strange abilities a secret from everyone. Unknown to him, his older cousin Thomas Cassidy also had mutant abilities, being able to focus blasts of force and heat through wood. Sean Cassidy eventually became heir to the estate and fortune of the Cassidy clan after he won it in a bet against his older cousin.
Birth of Lord Kevin Plunder in Castle Plunder, Kentish Town, London, England to Lord Robert and Lady Blanche Plunder.
Birth of Paul Norbert Ebersol in Dayton, Ohio.
Circa 22 years before FF #1
Birth of Susan Storm in Glenville, New York to Doctor Franklin Storm and his wife Mary.Death of Sharon Xavier.
[Date is speculative.]Cain and Kurt Marko got into an argument over money. Becoming enraged, Cain upset chemicals in his father's lab, starting a fire. Although Kurt Marko was able to save Charles and Cain from the fire, he himself died of smoke inhalation.
[Date is speculative.]Birth of Simon Williams in Paterson, New Jersey to Sanford and Martha Williams.
Circa 21 years before FF #1
Stephen Strange, discontent with the rural mid-western life he had grown up with, left his home after his high school graduation and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to attend medical school.
[Strange Tales v2 #16]Birth of Samuel Wilson to Paul and Darlene Wilson in Harlem, New York city, New York.
Birth of Ororo Monroe in Harlem, New York to David and N'Dare Monroe. N'Dare was a princess from the country of Kenya who had met her husband, an American photo journalist, while he was on assignment in Africa. Six months after Ororo's birth, David Monroe accepted an extended assignment in Cairo, Egypt, and he and his family moved there from their home in Harlem.
[X-Men Vol. 1 #102]Birth of Heather McNeil in Calgary, Alberta to Ramsey and Claire McNeil.
Beelzeboul, a demon from an extra-dimensional realm who sometimes went by the alias "Satan," transported himself to Earth. It was Beelzeboul's plan to mate with a human woman and sire half-demon children. Disguising himself as a human, Beelzeboul seduced a young woman named Cassandra Drakonmegas. Cassandra, who was unable to have children because of a botched illegal abortion, soon discovered she was pregnant. Realizing that some supernatural force was at work, and discovering mystical objects in her lover's possession, Drakonmegas contacted occult experts for help in dealing with her condition. Drakonmegas was sent a magical knife, which she used to attack Beelzeboul. The wound caused the demon to begin returning to his realm, but before he disappeared he struck Drakonmegas, snapping her neck. Drakonmegas was soon discovered, and emergency technicians performed a cesarean section, delivering Cassandra's child shortly after her death. The child, free of the demonic influence of his father, was named Mikal.
[Terror, Inc #1-5]Circa 20 years before FF #1
Charles Xavier, at the age of 16, successfully completed high school. By this time, the emergence of Xavier's mutant mental abilities had caused the side effect of his hair falling out, leaving him bald while still a teenager. Xavier enrolled as a biology major in Bard College, New York. While there, Xavier met fellow student John Grey, and the two became friends.Resentful of his step-brother's academic and athletic achievements, Cain Marko decided to leave the Xavier mansion and seek his fortune. Eventually Marko became a semi-successful mercenary.
[Date is speculative.]Birth of Clint Barton in Waverly, Iowa to Harold and Edith Barton.
Birth of Monica Rambeau in New Orleans, Louisiana to Frank and Maria Rambeau.
The demon Beelzeboul, or "Satan," cheated of his chance to sire half-demon offspring with Cassandra Draconmegas, seduced and married a young woman named Victoria Wingate.
[Terror, Inc. #1, 2, 4]Birth of Kyle Richmond in Colorado to Arthur and Penelope Richmond.
Paul Ebersol showed his scientific aptitude at an early age when at the age of three he successfully dismantled and reassembled an alarm clock.
Circa 19 years before FF #1
Reed Richards showed his scientific aptitude at an early age when he began taking college level course at the age of 14. Shortly afterwards Richards attended the California Institute of Technology.
[I'm assuming Richards attended C.I.T., a local university, while he was still a minor.]In his mid-teens Benjamin Grimm dropped out of high-school. Soon after Grimm achieved his goal of leader of the Yancy Street Gang.
Birth of Janet van Dye in Cresskill, New Jersey to Vernon van Dye and his wife.
Birth of John Proudstar in Camp Verde, Arizona to Neil and Maria Proudstar.
Birth of Daimon Hellstrom in Greentown, Massachusetts to "Satan" and Victoria Wingate.
Hector, a descendant of Agamemnon, was recruited into the Pantheon.
[Incredible Hulk #401]Wilson Fisk, now a successful criminal mastermind, married a woman named Vanessa.
Birth of Wong in Kamar-Taj, Tibet to Hamir the Hermit and his wife. Hamir, descendant of Kan, was the manservant of the Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme of the Earth dimension.
Circa 18 years before FF #1
Charles Xavier earned his bachelor degree in biology at Bards College and was accepted into Oxford University, where over the next few years he successful earned degrees in genetics and biophysics at the same time. While there Xavier met and fell in love with Moira MacTaggart, a fellow geneticist. The two became engaged and planned to marry upon the annulment of Moira's marriage to her first husband, Joseph MacTaggart.Over the period of a year, four renowned scientists, Maris Morlack, Carlo Zota, Wladyslav Shinski, and Jerome Hamilton faked their own deaths and met up with each other on a remote north Atlantic island. There an archaeologist friend of Hamilton had discovered an ancient Deviant stronghold. Calling themselves the Enclave, these scientists planned to use their combined scientific knowledge to rule the world. Over the next ten years the scientists, using Deviant technology, completed work on their complex which they christened the Beehive.
Birth of Scott Summers in Anchorage, Alaska to Major Christopher Summers and his wife Katherine.
Birth of Hank McCoy in Dunfee, Illinois to Norton and Edna McCoy.
Birth of Warren Worthington III in Centerport, New York to Katherine and Warren Worthington Jr.
Birth of Daniel Thomas Rand-K'ai to Wendell Rand-K'ai and Heather Rand. Wendell Rand-K'ai was a native of the extra-dimensional city of K'un-L'un who had been exiled from his home by the evil plottings of his brother. Rand-K'ai had established a new home for himself in America, where he had married and had become a successful businessman.
Birth of Barbara Morse in San Diego, California.
Birth of John Blaze in Waukegan, Illinois to Barton and Clara Blaze.
Birth of Calvin Rankin in Passaic, New Jersey to Ronald Rankin and his wife.
Birth of Richard Fisk to Wilson and Vanessa Fisk.
Circa 17 years before FF #1
Death of Daniel and Elai Grimm. Benjamin Grimm, still a minor, was taken in by his uncle Jake and aunt Alyce. Grimm was embittered towards his new caretakers, and resisted their affection. However he eventually realized how much they cared for him and began returning their love. With their help and guidance he returned to high school.Birth of Heather Douglas in Los Angeles, California to Arthur and Yvette Douglas.
Birth of Greer Grant Nelson in Chicago, Illinois to William Nelson and his wife.
Lord Robert Plunder left his home and family in England to search for an undiscovered element he believed existed in nature. Eventually he decided to search the continent of Antarctica.
[Date is speculative.]Birth of Bonita Juarez in Taos, New Mexico.
Birth of Wyatt Wingfoot in the Keewazi Reservation, Oklahoma to American decathlon champion Will Wingfoot and his wife. Wyatt was the grandson of Silver Fox, chief of the Keewazi tribe of Comanche Indians.
Circa 16 years before FF #1
Benjamin Grimm successfully completed high school. Graduating with a football scholarship, Grimm decided to attend Empire State University at Hegeman, New York.The Dean of Empire State University invited Victor Von Doom, a brilliant yet arrogant Latverian Gypsy, to attend State University with a full scholarship. Wishing to increase his scientific knowledge and to make use of the scientific equipment at E.S.U., Von Doom accepted the invitation.
Reed Richards enrolled into Empire State University in Hegeman, New York. Richards was assigned living quarters with Victor Von Doom. However Von Doom took an immediate dislike to Richards, and moved out to other quarters. Benjamin Grimm was chosen as Richards' new roommate. Grimm and Richards became good friends, and Richards told Grimm of his plans to one day build a rocket ship. Joking, Grimm told Richards that if he ever did indeed build a rocket that he would fly it.
Victor Von Doom began conducting experiments in inter-dimensional communications. One day Reed Richards visited Von Doom's room and noticed the notes and formulas Von Doom had been working on. Noticing an error in Von Doom's calculations, Richards was interrupted when Von Doom returned. Furious that someone had invaded his privacy, Von Doom refused to listen when Richards tried to tell him of the error.
When Von Doom attempted to use his device it malfunctioned and exploded, causing damage to his face. While recovering in the hospital the Dean of Empire State visited Von Doom to tell him that he was being expelled for conducting dangerous experiments. Von Doom came to the irrational conclusion that somehow Richards had sabotaged his work, and that his injuries and expulsion were Richards' fault. Upon unwrapping his bandages, Von Doom discovered that his injuries had left a long permanent scar upon his cheek. Thinking himself permanently flawed and ugly, Von Doom decided to forever hide his face from the sight of mankind, and left America for the remoteness of Tibet.
Birth of Jonathan Storm in Glenville, New York to Franklin and Mary Storm.
Brian Banner was overheard gloating about how he had gotten away with the murder of his wife by intimidating his son to lie on the stand. This finally led to a conviction and Banner being placed in a mental asylum. The last thing Brian Banner said to his son Bruce before he was imprisoned was that he would have revenge.
[Incredible Hulk #-1]Birth of Peter Parker to Richard and Mary Parker.
War broke out in Egypt. During an attack an enemy plane crashed into the home of David Monroe. Monroe sheltered his wife N'Dare and his daughter Ororo from the explosion with his own body. Ororo awoke shortly after to discover the body of her mother lying nearby. Ororo slipped back into unconsciousness, and upon awakening again the body of her mother was gone. Ororo was trapped under the rubble and the traumatic experience caused her to develop claustrophobia. Ororo finally freed herself from the ruins and wandered the back alleys of Cairo for weeks, looking for her lost parents. Ororo was eventually discovered by street urchins who worked for master thief Achmed El-Gibar. El-Gibar took Ororo in and began training her to be a beggar.
Birth of Brian and Elizabeth Braddock to James and Elizabeth Braddock in Braddock Manor, England. James Braddock was not a native of Earth, but actually from the other-dimensional realm of Otherworld. Braddock had been sent to Earth by his master Merlyn to father a champion. To further this goal Braddock had established himself as one of Britain's top scientists, had married, and had purchased a large country estate. Braddock had also created an enormous organic computer which he named Mastermind. Braddock's first son, Jamie, had not exhibited any traits or shown to inherit any of his father's genes which would have resulted in superhuman powers, but Braddock's next children, Brian and Elizabeth, did, although their powers remained latent for many years.
[Date is speculative.]Lord Robert Plunder discovered the Savage Land, the hidden prehistoric jungle on the Antarctic continent. There he discovered a form of vibranium which he named Anti-Metal. Plunder then returned to England, taking a large sample of the vibranium with him. Upon his return Plunder decided to hide away his sample of Anti-Metal, but used a small part of it to construct a key that could be used to discover its whereabouts and how to unleash its potential. Plunder then divided the key in half, giving a piece to each of his sons, Kevin and Parnival.
When word of Plunder's discovery got out, certain powers decided to acquire the vibranium for themselves. These powers sent agents to Plunder to acquire by force the location of the Anti-Metal. Saved from death by his butler, Plunder realized his family's lives were in danger. Plunder placed his youngest son Parnival in his butler's care and sent them to New York city, while Plunder took Kevin with him back to the Savage Land. Upon arriving in the Savage Land, Lord Plunder and Kevin began being stalked by a tribe of barbaric Man-Apes, natives of the Savage Land. When they rediscovering the original mound of Anti-Metal the Man-Apes attacked, slaying Lord Plunder. As they were about to grab Kevin he was saved by the arrival of Zabu, a sabre-tooth tiger whose mate had been killed by the Man-Apes. Zabu attacked the savages and drove them from the area. Kevin, frightened by the tiger, collapsed in fear. However Zabu did not harm the boy, but waited for him to get up on his own. Realizing the tiger was not going to harm him, Kevin eventually began walking away. Zabu followed Kevin, who wandered into an area known as the Place of Mists, an area where the Man-Apes refused to go. In time a bond developed between Kevin and Zabu. From Zabu, Kevin eventually learned the skills he needed to know in order to survive.
The horror of witnessing his father's murder caused Kevin to block his past from his memories. Kevin forgot his life of pampered nobility and came to think of himself as a native barbarian of the Savage Land. Eventually Kevin took on the name Ka-Zar, which in the Man-Ape's language meant "son of the tiger."
[Ka-Zar the Savage #1]
[Date is speculative.]Birth of Lorna, a baby girl with green hair to unknown parents. Shortly afterwards her parents were killed in a plane crash and Lorna was adopted by the Danes. As she grew up, Lorna's hair was dyed by her adopted parents and later herself to cover its natural green. She was not told that she was adopted.
Birth of Shiro Yoshida in Agarashima, Japan to Saburo Yoshida and his wife. Shiro's mother had been doused with radiation from the atomic explosion at Hiroshima years before and had been weak and sickly ever since. She died giving birth to Shiro. Shiro's father, a Japanese diplomat, would frequently leave his son in the care Shiro's uncle Tomo Yoshida, a Japanese patriot with strong anti-American attitudes.
Birth of Satana Hellstrom in Greentown, Massachusetts to "Satan" and Victoria Wingate.
Birth of Patsy Walker in Centervile, California to Joshua and Dorothy Walker.
Birth of Jeanne-Marie and Jean-Paul Beaubier in Montreal, Quebec. Shortly after their birth their parents were killed, and the twins were separated. Jean-Paul was adopted by his mother's cousin, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officer Louis Martin, who could not afford to adopt Jeanne-Marie as well. The Martins arranged for Jeanne-Marie to be placed at Madame Dupont's School for Girls in LaVelle, Quebec. Soon afterwards Martin accepted an assignment in northern Quebec, and he relocated his family there. The Martins lost contact with Jeanne-Marie, and the twins both grew up without knowledge of each other.
Birth of Jack Hart in New Haven, Connecticut to Philip and Marie Hart.
Birth of Rick Jones in Scarsdale, Arizona. When Jones was still a child his parents died, and he was left with nothing except a guitar his father had left him. Growing up, Jones moved or was expelled from one orphanage to the next for disciplinary reasons.
Circa 15 years before FF #1
Birth of Jean Grey in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York to John and Elaine Grey.Birth of a baby girl in Vietnam to German mercenary Gustav Brandt and his wife Lua. Lua was sister to Monsieur Khrull, a local criminal leader who hated Europeans and was violently opposed to his sister's marriage. As a result the couple were forced to flee. After ten months of living as fugitives Lua gave birth to a daughter and the Brandts then decided to settle down. However Khrull discovered their whereabouts and ordered that their house be burned to the ground. Lua was killed but Gustav Brandt, although heavily burned and blinded, managed to escape with his daughter. Fleeing for days through the jungle, Brandt eventually discovered the temple of the Priests of Pama, descendants of Kree monks who worshipped the Cotati, intelligent plants from the world of Hala. The Priests decided to aid Brandt and his daughter, although because Brandt was a soldier the pacifist priests decided to separate the two. The Priests also suspected that Brandt's baby girl might one day become the Celestial Madonna, a woman who one day would give birth to a child who would bring peace to the universe. The two remained with the Priests for years, with the girl learning of their philosophy and their martial arts, and Brandt learning how to psychically see despite his physical blindness.
While hitchhiking home from a concert in London-Derry, Sean Cassidy was detained by pro-British police officers. Rescued from a possible beating by university student Maeve Rourke, Sean and the girl fled from the police on her motorcycle. When the back tire of Maeve's bike was blown out by a bullet the motorcycle went out of control and flew over the edge of the cliff. However Maeve was saved from dying when Sean used his mutant sonic powers to fly them to safety. Instead of being frightened by Sean, they became attracted to each other. However Maeve also became attracted to Sean's dashing older cousin Tom Cassidy whom she met later that night. Struck by Maeve's beauty Tom found himself falling in love with her. Eventually however Maeve decided to choose Sean over Tom as the object of her love.
[Classic X-Men #16]
[Date is speculative.]Sean Cassidy graduated from Trinity College in Dublin with a Bachelor of Science. Upon finishing his education Cassidy became a detective with the international law enforcement organization Interpol.
Birth of Alex Summers in Honolulu, Hawaii to Christopher and Katherine Anne Summers.
Ororo Monroe completed her apprenticeship in beggary. Her master Achmed El-Gibar then began training her night and day in thievery.
[X-Men Vol.1 #102]Birth of Alison Blaire in Gardendale, New York to Carter and Katherine Blaire.
At the age of four Wong was presented to his father's master the Ancient One. The Ancient One subsequently arranged for Wong to be sent to a monastery where he would receive training in how to properly serve a sorcerer.
CHAPTER 3: DAWN OF MODERN HUMAN CIVILIZATION
CHAPTER 7: BEGINNING OF WORLD WAR II
CHAPTER 8: END OF WORLD WAR II
CHAPTER 9: POST WORLD WAR II - 1956
CHAPTER 11: PRE-FANTASTIC FOUR #1, PART I
CHAPTER 12: PRE-FANTASTIC FOUR #1, PART II
CHAPTER 13: PRE-FANTASTIC FOUR #1, PART III
CHAPTER 14: PRE-FANTASTIC FOUR #1, PART IV