Now for the rules to time travel in the marvel universe
Principles of Time Travel in the Marvel Universe
1. The Marvel Universe is part of a multiverse (a system of related
universes) which diverge from one another at critical junctures.
(This has been demonstrated in numerous issues of WHAT IF? as well
as other titles.)
2. The act of time travel always produces a critical juncture diverging
a new alternater timeline or worldat the moment one enters the reality
of another time period, past or future of the time period one set out
from. It creates one timeline where an extratemporal person or element
materialized via time travel and one 'virgin' timeline where that
person or element did not.
3. Because it is impossible to travel to the 'virgin' timeline
(the timeline one did not travel to), and because divergent timelines
are dimensionally displaced from one's root timeline, all time travel
actually involves dimensional travel. A time traveler does not travel
straight backwards or forwards in time, but backwards or forwards
and a bit off to the side to a divergent timeline now running parellel
to one's timeline of origin. Since this timeline will have been
identical to the 'virgin' timeline until the moment of divergence, there will
be virtually no differences between the two timelines until the timetraveler's
actions produce some. Consequently, most time travelers have no reason
to be aware that they are not the 'virgin' timeline.
4. If one travels to a second time to an era one has already been
to, one will not materialize on the 'virgin' timeline nor the timeline
diverged by one's previos trip, but a third timeline diverged from one
or the other. A time traveler can never travel back to the exact same
timeline more than once. Again, since, the second and third divergent
timelines are identical until the timetraveler's arrival, they will
be indistinguishable at first.
5. When one travels a second time to any era in which one already exists
(either indigenously or through time travel), it will be possible to
meet a temporal counterpart of one's self already there. A new counterpart
diverges into being every single time a time traveler travels to a
timeline one already exists in. Subsequently, multiple temporal
counterparts could co-exist through multiple time trips to the same
period.
6. The co-existence of multiple counterparts of the same being on
one timeline does not cause time paradoxes. Time paradoxes (a paradox being
a set of contradictory conditions) are only possible in single timeline
universes.
7. Altering an incident in the past will indeed affect the futures
reality of the timeline diverged by the time travelers presences. One
can create any number of different divergences by one's significant actions,
the act of time travel being the first. Whether one will be able to
return to the present of the timeline where one did no reality-tampering
divergences or one which diverged as a consequence of one's past actions
is a function of a means of time travel.
8. Returning to one's present also creates a divergent reality (a
timeline where one returned, another where one did not). If one
has been gone any length of time, one may find differences have accumulated
in accordance with the length of time away. (This is no different if
one returned to one's home after a simple trip to another city rather
than another time period.)
9.Selective alterations in the present as a consequence of the time travels
actions in the past do not occur. (For instance, the fading of Marty McFly's
image from a family portait in Back to the Future
would not happen in the Marvel Universe.) An alteration in the past
will create an entirely new timeline with events proceding smoothly
from the point of divergence. To the denizens of thattime lines
'present,' the past is a continuous series of events that always happened
as they happened. Were one to see selective dematerializations, they
would either be caused by something other than the act of time travel
unto itself or would be hallucinations.
Taken from
Mark's Remarks: Marvel Age #117, Oct. 1992.
Beside the normal time travel (which is more diagonal than forwards or backwards) There have been
instances where one did travel directly back and altered there own universe. These instance are
VERY rare and would need signifigant REALITY altering powers. Its is not that the person just
jaunts back in time but the whole reality is put in rewind except for the individual(s) who were set
out of the rewind process. These changes can be set right if the anomaly time-changer is simply
prevented from changing the past. The number of times the past has actually been changed can be
counted on one hand.
- The Age of Apocalypse-Legion, who reality powers have been developing, was able to do
this as he reversed time and accidentally killed Professor X. This changed time and it flowed all the
way to the present-where Apocalypse ruled the world. This reality was very unstable and trying to
destroy itself. To find out more of AoA, go to Wouter Age of Apocalypse Source
Book, and my AOA sourcebook addemdum.
- During the infinity gauntlet saga, Nebula used the Guantlet to rewind time by 24 hours. Those
who were nearby to Nebula were aware of the lost time but their bodies reverted to what they were
24 hours before. They slowly forgot about what happed during that time.
- The female Sphinx altered the present to a world that she ruled. It is unknown if she actually
changed everything or if it was a mass dilusion.
Places and Biengs of importance in Time.
In order to maintain the complex mutli-universal, multi-reality format that it has there are some forms
of order and some who are in positions of power in the temporal hierarchy.
Note-It will to things as in-reality or out of reality. Beings and places that are in-reality exist inside
of each reality. Though they may have access to other realities, there is a version in every or some
divergent realities. If a being or place is out of reality, then there are not variant versions of them in
the multiverse.
Merlyn-In-reality Cosmic entity who's purpose is unclear. He seems benevolent as he has tried to
save the Time Stream and the isle of Britian before. His stats are probably around
Merlyn
F-100 Health:1700
A-100
S-500 Karma:6100
E-1000
R-100 Pop:0
I-3000
P-3000 Resources 500
Powers:
Time Travel/Manipulation CL3000
Energy Creation/Control Cl1000
Matter Creation/Control Sh-z 500
Contacts:Roma works for him. Excalibre would aid him
Nexus of Realities-There are many of these scattered across worlds andmost have a protector.
From thes people can travel to different places in thier reality or to other realities through the Axis of
Realities.The big Nexus on Earth is in Florida and protected by Man-Thing.
Crossroads of Reality-Probably an in-reality dimension in which millions of dimensions can be
reached. Other realities can be reached by going to Limbo.
Limbo-an out of reality place not to be confused with Illyana Rasputin's Limbo which
is an in-reality dimension. Many portals lead through Limbo and is a very common way to travel
through realities. It is maintain by Immortus and reaches over about 80, 000 years. Time travel
before or after this 80,000 years would probably use a different Limbo. Limbo is normal seen as just
white but can be seen however Immortus chooses. Besides Immortus his son Marcus as well as
Space Phantom can be found there.
Immortus
F-6 health:46
A-10
S-10 karma:200
E-20
R-75 Resources:100
I-50
P-75 pop:0
Powers:
Invulnerability:CL1000
Dimensional Travel CL1000
Time Control CL1000
*Time warp
*Time Turbulencein Limbo
*Negate others time travel powers
*Alter temporal flow
*Time Travel
Energy Control AM50
Hallucinations MN75
Mental Probe MN75
Mind Control MN75
talents:SH-Z in dealing with Time Machines
Contacts:Previous selves, The Avengers, Marcus, Space Phantom, The Timekeepers
Space Phantom
F-4 Health:26
A-6
S-10 Karma:42
E-6
R-30 Res:EX20
I-6
P-6 Pop:0
Powers:
Can transform into any being and gain all powers, even tehnological ones.He must be in the same
area as the person and transforming takes one full round. The person duplicated is transported to
Limbo. He does this with UN100 ability. He can't do Magic, Immortality or anything above UN100.
talents:Military, Leadership and Time Travel.
Nexus Interzone:This out of reality place in the center of every thing and where the Cosmic Axis is
located. All the realities revolve around the axis as it is the seat of all power in the Multiverse. This
Interzone may actually be located in the reality that is shown in the comics(see below), though
there is only one. All the Nexi of Reality have portals that go here but it is the only way to go. The
Nexus Guardian will try to stopany being who tries to enter the A Interzone. The Nexus are the only
known way to enter the Interzone. Earth's only natural Nexus
(Excalibre's old Lighthous may be one and there may be one in Canada created by indian dieties)is
located in
Florida and its gaurdian is Man-Thing.
Man-Thing
F-30 Health:139
A-4
S-30 Karma:72
E-75
R-2 Reources:Fb2
I-20
P-50 Pop:-10
Powers:
Emtion Detection:MN75-This also causes his actions. Positive emotions
make him happy. Negative make him sad and Fear makes him attack.
Burning Touch-When he detects fear, his body excretes acid at IN40
rank.
Vegetable form:MN protection vs physical. /it becomes -1cs every
week he leaves the swamp to a min of RM30.
OOzing-He can ooze through small openings.
vulnerabilityLEvery week away from swamp, his S&E drop -1cs
when at FB2 he become comatose until returned to his swamp.
Contacts:Thing, SpiderMan, Howard the Duck, Dakihm, Jennifer
Kale, Kerrek the bararian and Steve Gerber.
Congress of Realities:a group of about a dozen Nexus Gaurdians (Man-Thing not included) that are
there to maintain that nothing goes wrong in the Interzone. Most of them were slaughtered by the
Deviant Ereshkigal.
Time Variance Authority:An infinitley large bureaucracy Governing a sizable number of Universes in
the ever expanding multiverse and dedicated to keeping tabs on every universe in existence. It is
unknown who governs the other Universes if they are governed. It is there job to write up what
happens when different realities are created. They also try to prevent beings that exploit time-travel
and create too many alternate realities. They are all a series of clones who work in a business
typeformat with Mr. Alternity being in charge and many level all the way down. The universe they
are in is out of reality. Using their computers one could find information on allmost anything in any
reality.
Time Cops
aka Justices-generic
F-20 Health:100
A-20
S-30 Karma:14
E-30
R-6 Pop:0
I-6
P-2 Resources:EX20
Weapons:
Time Displacement Gun:MS gd When hit with blast victim is transported to
the Null-Time Zone, which is a place out of reality filled with nothing. It is like
a temporal holding cell.
Armor-GD10 armor vs Physical and Energy
Sled-EX MS. Gd control
AM airspeed and Cl1000 dimensional travel
talents:police enforcement(equivelent), guns, Timetravel knowledge
The T.V.A. uses these Justices to maintain there laws. If someone has done something really bad
they can be up for inspection from the Temporal Infraction Commitee. A serious offender can be
erased from existance in ALL timelines.
Cross Time Express-This is a train that goes through the T.V.A. dimension where one can get to all
of the Universes that the T.V.A. govern.
Our Universe
Our universe, or the one we read about in the comics, is assumed to be the Prime Universe or very
similar to the Prime Universe. The divergent realities are set up beside each other but in reality all
seem to be based off of one main reality. One reality might be different in that Dr. Doom is a villian
and another in thatthe Avenger died. One would see that in the one where the Avengers died, Dr.
Doom is still a villian. It is as beside the one event that is different, All other points not affected by
that event are exact to the Prime Universe. This is the reason I stated that The Nexus Interzone
might actually be in the Prime Universe. Other things Like Limbo, The T.V.A. and the Living
Tribunal's realm may also be in just the Prime Universe and not in someplace beyond all Universes.
Time flow in different realities
It would appear that different realities, time flows at different rates. If someone travel from one
univers to one with a slower time rate they would not notice the difference while in the reality but
when they return to their own it may be as if they did not stay long at all. This time flow difference
is also the cause of possible futures like Days of Future Past, 2099 and
Future Imperfect.
Well I guesse I'm out of time
Until Next Time
NICK EVANKO
