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TheMarvel Universe is a fictionalshared universe where the stories in mostAmerican comic book titles and other media published byMarvel Comics take place. Superhero teams such as theAvengers, theX-Men, theFantastic Four, theGuardians of the Galaxy, and many Marvelsuperheroes live in this universe, including characters such asSpider-Man,Wolverine,Iron Man,Captain America, andHulk. It also contains well-knownsupervillains such asDoctor Doom,Magneto,Green Goblin,Loki, andThanos. It also containsantiheroes such asDeadpool,Ghost Rider,Punisher,Elektra, andBlack Cat.
The Marvel Universe is further depicted as existing within a "multiverse" consisting of thousands of separate universes, all of which are the creations of Marvel Comics and all of which are, in a sense, "Marvel universes". In this context, "Marvel Universe" is taken to refer to the mainstream Marvelcontinuity, which is known asEarth-616 orPrime Earth.
Some of the characters inTimely Comics (the 1930s and '40s predecessor to Marvel Comics) coexisted in the same world, as first established inMarvel Mystery Comics #7 (1940) whereNamor was mentioned inHuman Torch's story, and vice versa. Later several superheroes (who starred in separate stories in the series up to that point) met each other in a group dubbed theAll-Winners Squad.
Though the concept of ashared universe was not new or unique tocomic books in 1961, writer/editorStan Lee, together with several artists includingJack Kirby andSteve Ditko, created a series of titles where events in one book would have repercussions in another title and serialized stories would show characters' growth and change.[1] Headline characters in one title would make cameos or guest appearances in other books.Fantastic Four #12 is the first crossover comic book in modern Marvel continuity (first meeting of Fantastic Four and the Hulk). Eventually, many of the leading heroes (Ant-Man, Wasp, Iron Man, Thor and the Hulk) assembled into a team known as theAvengers, which debuted in September 1963. This was not the first time that Marvel's characters had interacted with one another—Namor and theoriginal Human Torch had been rivals when Marvel wasTimely Comics (Marvel Vault), under editorMartin Goodman[2] — but it was the first time that the comic book publisher's characters seemed to share a world.[3] The Marvel Universe was also notable for setting its central titles inNew York City; by contrast, manyDC heroes live in fictional cities. Care was taken to portray the city and the world as realistically as possible, with the presence of superhumans affecting the common citizens in various ways.[4]
Over time, a few Marvel Comics writers lobbied Marvel editors to incorporate the idea of aMultiverse resemblingDC's parallel worlds; this plot device allows one to create several fictional universes which normally do not overlap. What happens on Earth in the main Marvel Universe would normally not affect what happens on a parallel Earth in another Marvel-created universe. However, writers would have the creative ability to write stories in which people from one such universe would visit this alternative universe.[5]
In 1982, Marvel published the miniseriesContest of Champions, in which all of the major heroes in existence at the time were gathered together to deal with one threat. This was Marvel's first miniseries. Each issue contained biographical information on many major costumed characters; these biographies were a precursor to Marvel's series of reference material,The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, which followed shortly on the heels ofContest of Champions.[6]
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The Marvel Universe is strongly based on the real world. Earth in the Marvel Universe has all the features of the real one: same countries, same personalities (politicians, movie stars, etc.), same historical events (such as World War II), and so on; however, it also contains many other fictional elements: countries such asWakanda andLatveria and organizations like the espionage agencyS.H.I.E.L.D. and its enemies,Hydra andA.I.M. In 2009, Marvel officially described its world's geography in a two-part miniseries, theMarvel Atlas.[7]
Most importantly, the Marvel Universe also incorporates examples of almost all majorscience fiction andfantasy concepts, with writers adding more continuously. Aliens, gods, magic, cosmic powers and extremely advanced human-developed technology all exist prominently in the Marvel Universe. Monsters also play a more prominent role with east Asian origins of magical incantation, outlandish sorcery and manifesting principle in the Marvel Universe. One such case isFin Fang Foom arising from the ashes of tantric magic. Thanks to these extra elements, Earth in the Marvel Universe is home to a large number ofsuperheroes andsupervillains, who have gained their powers by any of these means.[citation needed] The general public is so familiar with such concepts that Empire State University has a scholarship for "aliens, dimensional travelers, clones, independent machine intelligences and other students outside the norm",[8] businesses and residences have superheroproperty insurance[9][10][11] andbookmakers take bets on their battles' outcomes,[12] and New Yorkair traffic controllers handle starships landing atlocal airports.[13]
Comparatively, little time passes in the Marvel Universe compared to the real world, owing to the serial nature of storytelling, with the stories of certain issues picking up mere seconds after the conclusion of the previous one, while a whole month has passed by in "real-time". Marvel's major heroes were created in the 1960s, but the amount of time that has passed between then and now within the universe itself has (after a prolonged period of being identified as about 10 years in the mid-to-late 1990s) most recently been identified as 13 years.[14] Consequently, the settings of some events which were contemporary when written have to be updated every few years to "make sense" in thisfloating timeline. Thus, the events of previous stories are considered to have happened within a certain number of years before the publishing date of the current issue. For example,Spider-Man's high school graduation was published inAmazing Spider-Man #28 (September 1965), his college graduation inAmazing Spider-Man #185 (October 1978), and his high school reunion inMarvel Knights Spider-Man #7 (December 2004). Because of the floating timeline, where stories refer to real-life historic events, these references are later ignored or rewritten to suit current sensibilities; for instance, the origin ofIron Man was changed in a 2004 storyline to refer to thewar on terror inAfghanistan,[15] whereas the original Iron Man stories had referred to theVietnam War inVietnam; similarly, thePunisher's backstory has also been changed as well.[volume & issue needed]
Marvel Comics itself exists as a company within the Marvel Universe, and versions of people such asStan Lee andJack Kirby have appeared in some of the stories, whereas characters like Steve Rogers, (Captain America'salter ego), have worked for Marvel.[volume & issue needed] The Marvel of this reality publishes comics that adapt the actual adventures of the superheroes (except for details not known to the public, like their secret identities); many of these are licensed with the permission of the heroes themselves, who customarily donate their share of profits to charity. Additionally, theDC Comics Universe is also said to exist in the Marvel Universe as one of the many alternative universes. The reverse may also be said concerning the DC Universe. This is one method of explaining the various crossover stories co-published by the two companies.[volume & issue needed]
Pop culture characters such asSherlock Holmes,Dracula and theFrankenstein's Monster exist in the Marvel Universe. This is usually justified as a second-hand account of events as told to credited authorsArthur Conan Doyle,Bram Stoker, andMary Shelley, although the general public continues to believe them to be fictional.Robert E. Howard'sConan the Barbarian,Red Sonja,Kull the Conqueror, andSolomon Kane also have real-life existences in the Marvel Universe. TheHyborian Era of Conan and Kull is considered part of Earth-616 pre-recorded history. However, they rarely encounter modern Marvel superhero characters. This is most likely possible due to the uncertain legal status of Howard's works before 2006 when they became public domain. As of 2019, Conan the Barbarian, as well as Kull the Conqueror and Solomon Kane, have been firmly integrated, thanks to Marvel regaining the publishing rights to the characters. Other licensed works that have been incorporated into the Marvel Universe includeGodzilla, theTransformers, the film2001: A Space Odyssey (in the character ofMachine Man),Rom the Spaceknight, theMicronauts, and theShogun Warriors. In most cases, such material is either restricted from use after the license expires or the characters redesigned or renamed to avoid copyright infringement.[volume & issue needed]
Within the fictional history of the Marvel Universe, the tradition of using costumed secret identities to fight or commit evil had long existed, but it came into prominence during the days of the American "Wild West" with heroes such asCarter Slade/the Phantom Rider. During the 20th century, the tradition was reinvigorated bySteve Rogers/Captain America and theInvaders in the 1940s, who fought for theAllies of World War II.
Unlike theDC Universe, few of Marvel'sGolden Age characters have risen to prominence in modern publications;Captain America is one exception, and to a lesser extent, his contemporary,Namor, primarily because both of these characters were reintroduced to readers and the Marvel Universe during the 1960s.[citation needed]
Marvel's most prominent heroes were created during theSilver Age of Comic Books in the 1960s to early 1970s, includingPeter Parker/Spider-Man,Tony Stark/Iron Man,Thor,Bruce Banner/the Hulk,Stephen Strange/Doctor Strange,Matt Murdock/Daredevil,Ant-Man and theWasp (Hank Pym and Janet van Dyne),Natasha Romanoff/the Black Widow,Clint Barton/Hawkeye,Pietro Maxmioff/Quicksilver,Wanda Maximoff/the Scarlet Witch, theVision,Simon Williams/Wonder Man,Hercules,Kevin Plunder/Ka-Zar,Groot,Nick Fury,T'Challa/the Black Panther,Mar-Vell (the first Captain Marvel),Carol Danvers (also known as the first Ms. Marvel, Binary, Warbird, and the current Captain Marvel),Sam Wilson/the Falcon,Dane Whitman/the Black Knight,Norrin Radd/the Silver Surfer,Jane Foster (also known as the second Thor),Warren Worthington III/Angel,Hank McCoy/the Beast,Scott Summers/Cyclops,Robert "Bobby" Drake/the Iceman,Jean Grey (also known as Marvel Girl and Phoenix),Charles Xavier/Professor X,Lorna Dane/Polaris,Alex Summers/Havok,Sean Cassidy/Banshee,Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic,Susan Storm/the Invisible Woman,Johnny Storm/the Human Torch,Ben Grimm/the Thing,Brunnhilde/the Valkyrie, theInhumans (composed ofBlack Bolt,Medusa,Crystal,Gorgon,Karnak,Triton andLockjaw), andAlexi Shostakov/Red Guardian.
Other notable heroes from theBronze Age andModern Age from the early-to-mid 1970s to the early 1990s includeJames "Logan" Howlett/Wolverine,Ororo Munroe/Storm,Piotr "Peter" Rasputin/Colossus,Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler,Luke Cage (also known as Power-Man),Danny Rand/Iron Fist,Misty Knight,Colleen Wing,Barbara "Bobbi" Morse/Mockingbird,White Tiger (Hector Ayala),Shang-Chi,Greer Grant Nelson/Tigra,Jessica Drew (also known as Spider-Woman),Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze),Daimon Hellstrom,Satana Hellstrom,Theodore "Ted" Sallis/the Man-Thing,Eric Brooks/Blade the Vampire-Slayer,Michael Morbius/Morbius the Living Vampire,Howard the Duck,Monica Rambeau (also known as Photon, Pulsar, Spectrum and the second Captain Marvel),Moondragon,Drax the Destroyer,Peter Quill/Star-Lord,Gamora,Rocket Raccoon,Frank Castle/the Punisher,Marc Spector/Moon Knight, theEternals (composed ofIkaris,Thena,Ajak,Makkari,Kingo,Phastos,Gilgamesh andSprite),War Machine,Nova (Richard Rider),Adam Warlock,Power Pack,Betsy Braddock,Scott Lang (the second Ant-Man),Felicia Hardy/the Black Cat,Silver Sable,Katherine "Kitty" Pryde (also known as Shadowcat, Ariel, Sprite, Star-Lord and the Red Queen),Emma Frost (also known as the White Queen),Jennifer Walters/the She-Hulk,Tyrone Johnson/Cloak and Tandy Bowen/Dagger,Brian Braddock/Captain Britain,Doreen Green/Squirrel Girl,Elektra Natchios, theNew Mutants (composed ofIllyana Rasputin/Magik,Xi'an Coy Minh/Karma,Danielle Moonstar/Mirage,Sam Guthrie/Cannonball,Rahne Sinclair/Wolfsbane,Doug Ramsey/Cypher,Warlock and others), theNew Warriors,David Haller/Legion,John Proudstar/Warpath-Thunderbird,Anna Marie LeBeau/Rogue andJubilation Lee/Jubilee.
Some of Marvel's more recent creations from the mid-to-late 1990s, 2000s and 2010s, such asWade Wilson/Deadpool,Remy LeBeau/Gambit,Nathan Summers/Cable,Neena Thurman/Domino,Clarice Ferguson/Blink, theThunderbolts,Yelena Belova (also known as the second Black Widow), theRunaways, the modernGuardians of the Galaxy, the modernDefenders (based onthe Netflix MCU version of the same name),Laura Kinney/X-23 (a.k.a. the second Wolverine),Shuri, theDora Milaje,Daisy Johnson (also known as Quake),Phil Coulson,Melinda May,Bucky Barnes/the Winter Soldier,Maria Hill,Miles Morales (the second Spider-Man of the Ultimate Marvel Universe),Hope van Dyne (also known as the Red Queen and the second Wasp),Cassie Lang (also known as Stature, Stinger, Ant-Girl and Giant-Girl), theStepford Cuckoos,Amadeus Cho (also known as the second Hulk),Kamala Khan (also known as the second Ms. Marvel),Kate Bishop (also known as the third Hawkeye),Lunella Lafayette/Moon Girl,America Chavez (also known as the second Miss America),Robbie Reyes (also known as the fourth Ghost Rider),Riri Williams/Ironheart andSpider-Gwen (Gwen Stacy of Earth-65) have become popular characters in their own right.
Prominent teams of superheroes include theAvengers, theX-Men, theFantastic Four, theDefenders, theInhumans,S.H.I.E.L.D., theHowling Commandos, theGuardians of the Galaxy, theRunaways, theMidnight Sons and theThunderbolts. All these groups have varying lineups; the Avengers have included Marvel's major heroes as members at one time or another. The X-Men are a team ofmutants led byProfessor X and include many of Marvel's most popular characters, such asWolverine and others. The Fantastic Four are viewed as "Marvel's First Family" of superheroes, usually consisting ofMister Fantastic, theInvisible Woman, theHuman Torch and theThing, as well as siblingsFranklin andValeria Richards. The Defenders were an ad hoc team usually brought together byDoctor Strange which has included theHulk,Namor the Sub-Mariner and theSilver Surfer, while the most recent incarnation of the team consists of street-level New York City heroesDaredevil,Jessica Jones,Luke Cage andIron Fist. The Guardians of the Galaxy include Marvel's cosmic characters such asAdam Warlock,Star-Lord,Gamora,Drax the Destroyer,Rocket Raccoon andGroot, but the team has also introduced other heroes into the roster such asKitty Pryde, the Silver Surfer, the Thing andNova. The Inhumans are a royal family consisting ofBlack Bolt,Medusa,Crystal,Gorgon,Triton,Karnak andLockjaw, who rule the city of Attilan. The Runaways are a group of teenagers and a dinosaur consisting ofAlex Wilder,Nico Minoru,Karolina Dean,Chase Stein,Molly Hayes,Gert Yorkes andOld Lace who rebel against their evil parents known asthe Pride. The Midnight Sons consist of supernatural heroes such asBlade,Ghost Rider,Moon Knight,Elsa Bloodstone,Hellstrom, theWerewolf and theMan-Thing. The Thunderbolts' original incarnation were supervillains disguised as superheroes consisting ofCitizen V (a.k.a.Helmut Zemo),MACH-IV (a.k.a. the Beetle),Songbird (a.k.a. Screaming Mimi),Moonstone (a.k.a. Meteorite),Techno (a.k.a. the Fixer) andJolt, while the current incarnation of the team is made up of reformed supervillains/anti-heroes working for the government:Deadpool, thePunisher, theRed Hulk, theWinter Soldier and theGhost. Although teams of supervillains are few and far between, notable examples include theMasters of Evil, theEmissaries of Evil, theBrotherhood of Mutants, theSinister Six, theFrightful Four, theLethal Legion, theLegion of the Unliving, theBlack Order, the Annihilation Wave, and theCabal.
Most of the superhumans in Marvel's Earth owe their powers to theCelestials, cosmic entities who visited Earth millions of years ago and experimented on theirprehistoric ancestors (a process they also carried out on several other planets). This resulted in the creation of twohidden races, the godlikeEternals and the genetically unstableDeviants, in addition to giving some humans an "x-factor" in their genes, which sometimes activates naturally, resulting in sometimes superpowered, sometimes disfigured individuals calledmutants. Others require other factors (such asradiation) for their powers to come forth. Depending on the genetic profile, individuals who are exposed to different chemicals or radiation will often suffer death or injury, while in others it will cause superhuman abilities to manifest. Except forpsionic abilities, these powers are usually random; rarely do two people have the same set of powers. It is not clear why the Celestials did this, although it is known that they continue to observe humanity's evolution. A Marvel series titledEarth X explored one possible reason for this: that superhumans are meant to protect a Celestial embryo that grows inside Earth against any planetary threats and have done so for eons. An X-Men villain that is known asVargas claims to be a new direction in human evolution, as he is born with superpowers even though his genetic profile said he was an ordinary human being. The majority of the public is unaware of what may cause superhuman powers.[volume & issue needed]
Other possible origins for superhuman powers includemagic,genetic manipulation, orbionic implants. Some heroes and villains have no powers at all but depend instead on hand-to-hand combat training or advanced technological equipment. In the Marvel Universe, technology is considerably more advanced than in the real world; this is due to unique individuals of genius-level intelligence, such as Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) of the Fantastic Four. However, most of the advanced devices (such aspowered armor anddeath rays) are too expensive for the common citizen, and are usually in the hands of government organizations like S.H.I.E.L.D., or powerful criminal organizations likeA.I.M. One major company producing these devices is Stark Industries, owned by Tony Stark (Iron Man), but there are others. Advanced technology has also been given to humans by hidden races, aliens, ortime travelers likeKang the Conqueror, who is known to have influenced therobotics industry in the past.[volume & issue needed]
In superhumans, the energy required for their superpowers either comes from within using their own body as a source or, if the demand of energy exceeds what their body is capable to deliver, comes from another source.
Marvel tries to explain most superpowers and their sources "scientifically", usually through the use of fictional science-like concepts, such as:
A degree of paranoid fear against mutants exists due to stories of mutants being a species or even a subspecies of humans (Homo superior orHomo sapiens superior) that is evolving and is meant to replace normal humans. This has caused organizations to form to deal with the problem, who can be divided into three camps: those who seek peaceful coexistence between mutants and normal humans (the X-Men and their affiliated groups), those who seek to control or eliminate humans to give mutants safety or dominance (Magneto and his followers, as well as other mutants such asApocalypse), and those who seek to regulate or eliminate mutants in favor of humans. The latter often use the robots known as theSentinels as weapons. Certain species are regarded assubhuman, like theMorlocks, who lurk beneath New York City and have been discriminated against by the outside world because of their mutant deformities. The Morlocks have recently joined the terrorist organization Gene Nation.[volume & issue needed]
In addition to mutants, Eternals, and Deviants, several other intelligent races have existed secretly on Earth. These include theInhumans, another genetically unstable race (like the Deviants, but in their case, it is due to their use of a substance called the Terrigen Mist) that was created by aKree experiment long ago; theSubterraneans, a race of humanoids adapted to living below the surface, created by the Deviants (some Subterraneans were transformed into the 'Lava Men' by a demon); andHomo mermanus, ahumanoid species of water-breathers that live in Earth's oceans. Most of these races have advanced technology but existed hidden from humanity until recent times. More variants of humanity can be found in theSavage Land (see Places below). Most of the Savage Land races have their origin from a group of primitive ape-men who seems to have escaped the Celestial experiments and whose influence is present in all modernHomo sapiens. Other leftovers from the era when primitive humanoids walked on Earth still exist, such as the radiation-alteredNeanderthal man known as theMissing Link, an enemy of the Hulk.[18]
The Marvel Universe also contains hundreds of intelligent alien races. Earth has interacted with many of them because a major "hyperspace warp" happens to exist in theSolar System.
The three major space empires are:
The three are often in direct or indirect conflict, which occasionally involves Earth humans; in particular, the Kree and Skrulls are ancient enemies, and theKree-Skrull War has involved humans on several occasions.
The Skrulls have also been known to be in a long and consistent war against the Majesdanians, who live on a milky planet named Majesdane.[19] The war between the two had started after two Majesdanians, Frank and Leslie Dean ofthe Pride had been kicked out for criminal activities; the two traveled to Earth, where Frank and Leslie stopped the war against Earth in exchange for giving the Skrulls the location of Majesdane, which was hidden behind the corona of awhite dwarf. The war had gone on for 16 years minimum; it ended abruptly after the Skrulls shot a barrage of missiles at Majesdane, who retaliated.[19]
Another prominent alien race is theWatchers, immortal and wise beings who watch over the Marvel Universe and have taken a sacred vow not to intervene in events, though the Watcher assigned to Earth,Uatu, has violated this oath on several occasions.
TheElders of the Universe are ancient aliens who have often had a great impact on many worlds for billions of years, acting alone or as a group. A power called the Power Primordial is channeled through them.
Many other races exist and have formed an "Intergalactic Council" to have their say on matters that affect them all, such as interference from Earth humans in their affairs.
Also abundant in the Marvel Universe are legendary creatures such as gods, demons and vampires. The 'gods' of mostpolytheistic pantheons are powerful, immortal human-like races residing in other dimensions who visited Earth in ancient times, and became the basis of many legends. However, all of these 'gods' share a common ancestry and connection to Earth due to Gaea, the primeval Elder Goddess that infused her life essence into all living things on Earth. Gaea is known by various names and appearances in other cultures and among the various pantheons, but she is the same being. As a result, she is a member of every polytheistic pantheon of 'gods' worshiped by humans. Besides mythological gods, many deities made up by Marvel writers exist as well, such as the Dark Gods, enemies of theAsgardians. The Dark Gods are a race of 'gods' that have been worshiped byextraterrestrial races. Well-known alien races like theShi'ar andSkrulls also have beings they worship as 'gods', though little has been revealed about them.[volume & issue needed]
Many persons and beings have falsely pretended to be gods or demons during history; in particular, none of the ones claiming to be major figures fromJudeo-Christian beliefs have turned out to be the real article, although several angels have appeared in recent years, as well as an apparent true rebellion and expulsion of angels from a higher realm known as Paradise, proving that some form ofHeaven andHell do exist in this Universe, seemingly like those in keeping with common real-world religious belief. Similarly, demons are evil magical beings who take affairs in the matters of the universe. Some of the most powerful areBlackheart,Mephisto,Nightmare,Satannish,Thog the Nether-Spawn andZom. There are also powerful benevolent mystical entities such as the Vishanti; or amoral and malevolent entities who are not truly demonic, such asDormammu and the Octessence, or ones heavily drawing upon the mythologies ofH. P. Lovecraft andRobert E. Howard. Some supernatural beings, entities and human characters created by Lovecraft and Howard, who were friends and influenced each other's work, have been adapted by Marvel and includeAbdul Alhazred,[20][21][22]Conan the Barbarian[23]Nyarlathotep[24] and Set.[25] Some deities or demonic beings that are original characters of Marvel have been heavily influenced by these mythologies, such asShuma-Gorath.[26]
Most of the current generation of gods have been revealed to be the descendants of the Elder GoddessGaea. The two most featured pantheons are theAsgardians (of whomThor is a member) and theOlympians (of whomHercules is a member). The lords of the various pantheons sometimes gather in groups known as either theCouncil of Godheads or the Council of Skyfathers. The gods were forced to stop meddling with humanity (at least openly) a thousand years ago by theCelestials, and most people today believe them to be fictional. Other pantheons have been depicted in the Marvel Universe that is still actively worshiped in the real world, including those worshiped by theAboriginal inhabitants of Australia, thegods ofHinduism, theShinto gods and the gods ofZoroastrianism. These deities are rarely depicted, however. One such appearance generated a good deal of controversy as the depiction involved a fight betweenMarvel's incarnation of Thor and the Hindu godShiva, a battle which Shiva lost.[27] As Shiva is one of the principal deities of Hindu religion, his defeat offended some followers of Hinduism. This battle wasretconned later as having been the deityIndra, the Hindu god of thunder, who was posing as Shiva, that met defeat.[28] To avoid offending the believers of still active religions, Marvel features such deities as characters in the background or who make very brief cameo appearances.
Marvel's depiction of vampires has been heavily influenced by various interpretations of popular media, such asBram Stoker'sDracula. As with many other supernatural creatures, Marvel entwined the origin of vampires with aspects of the mythologies created by Lovecraft and Howard. They were created by magical rites performed by priests of Atlantis before the Great Cataclysm that destroyed much of the world, withVarnae becoming the first vampire. Marvel would depict vampires as frequent antagonists during theHyborian Age to Howard characters such asKull and Conan. In recent years, Marvel's depiction of vampires has altered greatly by creating various subspecies of vampires that exist inclans that greatly differ in appearance and belief. All vampires are depicted with varying degrees of superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes and accelerated healing. Many are capable of transforming into animals such as bats or wolves; some can transform into a mist-like substance; some of the most powerful are capable of controlling the weather to a somewhat limited degree. All vampires must ingest blood to maintain their survival and physical vitality. So long as they do so regularly, they cease to age and are immune to diseases. They retain the well-known vulnerabilities common to vampires in other media interpretations, including sunlight, garlic, religious icons and weapons made of silver. Vampires can be killed by a wooden stake driven through the heart, though they return to life if the stake is removed. Vampires are highly allergic to silver and can be killed with it. While they normally heal rapidly, injuries inflicted by silver weapons heal at a much slower rate if the injuries are not fatal. Vampires can also be killed by decapitation or being burned with fire, with burning them to ashes and then scattering the ashes being the most effective means of ensuring their demise (scattering the ashes is done so that the vampire cannot be mystically resurrected).
The cosmic entities are beings of unbelievably great levels of power (the weakest of whom can destroy entire planets) who exist to perform duties that maintain the existence of the universe. Most do not care at all about "lesser beings" such as humans, and as a consequence, their acts are recurrently dangerous to mortals. When dire threats threaten the universe, it is not uncommon for these beings to gather together to discuss the threat and even act on it.[volume & issue needed]
Most conceptual entities are simply interested in furthering their essential function or to keep the balance with an opposing force. However, certain cosmic entities, such asGalactus, theIn-Betweener, theMaelstrom, or theStranger have demonstrated personality, motivations, or (except for the first one mentioned) even ambitions beyond their functions, but often maintain the perspective that morality is entirely relative, or that destroying civilizations of "lesser" beings is no eviler than if these beings destroyed an anthill. Others such asUatu the Watcher, Eon, or theCelestials,Ashema andTiamut are aberrations in the sense of sympathizing with, and occasionally coming to the defense of, humanity.[volume & issue needed]
ThePhoenix Force first received personification inJean Grey. The Phoenix Force is composed of the psionic energy from all living beings' past, present, and future, and is an embodiment of rebirth and destructive transformation through "burning away what doesn't work", and helped to restart the universe before theBig Bang.[volume & issue needed]
'The "Fulcrum" is a comparatively recent addition to the hierarchy, that "all" cosmic entities allegedly serve, of a level of raw power stated to far surpass the might of the Watchers and the Celestials. Unlike most other entities, it is capable of conscience, compassion, and even a sense of humor, and has stated that it wants other cosmic beings to develop such as well. He is a possible manifestation/avatar of theOne-Above-All.[volume & issue needed]
The mentionedOne-Above-All is believed to be the supreme, omnipotent being, who solely created theMarvel Multiverse, and possibly acted beyond.[29] He also brought to life theLiving Tribunal, an extremely powerful cosmic entity, who serves to maintain balance within the Multiverse.[30]
The Marvel Universe is part of aMultiverse, with various universes coexisting simultaneously,usually without affecting each other directly.[volume & issue needed] Furthermore, each universe has various other dimensions associated with it, and one such group is collectively known as a Reality. Often what is referred to in the comics as aUniverse is actually aReality. According to mythology, the Multiverse has been created by the omnipotent beingOne-Above-All.
Even the Marvel Multiverse, however, is only a part of the Omniverse, which consists of all of fiction and reality combined, including all the works that are outside of Marvel's copyright restrictions.[31]
The action of most of the Marvel Comics titles takes place in acontinuity known asEarth-616. This continuity exists in amultiverse alongside trillions of alternative continuities.[32] Alternative continuities in the Marvel Multiverse are generally defined in terms of their differences from Earth-616.
Continuities besides Earth-616 include the following (for a complete listing seeMultiverse (Marvel Comics)):
| Earth | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Earth-65 | A reality whereGwen Stacy was bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker (who became theLizard in this universe and died) and where Gwenbecame a superhero. It also includes variations of other Marvel characters, such as a gender-bent version ofSam Wilson (known as Samantha Wilson, who becameCaptain America instead of Steve Rogers). | |
| Earth-295 | Age of Apocalypse | An alternate reality ruled by the mutant godApocalypse. |
| Earth-311 | Marvel 1602 | A reality where Marvel superheroes emerged in the early 1600s. |
| Earth-615 | Sometimes being the same universe asEarth-616, and sometimes not. | |
| Earth-712 | Squadron Supreme | The home of one version of theSquadron Supreme, a super-team from another universe and pastiches ofDC Comics' theJustice League. |
| Earth-811 | Days of Future Past | A dystopian alternate future where theSentinels rule North America and have enslaved mutants. |
| Earth-928 | Marvel 2099 | A reality showing a possible future for the Marvel Universe in the year 2099. Also designated asEarth-616 circa 2099 |
| Earth-982 | MC2 | Another alternate future for the world of the Marvel Universe and its superheroes and supervillains |
| Earth-1218 | The setting of the real world, where superheroes, supervillains, and supernatural entities don't exist. | |
| Earth-1610 | Ultimate Marvel | A modern-day re-imagining ofSpider-Man, theUltimates, theX-Men, theFantastic Four andS.H.I.E.L.D., as well as other Marvel heroes and villains in a new setting. The home reality ofMiles Morales, the Maker (a.k.a. Reed Richards), andJimmy Hudson. |
| Earth-2149 | Marvel Zombies | A reality where all the Marvel superheroes and supervillains were turned into cannibalistic flesh-eating zombies. |
| Earth-2301 | Marvel Mangaverse | A reality containingmanga versions of the Marvel Universe characters. |
| Earth-2447 | Spider-Man: Life Story | A reality where Spider-Man and the other Marvel superheroes who debuted in the 1960s aged in real-time. |
| Earth-4321 | The reality ofMarvel Universe: The End | |
| Earth-7642 | Earth-Crossover | A universe where Marvel characters co-exist with characters fromDC Comics |
| Earth-8096 | Christopher Yost Universe | The reality of TV shows and movies such asWolverine and the X-Men,The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes,Hulk Vs., andThor: Tales of Asgard. |
| Earth-8101 | Marvel Apes | A reality where apes are the dominant species and the superheroes and supervillains are apes themselves |
| Earth-8311 | Larval Universe | The home reality of Peter Porker (a.k.a.Spider-Ham); a reality wheretalking animal versions of Marvel superheroes and supervillains exist. |
| Earth-9591 | Ruins | A reality where "everything that can go wrong will go wrong", where the experiments and other incidents that granted the superheroes and supervillains their powers instead resulted in horrific tragedies and deaths. |
| Earth-9602 | Amalgam Universe | A pocket universe where the Marvel and the DC Universes were combined into one reality. |
| Earth-9997 | Earth X | An alternate future for the Marvel Universe depicting an Earth mutated by the Terrigen Mists. The series was followed by two other series,Universe X andParadise X. |
| Earth-11326 | Age of X | A reality in which a series of anti-mutant events cause the United States government to hunt down all mutants, confining the survivors to Fortress X. |
| Earth-12041 | Marvel Universe on Disney XD | The universe containingUltimate Spider-Man,Avengers Assemble, andHulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.. |
| Earth-20051 | Marvel Adventures | An all-ages imprint. |
| Earth-30847 | Marvel vs. Capcom | The reality of theMarvel vs. Capcom games |
| Earth-58163 | House of M | A reality in which mutants are the ruling class, humans are the oppressed and Magneto and his family rule Genosha. |
| Earth-90214 | Marvel Noir | A reality home tonoir versions of superheroes. |
| Earth-92131 | The universe of the 1990s Marvel animated TV shows, such asX-Men: The Animated Series,Spider-Man: The Animated Series,Fantastic Four,Iron Man, andThe Incredible Hulk. | |
| Earth-93060 | Ultraverse | The home of the super-team known asUltraforce and superhumans known as Ultras. |
| Earth-96283 | Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man trilogy | An alternate reality in which Spider-Man and Doctor Strange (mentioned) are the only two superheroes on Earth. |
| Earth-148611 | New Universe | An alternate reality where a major catastrophe that is known as the "White Event" caused numerous people to develop superpowers in a world where there are no hidden races, gods, magic or super-technology. The home reality ofStar Brand |
| Earth-199999 | Marvel Cinematic Universe | A shared universe of films and TV shows byMarvel Studios featuring versions of theAvengers, theGuardians of the Galaxy, theDefenders,Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and theEternals, as well asDoctor Strange, theBlack Panther,Captain Marvel,Nick Fury,Shang-Chi and many others. Called and designated asEarth-616 by some of its inhabitants. |
| Earth-200111 | MAX universe | A gritty, realistic, violent universe where traditional superheroes do not exist. Stories include:The Punisher MAX,Born and its prequelPunisher: The Platoon (these series arecanon to the main Marvel Universe, with theVietnam War later updated to theIraq War, and then, the fictional Siancong War),Wolverine MAX,Foolkiller MAX,Fury, andFury: My War Gone By (the latter, also canon). |
| Earth-807128 | Old Man Logan | Another dystopian alternate future where the supervillains killed all the superheroes and took over the United States (and presumably the world), dividing it among themselves. The home reality of the titular Old Man Logan, an alternate version ofWolverine |
| Alterniverse | The reality of some of theWhat If stories. | |
| Shadowline | A horror imprint separate from the mainstream Marvel continuity. |
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One cannot normally alter the Marvel Universe's history; if a time-traveler should cause an alteration to the established flow of events at some point in the past, adivergent universe will simply "branch out" from the existing timeline, and the time-traveler will still return to their unaltered original universe. Those realities can also spawn realities of their own. There exist hundreds, probably thousands of such realities. It is unknown why this happens, though a warp known as the Nexus of All Realities exists in a swamp in the Florida Everglades of Earth-616. For the most part, this does not matter, as most beings are unaware that this occurs, or even that their universes were recently "born" from another. However, individuals and organizations exist that try to monitor or manipulate the various realities. These includeImmortus, theCaptain Britain Corps, theTime Variance Authority, theTimebreakers/Exiles, andKang the Conqueror's forces. It is possible to travel through time without creating a new alternative universe, instead of altering events in the future, but this seems to have devastating and very far-reaching repercussions, as depicted inMarvel 1602 (it almost destroyed the whole multiverse, including theafterlife).[citation needed]
Also, time itself passes much differently within the confines of the Marvel Universe than it does in the real world. Despite various characters having appeared within company publications for decades, few, if any, have aged to any appreciable degree. For example, the patriotic heroCaptain America was created in 1941 but stopped appearing in titles soon after the end ofWorld War II. The character was revived more than 20 years later, explained as having been frozen in a block of ice though believed to be dead, to lead Marvel's latest team of superheroes theAvengers. This first Avengers team featured several characters that would go on to be some of the company's most famous and most popular. Although the characters would be portrayed in hundreds and even thousands of adventures over the decades, they have been portrayed as having aged little or not at all.[citation needed]
The passing of time was more discernible in the very early years, such as the graduation ofSpider-Man; and what started as children or teenaged characters, such asKitty Pryde,Franklin Richards,Valeria Richards,Power Pack, or theNew Mutants are all allowed to age at wildly shifting rates (in the second case even backward at times), whereas surrounding characters somewhat dependent on a certain age limit do not change at all. This recurrently creates contradictory effects, as events are routinely described to have happened several years ago, even in cases when this would mean that some of the involved characters would have been toddlers. Different approaches also exist regarding allowing "second-generation" descendants of heroes or villains, full-grown over 18 years after an event (for example,Hulkling, other members of theYoung Avengers, theRunaways, and theSecret Warriors), whereas other books, such asYoung Allies use the contradiction to debunk similar claims. If a past storyline wherein a direct depiction of a then-current president or similar is referred to in a later era, it tends to become updated accordingly, sometimes with an "in-joke" acknowledgment.[citation needed]
A more recent explanation was given by Galactus to the Ultimates, namely that some important events – for instance, the creation of the Fantastic Four or the Avengers – have a 'gravity' all their own and warp time around them, causing the timeline to subtly change to accommodate this.[33]
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While the Marvel Universe is presumably as large as the non-fictional universe comic book readers inhabit, for all intents and purposes theLocal Group is the universe; practically all action takes place in it. The Skrull Empire is located in the Andromeda Galaxy, the Kree Empire in the Greater Magellanic Cloud, which is a satellite of the Milky Way galaxy in which Earth is found, and the Shi´ar Empire is located somewhere between them in one of the smaller galaxies (perhaps the Triangulum Galaxy); frequently, these three empires are quoted as the main political powers "in the universe".[34] Similarly, the Local Group seems to be the only affected area when theAnnihilation Wave cut its bloody swath "across the universe".
Fourrole-playing games have been set in the Marvel Universe:
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