| Time Variance Authority | |
|---|---|
 The Chronomonitors of the Time Variance Authority in the Halls of Chronometry being greeted byMobius M. Mobius | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Thor #372 (October 1986) |
| Created by | |
| In-story information | |
| Type of organization | |
| Base(s) | Null-Time Zone |
| Leader(s) | Mr. Alternity He Who Remains |
| Agent(s) |
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TheTime Variance Authority (TVA) is a fictional organization appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. It is depicted as a group of timeline monitors tasked with preventing the existence of certain timelines that are deemed too dangerous to theMultiverse.
The TVA appears in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)Disney+ seriesLoki (2021–2023), and the filmDeadpool & Wolverine (2024).
The Time Variance Authority (TVA) first appeared inThor #372 (October 1986).[1] Created byWalt Simonson andSal Buscema, the TVA originally paid homage to long-time Marvel writer/editor and continuity expertMark Gruenwald: the TVA staff were all visually designed as clones of Gruenwald (the classification system for alternate realities—theMarvel multiverse—was devised, in part, by Gruenwald).[2]
In July 2024,Marvel Comics announced the five-issue comic book seriesTVA, written byLoki season two writer Katharyn Blair with art by Pere Perez, to debut in December 2024. The series sees the comics' version of the TVA blended with the one established in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) along with the comics debut of some MCU characters.[3] Blair calledTVA her "comics interpretation" of the organization followingLoki's sacrifice at the end of season two, calling the comic a "funny, in-between awesome space".[4] The series featuresMobius,O.B.,Casey,B-15, andMiss Minutes from the series, along with comics characters who are stranded outside their timelines such asJimmy Hudson, CaptainPeggy Carter, a variant ofGambit, and strandedEarth-65 residentGwen Stacy.[3][4]
WriterRoy Thomas and Sal's brother, artistJohn Buscema, had previously explored the concept of a Marvel multiverse with Marvel's evilJustice League correlates, called theSquadron Sinister, inAvengers #69 (1969).[5] Thomas later introduced a heroic version of the Squadron Sinister named theSquadron Supreme, which first appeared inAvengers #85–86 (February–March 1971), and which was co-created with John Buscema.[6]
In 1985–1986,Mark Gruenwald wrote adeconstructionist multiverse storyline featuring the Squadron Supreme in a self-titled twelve-issuelimited series.[7]
The concept of a timeline monitoring organization had previously been explored in aCaptain Britainstory arc originally published in theMarvel UK seriesThe Daredevils #6–8 (1983). Written byAlan Moore andAlan Davis, Captain Britain is brought outside of time to the Supreme Omniversal Tribunal in Eden Place to testify before Lord Mandragon, Majestrix of the Dimensional Development Court, on behalf of the former majestrix, Opal LunaSaturnyne. Saturnyne is accused of failing to protect themultiverse from the creation of a deviant version ofEarth-238.[8]
Before Captain Britain's testimony, Mandragon declares that the Earth-238 universe must be "removed" from the multiverse before it destroys the continuums of the other universes.[9] Saturnyn's legal counsel, a faceless being referred to as Lord Chancellor, objects, as the destruction of the Earth-238 universe will destroy material evidence of Saturnyne's innocence. Lord Mandragon overrules the defense's objection, citing Ominversal Writ clause 723-801-(d). He then proceeds to remove the dangerous devianttimestream using crystal technology.
It is revealed during the trial that the prime Earth that exists in Marvel Comics isEarth-616. Because of this story, Alan Moore is usually credited with naming the mainstreamMarvel Universe "Earth-616." However, Alan Davis has said that it was invented byDave Thorpe, the previous writer of the UK-publishedCaptain Britain stories.[10]
While Captain Britain's 1983 story arc does not mention the Time Variance Authority, the Dimensional Development Court contains elements that were plainlyretconned by Walt Simonson and Sal Buscema[citation needed] and in subsequent incarnations (such as the TVA employees—chronomonitors—functioning and appearing in new universes in the same manner as theCaptain Britain Corps). According toMark Gruenwald's widow Catherine, Gruenwald's 1985Squadron Supreme limited series was the work about which he was the proudest.[11]
The TVA claims responsibility for monitoring themultiverse and can prunetimelines if they are deemed too dangerous to exist. They also take action to prevent other beings from altering the past or future. They were first seen allowing Justice Peace, a lawman from the future, to travel to the 20th century in order to stop the killerZaniac. Peace is able to succeed in his mission thanks to the assistance ofThor.[1]
Despite their claims,[vague] the TVA's influence over time is not absolute. The scope of their influence is bordered by Alioth in the distant past as well asKang the Conqueror, the Delubric Consortium, andRevelation at different eras throughout the timescape.[12] There have also been numerous incidents of time travel or reality tampering where the TVA has failed to interfere.
At theEnd of Time, the last Director of the TVA, known as He Who Remains, creates theTime-Keepers, the last three beings who exist in the remaining timeline in the universe, who subsequently enslaveImmortus. The process also ends up creating the Time Twisters, a trio of beings who imperiled all realities until stopped by Thor and other members of theAvengers.
The TVA are next seen using the law-firm thatShe-Hulk works for. Jurors for cases are plucked from time soon before they actually die, minimizing the effects on the time stream. This also establishes the tendencies for time-travelers to go through genetic scrambling, also to minimize the effect on the time-stream. Notably, the scrambling tends to cause similar appearances among various males who undergo the process. A defendant who is found guilty in one of these trials is executed with a weapon called the Retroactive Cannon, or Ret-Can (a reference toretroactive continuity, or "retcon", a practice used by storytellers to add previously unknown material to an event or remove previously established material from an event in a previous story), which erases the victim, deleting their existence from the universe by undoing their birth and entire history. She-Hulk herself was handed this harsh sentence, but it was overturned as a reward when she helped defeat the villain Clockwise.[13]
During the "Venom War" storyline, the Time Variance Authority arrives following a fight with the Zombiotes to bring inJimmy Hudson because he is fromanother universe. WhenDeadpool mentions a multiversal threat, Mobius M. Mobius disappears with Jimmy and the TVA agents stating that it's not his department.[14]
Lower-ranked TVA employees, calledChronomonitors, are literally faceless. They are created artificially, using "quantum technology". The moment a new reality appears, a new faceless agent is created to monitor it, along with the necessary equipment (a personal computer-like device, plus a desk and a chair) to do so. Cloned managers of the Chronomonitors resembleMark Gruenwald—and, later,Tom DeFalco—both longtimeMarvel Comics writers. The most frequent recurring manager is Mobius M. Mobius, a Gruenwald clone.[15]
On occasion, the TVA hires mercenaries for use in the more dangerous missions, such as Justice Peace andDeath's Head. These mercenaries often lose limbs which the TVA replaces with clunky robotic parts. Another example of their seeminglyanachronistic technology is atime machine shaped like an oldlocomotive. Professor Justin Alphonse Gamble, apastiche ofthe Doctor,[16][17] is a renegade from the TVA.
The Time Variance Authority (TVA), based on the MCU iteration, appears inThe Good, the Bart, and the Loki.
The TVA, based on its MCU iteration, appears in the animated seriesToday in Marvel History, which features Miss Minutes (voiced again by Tara Strong) explaining key events from Marvel's history to new recruits within the TVA headquarters. The series is produced by Wild Comet Media and Apus Estudio and released on the Marvel Entertainment YouTube channel.
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